How To Combat The Emerging Problem Of Social Media Addiction?

Addiction, what exactly is addiction? The overuse of anything is referred to as addiction. You must have heard of many deadly addictions and in this digital era one more addiction is added to the list and that is social media addiction. According to a report, almost 210 million people suffer from social media and internet addictions worldwide. In a study, it has been shown that gen Z spends an average of 3 hours on social media each day. Millennials are close enough, they spend 2 hours and 40 minutes daily on social media. 

It is not about a generation, it is about addiction that is worsening each passing year. Not only youths but also xennials are suffering from this addiction. Although it comes with little or no harm in many cases, in some cases it can be dangerous, affecting mental health.

Why Social Media Addiction Is A Problem?

Social networks connect us to our friends and family all over the globe. You meet new people online, chat with them, share memes, photos, and a lot is there you can do on social media platforms. It is really a good platform to entertain yourself. Not just for entertainment purposes but many people use it for showcasing their talent, some earn from them, and some promote their business. But if you are doing none of this and just scrolling throughout the day, then it might be a problem.

People are getting more dependent on social media, as a result, there is a rise in addiction worldwide. Social media can make you feel so special at once and then you might feel unwanted at second. The overuse of social media can be dangerous. It can break down your mental health ruining your healthy lifestyle. A study has shown that most people get anxious when their phone is not with them even for a second. The social media that is most addictive and widely used are Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

How To Curb Addiction?

45% of the world’s population actively uses social media. We never know how much is too much. Let us look at the following tips to cut down the time we spend on social media.

• Limit the number of sites you use

Extensively using all social media platforms is a waste of time. Most of the platforms serve the same purpose. If we keenly observe almost every platform has similar features with slight changes. So keep a check on your priority list and only use the platforms which are necessary to you. Limiting the sites will save you from unnecessary scrolling.

• Track down the time limit of social media usage

Nowadays every phone has an inbuilt feature of tracking down the app’s usage time or if not then you can simply download it from the play store. This will help in knowing how much time you spend individually on each social media platform. You can set the time limit of using them. As soon as you exceed the time limit, it will pop up a notification. This can save you from wasting your time.  

• Stop scrolling unnecessary

Know the purpose of using social media platforms. When you are done with the task, keep the phone aside and check in with your friends and family. Make friends outside social media. When getting bored, instead of scrolling go out and have fun. 

• Turn off notifications

While doing the daily work, notification is the one thing that distracts the most. Notifications remind us that something interesting is happening and we might miss them. Once we open those notifications, unknowingly we take long breaks from our work. This results in reduced productivity. Turning off notifications will ensure that nobody is distracting anymore.

• Take a break

Taking a break has always been a better option. If you feel like you have spent a lot more time on social media then give yourself a reality check by taking a holiday. Go off without social media straight for a week or two. Get a new offline hobby. Try to keep yourself busy with your work, family, and friends.

Mental Health Effect Of Social Media Addiction

90% of youths all over the world use social media actively. Social media addiction disrupts the sleep schedule. Among 4 in 10 youth faces this problem. It leads to negative effects. Most of the youths without their phone gets anxious and confused. Increased use of social media has encouraged suicidal thoughts in youth. 71% of the teenagers who use social media are likely to have suicide risk factors. Browsing social media at an inappropriate time result in depression.

Conclusion 

Social media has made our lives convenient but as it has been said excess to anything can be dangerous. Recurrent use of social media can affect mental as well as physical well-being. If the addiction is not beneficial to you, then it might be bad for you. 

Not being in the present and living in the virtual world has become the social norm. If you want to live your life to the fullest then you need to unplug yourself from social media now and then.

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