The Age of Social Media Addiction

By Marbamonlang Rani

SHILLONG:

Most of us begin and end our day surfing the internet. It has become a part of our lives as most of us have become obsessed with being updated and notified on all the events taking place in, around and beyond us.

Decades back, there weren’t things such as instant messaging or communication with strangers from across the globe. The internet has narrowed that distance and unified people through smartphones.

However, because of the ease of access, users often misuse social media. Whether it is Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter, people, especially the youth have encountered the negative effects of these social media platforms.

Teenagers and young adults spend more time on social media than on hands-on activities. Several reasons make people turn to social media. Some of those reasons can be anger, jealousy, sadness/loneliness, and boredom.

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Anger

When we cannot express our anger properly, taking it out on social media is a dangerous move. Consider a timeout or better yet, seek help.

Jealousy

It might be easy to hide behind a screen and insult someone popular. Shameful comments have often ruined the mental peace of some famous public figures.

English actress Millie Bobby Brown once said, “I want to combat the negativity on social media-I have experienced it- it’s like a disease. It’s negative hate that is so genuinely horrifying to me.”

Such people who defame others are simply envious of not being capable to do what others can.

Sadness/Loneliness

Some people seek happiness on social media and sometimes use digital platforms to express their sadness.

According to a study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, more time spent on the internet was associated with a decrease in communication with people in actual life, fewer friends and an increase in depression and loneliness.

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Competition

It has become quite common among the youth to be obsessed with followers and likes.

However, comparing ourselves on social media by stalking other people’s filtered Instagram photos or staying up to date with their relationship status on Facebook would only make us feel less important.

Boredom

When we move to social media every time we feel bored, it can cause addiction. Strolling feeds and doing exactly nothing but reacting to static posts is just a waste of time, energy and creativity.

Sometimes, we do not even need a reason to spend time online. Intentionally, we turn to social media to escape reality and become the versions we are afraid to show the world. It is through the internet that we can be who we want and although it is much easier to hide between shades and shadows; it is never worth it.

We seek distraction on the internet, to ignore the pangs of reality, but it only leaves us emptier and mentally drained.

“An open Facebook page is simply a psychiatric dry sense board that screams look at me. I am insecure. I need your reaction to what I am doing, but you’re not cool enough to be my friend. Therefore, I will just pray you see this because the approval of God is not all I need”–Shannon L. Alder.

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