Social Media Addiction - Treatment, Symptoms and Causes

'Internet, the greatest discovery of 21st century brought great opportunities with it. The human race saw a lot of changes after then, talking just about the internet then and now, we are introduced to social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Gmail, etc. Getting in contact with anyone is not difficult anymore. Social media provisions like status update allow us to express ourselves to the entire word be it regarding an important topic or our day to day activities. The connection is not just limited to the people we know but contacting and getting to know more people around the world is also pretty easy now.

The Internet has been a boon to humankind but as every other invention given to us by science, it has its share of drawbacks. Nothing is good in excess however beneficial it may be, this is what has been the problem with these social media sites. It did make the world a small place, improved communication between people irrespective of the distance, it brought us closer to other cultures as we started learning about them but it has given birth to a new problem that is an addiction to social media.

The main reason behind people getting addicted to social media is complicated as it depends on the lifestyle of a person, the feel-good release of chemical every time we post, etc. Some common cause may be narrowed to the following:

The release of the feel-good chemical every time we post something. It gives us a sense of acceptance, as such people joy or happiness of that particular moment depends on whether people like it or not.

The one who is not confident or constantly thinks about what others think about them are more prone to be addicted as social media gives them a chance to speak or express themselves without confronting anyone.

Social media addiction nowadays is a popular and unique phenomenon but can be diagnosed with some common symptoms which are stated as under.

• Feeling elated while experiencing the social media on any of the electronics devices.
• Being so engrossed in that feeling as the person loses that consciousness towards time.
• Some physical symptoms of Social media addiction are blurred vision, not getting a proper sleep and experiencing headaches.
• Feeling anxious when not connected to or being inaccessible to social media.
• The Compulsive need to update about every day to day activity.
• Such people like to be alone even when with a group of people.
• Get rage when cut down from social media by force.

The problem is getting much worse as teens are getting more and more addicted to social media as it has become easily accessible. The best way to diagnose and treat this addiction would be to consult a psychiatrist and a few sessions would help the person to cope up with the addiction. As this alters the behaviour of the person drastically and suddenly stopping the access may lead to critical withdrawal symptoms. The treatment for Social media addiction is not built on the same lines as those of alcoholics who can never have a drink but it involves moderation and directional usage of the internet which is much more on the path of healthy eating.

The symptoms show how social media addiction can hamper a person’s behaviour vastly. So, it’s better if we can just prevent it and just increase the value of our life. Some ways to prevent it would be having a fixed time to use social media, develop hobbies which keep yourself busy in your free time like reading, solving puzzles, etc. You may also spend that time talking to your friends or learn something new. I have seen many people who like to build projects in their free time, read novels, some also do write poems, songs. All I want to advice is do something that kills your boredom and also improves yourself in some way. Social media is just a utility so it should be used as one, don’t let it take control over you.

From a recently conducted study, it has been suggested that people who have been social media addicts while presenting from it could experience an increased heart rate or abnormal blood pressure media if they keep away from electronic devices for a narrow bracket or technically 'go offline”. The withdrawal symptoms in this specific addiction are generally non-life threatening and the addicts could experience a surge in the anxiety levels. The repulsion also leads to an imbalance in the hormone levels in some cases while the penultimate symptom is a diminishing immune system. Some commonly observed withdrawal symptoms are:

• Getting raged easily.
• Staying alone, depressed.
• Feeling anxious.
• Not communicating or taking part in group activities.