Is Social Media Addictive?

For most people, you wake up and get dressed and get maybe get breakfast and at the table most people have nothing better to do then to check their Twitter, Instagram and Snap-Chat. Social media is a huge part in people's lives on a daily basis and it leads to the questions. Is it addictive? Can people last without it? And who is most affected by social media?

In a Ted talk I watched called “why you should quit social media” by Doctor Cal Newport he had some interesting statements. One of which really caught my eye. His concept with social media is “Like a slot machine on your phone.”(Newport). This example is very true in most cases. This is because designers and creators of social media purposely try to make you engaged and make social media as addictive as possible. They want to create that urge in your stimulus to make you want to keep using it or in his reference spin the slot machine. And it will happen over and over again.

(Social media sources)

Doctor Cal Newport also stated some facts about daily users of social media who went without it for a couple weeks. He said the first two weeks They people felt anxious and it almost feels like they have lost a limb or a part of their body. But after those 2 weeks things because more calm and peaceful and more enjoyable.

I looked into it deeper and researched the addiction of social media more. I was reading this article by health essentials and one of these quotes by a researcher was very interesting. “Researchers find people who are really heavy users develop a tolerance to that feeling, so they need more and more exposure to get the same effect. What does that sound like? Drug and alcohol use(health essentials) I found this interesting because from self experience I know how hard it is to go days without social media. It really feels like a withdrawal. The human brain adapts to the urge and need to check social media on a daily basis just like alcoholics or people who are influenced by drugs.

Social media has impacted all ages. Especially little kids and growing teens. One of my teachers, Mrs. LaClair at Hopkinton middle highschool came across a conversation about screen time with kids. She only allows her kids a certain amount of screen time because she knows that if they surplus the screen time, they will ultimately abuse the amount of technology they use. For kids there is no motor to stop and they keep wanting to spin that slot machine.

For teens and myself, it's looked at as the only way to socialize with their friends and is the major subject in all conversations. Teens rely on it for communication outside of school and even next to her friends at the lunch table. Numeros times I have had friends around me texting each other as they are right next to them through social media. It's not only addictive but it also impacts social skills and interactions.

Overall, I think that social media is a very useful piece in everyday life and it helps out a lot but taking a break from it or even limiting the amount of time on it is very beneficial to you. I don't think that living a life without is is necessarily better but the addiction of a slot machine on a phone for say could result in too much of a tolerance to social media.

Works Cited

Health, Mental. "Is it possible to become addicted to social media?" Health essentials, 1 Mar. 2019, health.clevelandclinic.org/is-it-possible-to-become-addicted-to-social-media/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.

Picture of social media apps. Market Land, 12 Nov. 2018, marketingland.com/library/channel/social-media-marketing. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.

"Why you should quit social media." Ted, Ted conferences LLC, June 2016, www.ted.com/talks/cal_newport_why_you_should_quit_social_media/transcript. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.