Theories of Mass Communication

Social Media Addiction Today

Matt Meier

Social media addiction has become a modern day problem. New research has begun looking into this addiction and its probable effects on society, notably students.

introduction
Addiction, as defined by Psychology Today, is a condition that results when a person ingests in a substance or engages in an activity that can be pleasurable but the continued use of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities. [emphasis added] (Psychology Today, 2013) Addiction comes in different forms, such as a food addiction, drug addiction, or sexual addiction. For food addicts, becoming addicted to food can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes or heart disease. Drug addicts face serious consequences of affecting their bodily and mental health with repeated use. And sex addicts can have damaging relationship problems arise that can, in term, affect their mental health. Since the birth of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s, billions of people have been able to dial into the vast network of connections that have built up. While these networks have allowed for an easier flow of communication, a whole new level of addiction as arisen as a consequence.

the addiction
In the past few years, an untold level of addiction has grown in the face of social networks. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube boast millions upon millions of daily users, each connecting and sharing with friends, family, and strangers. YouTube boasts that they receive over 3 billion unique views per day. (Rao, 2011) Facebook data shows that users spend 19 minutes per visit on the website, with multiple visits in a day.

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Numbers are only part of the story. Various health organizations and news media have reported worldwide the growing number of people who are finding it difficult to turn away from social media. In the United Kingdom, The Express reports of the growing number of Britons becoming addicted to technology, namely Facebook and Twitter. (The social networks ranked 12th and 13th respectively on their list of Things We Just Cant Give Up). (Mathews, 2013) And comedian Louis C.K. recently took it out against social media, with the networks becoming the crux of his jokes. I think these things are toxic, Louis said, They dont look at people when they talk to them and they dont build empathy. (Wright, 2013) The addiction of social media has grown to be a massive distraction for many, particularly among younger demographics. Distractions can come in different ways, such as in driving or in the classroom. The threat of this digital addiction has real-world consequences among millions, and the danger is only rising.

is facebook good for us?

With over one billion individuals under its fold, Facebook is by far the largest social network on the internet. The world population is just over 7 billion, meaning that nearly 1/7th of humanity shares a common connection through Facebook. The possibilities for the levels of interaction are truly infinite. Being connected with the heartbeat of humanity is a tremendous feat in human history, but is it healthy for people? A recent study from New Zealand attempted to explain the relationships between Facebook and the human psyche, notably by way individuals portray themselves through their avatars. (Brunskill, 2013) 2|Page

The term avatar derives from Hindu religion, wherein gods took a humanly form (an avatar) when interacting with people on Earth. In a social media context, an avatar refers to a persons ideal impersonation of their self online. In Facebook, the avatar is directly applicable to the profile image and cover photo. The argument in the New Zealand study is that people tend to obsessively promote a favorable interpretation of their own self. Because the internet has no restrictions a persons interpretation of their self, a person will endow their self with special attributes of intelligence, status, and charisma which [they] do not normally possess to nearly the same degree. The implications here are that people are lying about their true self in the hopes of gaining social recognition. The problem with presenting two facets of one person is that it creates negative effects on the psyche. According to the study, evidence shows that when a person experiences tension between their two facets (the one presented through the avatar and their real self), difficulty of acceptance, violent and rude awakenings, and desperate attempts to save face are likely to occur. Also, the obsessive focus to curate a perfect avatar can create narcissistic traits. Though not readily apparent, a sense of peer pressure may drive an individual towards crafting their online image, creating these problems with their psyche. The study concludes that finding a harmonious balance between a persons online self and offline (real world) self is unlikely, and can constitute an unhealthy obsession towards curating an online avatar. The study makes the point that, self-promotion will overtake self-

