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We’ve all been there: out of boredom, we reach for our smartphones and get sucked into social media. What’s new on Facebook? What are our friends posting on Instagram? Another new TikTok trend? Before we know it, an hour or more has passed on our smartphones.
Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives: we like, read, share, and post! It accompanies us every step of the way in the form of smartphones, which we almost always carry with us and which give us quick access. But what are the dangers of this constant availability of digital media? How addictive is it?
“Digital addiction” – an officially recognized disease
According to some estimates, people who have access to the internet spend more than two hours a day on social media. In addition, surveys in over 50 countries worldwide have shown that people today spend more time on social and online media than watching television.
The dangers posed by social media are now well known. The World Health Organization (WHO) has even recognized “digital addiction” as an official disease. Experts go one step further and say that “smartphones, video games, and social media apps can be just as harmful and addictive as cigarettes, drugs, or gambling.”
What can be done about addiction?
Not only is the potential for addiction present, but it is also high. However, when and whether measures should be taken depends on the type and extent of the addiction. Should the amount of time spent on social media be limited? How can self-control tools be best designed? How can companies that produce video games, social media, and smartphones optimally tailor their products to the well-being of consumers? These questions arise in connection with addiction management.
Setting limits is more difficult than expected
The keywords are habit formation and self-control problems. To find out how best to manage self-control problems, researchers experimented. The so-called “screen time bonus” intervention offered participants incentives for unused screen time.
The result: even after the incentives ended, lasting effects were observed. This indicates that using social media on smartphones is habit-forming. However, surveys of the participants revealed that although they were aware of habit formation, they did not pay any attention to it.
Today’s consumption determines tomorrow’s demand
Habit formation increases the addictive factor. Basically, this means that today’s consumption increases tomorrow’s demand. It also exacerbates self-control problems, which could be responsible for around 31 percent of social media use.
In combination, these two factors are decisive for the risk of digital addiction—this also applies to classic addictive substances such as cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol.
Take action, minimize risk
It’s easier than you think to fall into a “digital” or “social media” addiction. The fact that the dangers of such an addiction are not as clearly visible as, for example, the risks of drug addiction, makes it seem less harmful than it is. But smartphone obsession should not be underestimated. Problems with self-control in particular increase the potential for addiction. To counteract this risk, it is advisable to use the time limit functions on smartphones. This can break the habit of constantly looking at your phone and scrolling through social media, reducing the amount of time you spend on your smartphone.
In addition, better coordination of digital technologies with well-being is recommended. This should be a goal for users, parents, technology experts, investors, and regulatory authorities.
- source: kleinezeitung.at/picture: camva.com
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