Social Media Addiction

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc now have become an essential part of one’s social life.

It plays a vital role in the life of adolescents, young adults, and particularly young women.

As we all have become a primary user of such platforms, it has started affecting our self-concept, self-esteem, and body language.

Why Is Social Media An Addiction?

I have certain questions that will help you understand if it is true for you.

• Sometimes you intend to go on social media for something specific, and then realize that you have spent hours watching videos and photos which you did not intend to.
• You spend time watching other people’s activities better than actually giving time to create your own memories.
• You accept and follow people on social media who post the good side of their life as you think it is something that builds your inanimate image.
• You take photographs very often while traveling in a business class or visiting any elite place, keeping in mind that you have to post these images on social media to show off others, not for your own self.
• Most of you are always careful while sharing your images that you don’t repeat an outfit again if it has been posted on social media. The urge to buy new clothes and borrowing clothes from others to keep up with fast fashion, has pushed many of you in debt.
• Posting pictures of meals everywhere you eat, following with hashtag foodies makes you cool whether you enjoy the food or not.
• Pretending your emotions with everyone on social media but not with your own near and dear ones.

Social Media: An Image builder

Studies have shown that the use of social media platforms brings dissatisfaction in individuals as they are considering them as an image-builder platform.

Earlier social media was just a technology that allowed users to share their information in order to build a better community but now it has been turned up into image building platforms.

According to some of the research, social media usage, in particular, has increased dramatically over the last decade.

This increase in usage of social media, especially Facebook and Instagram, is negatively affecting adolescents.

Filters For Your Identity

If you are wondering, social media platforms are only sucking your content, it is not that simple.

These apps provide tons of features to customize your personality and in a very subtle way, leaves you in an identity complex.

• Do you look fat?
• Do you look thin?
• Do you want to look taller?
• Do you have a dark complexion?
• Do you have a fat nose?
• Do you want horns on your head?

You need not worry, you can decide the way you want to look like. You can use filters available in social media to make your images glamorous, you can look fair and nobody will say these apps are racist.

These apps are masters in covering over the scars and blemishes and also can do facials without any cosmetic kit. One can easily manipulate his/her body to look thinner and attractive.

These apps can do wonders without any cosmetic surgery and make users ready to present them on social applications. These apps nowadays become a virtual tool to enhance someone’s beauty.

These applications indirectly trying to say more power to you as you can alter your identity.

Depression & Anxiety

Social media now has become a reason behind depression, insecurity, jealousy, and poor self-esteem. Now the question is how can this be possible using social media sites.

Here I have certain examples for you:

• Most of the social addicts have an illusion that if a person has more friends and followers, it is a mark of reputation.
• The decrement in likes to your posts results in the feeling of disappointment.
• Stalking someone’s account can make you more insecure.
• Feeling of being emotionally or mentally attacked by someone while seeing a disturbing post.
• Seeing an abusive or hateful content.

How To Break Social Media Addiction?

• Delete apps, or disable notifications from social media: We need to put a small barrier to notifications by “turning it off”. Still, there are people who just keep on checking social media apps without any notification. Better to disable the app from your phone, if you don’t see the icon or notification every time you pick up your phone, you relatively spend less time over it.
• Spend time on Hobbies and Activities: Any new activity can curb your desire to look into social media apps. This will fill up your free time and also bring you out of this addiction. Naturally, you give lesser time on social media and left out with some more valuable time which you can dedicate to a few meaningful things.

We all use social media and the internet, and it’s a helpful communication tool. The key is to find a healthy balance that empowers you, not takes away from you.