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awareness to the extent that profound psychological effects are likely to emerge over time. If people continue to obsess over their online avatar, then it would leave modern man not feeling happy with his god-like nature. To summarize, one explanation for a likely addiction to social media stems from peoples desire to build the perfect image of their self. The addiction can build to obsessive and narcissistic levels, leaving to an imbalance between online and offline livelihoods. Psychological effects, such as violence and self-esteem issues, can likely arise as a result of becoming addicted to social media.

uses and gratifications

A number of people may obsess over their perceptual avatar, but when it comes down to it, people use social media to be social. Humans naturally gravitate towards discussion and interaction, which social media networks greatly offer in spades. Millions of people connect out to friends, family, and even strangers to share and consume information. The proposed theory to why people use social media (and the internet as a whole) is known as the uses and gratification theory. This theory holds that people use social networking sites because it emphasizes the importance of the individual. This importance is gratified through social interactions that the individual seeks in the realm of social media. (Raacke & Bonds-Raacke, 2008) To better understand the relationship of uses and gratifications to social media, two researchers sought why people use social networking sites, what the characteristics are of those people, and what uses and gratifications are met by using these sites. To narrow the 4|Page

scope of the study, the researchers focused on college students at a four-year public university located on the East Coast. The study revealed that a large majority of the students surveyed had a social media account (87%) and that a reason most of them used social media were to keep in touch with old friends (96%). Another large majority (91%) stated that to keep in touch with current friends was another reason they were using social media. If pure numbers are any indication, then most students surveyed for the study are finding a level of gratification in using social media (again, 87% have and use a social media network). Perhaps most notable in the surveys were the amount of hours spent using social media. According to those students that had an account, they averaged three hours of social media use per day. Keep in mind that this study was conducted in 2008, just as social media was exploding, and the popularity of smartphones were still in their infancy. Five years have elapsed since the uses and gratification study was concluded. In that time, a vast majority of college students now have mobile access to their social media accounts. Smartphone technology has allowed for millions to cut the cord and be truly mobile. This mobility allows for them to be connected nearly anywhere at any time. The potential for addiction is greater now than in 2008, thanks to smartphone technology.

about face
The level of interaction that social media offers is both a blessing a curse. As stated previously, there are an infinite number of connections that can be made through social

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networks. That level of connectivity is truly a gift. But the amount of time people are spending on the networks is becoming increasingly worrisome. Some people would argue that the addiction they face is beneficial for them. For example, students in South Africa said that social media enhances their academic and social lives, according to a research study that interviewed 1,435 students. Nearly 60% of the students openly claimed that they were addicted to social media, with a vast majority of those addicted students believing that social media improved their studies and enhanced their social lives. Only 10% of students that said they were addicted to social media found the media to be major problem for them. (SouthAfrica.info, 2013) While some students enjoy the addiction and benefits that social media offers, others are giving an about face to Facebook, Twitter, and other networks all together. A study from Turkey examined the reasons why some university students shunned social networks via case study methodology. The results from the study revealed a myriad list of reasons why some university students shied away from social media. (Turan, Tinmaz, & Goktas, 2013) The largest reason for steering clear of social media was due to the potential for spending too much time online. The uses and gratification study noted that students are likely to spend around three hours per day using social media, which is already a large amount of time to spend online. The students in the Turkish study have a well-founded belief that they may spend excessive amounts of time online.

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The next two highest reasons to not use social media were related to a lack of interest and a fear of addiction. Some students in the study did believe Facebook and other networks would serve any purpose for them. I see Facebook as an unnecessary tool, one student said. I think I can do whatever I might want to do on Facebook anywhere else. And addiction kept some students from using social media, or addiction lead to the students deleting their accounts. One student reported that their repeated use of Facebook lead to an online poker addiction. Interestingly, some students stated that self-presentation on social networks, namely Facebook, were not an idea they were privy to. The notion that they disproved of curating their own image online ties directly to the New Zealand study, which looked at the obsessive nature people have towards creating their online avatars. Ultimately, creating an ideal view of the self could lead to leaking too much private information, which students in the Turkish study did not like. Everyone is sharing their private lives, and I am not interested in their lives, one female student said. Since I dont want to present myself, I dont find it necessary. The summation of this study holds that there are university students out there who would not partake in using social media, as so many other students are worldwide. Fears of addiction are prevalent in many of the responses, which tie with other related studies regarding social media.

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There are a growing number of people around the world that have been turning away from social media. The trend has become common enough that new internet applications have been created to help users delete their social media accounts. The reasons for this trend vary, though many individuals cite privacy concerns as their reasons for deleting accounts. And a small percentage of users, as noted in a study from the University of Vienna, stated that addiction was their reason for quitting social media. (The Advertiser, 2013)

whats to come
There is certainly a growing problem with social media addiction in todays world. In places like Japan, the government is reporting of prevalent addiction among its youth. Statistics from Japans Medical and Addiction Center show that 8.1% of junior high and high school students have some form of addiction to the internet, with a large chuck of the addiction delegated to social networking sites, such as YouTube and Facebook. (The Japan Times, 2013) Aside from wholly deleting social media accounts all together, the next best method to curbing rampant social media use is through time management. Researchers at MIT have taken the concept of managing ones time on a website, such as Facebook, to a shocking level. A new device called the Pavlov Poke sends a mild electric jolt into a user via conducting pods that are attached to a keyboard rest. (London, 2013) Other researchers have even created a scale to measure the level of Facebook addictiveness in an individual. Called the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, this measurement 8|Page

quantifies responses from Facebook users on their amount of time spent on the social network. A high number is indicative of addictiveness to Facebook. (Paddock, 2012) Has society reached a point where it is necessary to quantify addictiveness to social media and use electric shocks to avert extended use? Clearly there is a problem, but the extents of the effects of social media are still poorly understood. Many more studies need to be conducted to better understand the effects of social media on the human psyche. It is generally agreed upon that spending too much time online has detrimental effects on social conditions of individuals. But how this affects a persons education, tolerance, perception, and other psycho-analytical factors are not fully known. Social media does have wonderful benefits to society, not least of which is the vast connectivity it offers. Sharing of ideas, cultures, and information can easily and readily occur. To really avoid addiction towards social networking, everyone needs to find the time to turn off and turn away. All devices have a power button; sometimes it is just a matter of finding the switch and hitting it.

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bibliography
Brunskill, D. (2013, October 24). Social media, social avatars and the psyche: is Facebook good for us? . Australasian Psychiatry, pp. 527-532. London, J. (2013, September 5). MIT Researchers Develop a Shocking Treatment for

Facebook Addiction. Retrieved from Slice of MIT:

http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2013/09/05/mit-researchers-develop-ashocking-treatment-for-facebook-addiction/ Mathews, J. (2013, November 13). Old habits die hard... that's why we are struggling with addiction. The Express, p. 3. Paddock, C. (2012, May 11). Facebook Addiction - New Psychological Scale. Retrieved from Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245251.php Psychology Today. (2013). What Is Addiction? . Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction Raacke, J., & Bonds-Raacke, J. (2008, Vol. 11 No. 2). MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites. CyberPsychology

& Behavior, 169-174.

Rao, L. (2011, June 17). The Average YouTube Viewer Watches 5 Hours Of Videos A Month. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/17/comscore-theaverage-youtube-viewer-watches-5-hours-of-videos-a-month/ SouthAfrica.info. (2013, November 12). Social Media 'Integral' to SA Students' Lives. Africa

News.
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The Advertiser. (2013, September 19). About face as social media users turn away. The

Advertiser , p. 54.
The Japan Times. (2013, September 3). Net addiction a growing problem. The Japan Times. Turan, Z., Tinmaz, H., & Goktas, Y. (2013). The Reasons for Non-Use of Social Networking Websites by University Students . Scientific Journal of Media Education, 137-145. Wright, M. (2013, September 23). Louis C.K is right: smartphones have become a blight on

our society. Retrieved from The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk

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