Anti-Social Media: A Sign of the Times

Article by Claire Havey, UK Addiction Treatment Centres.

As it stands, there’s still no official medical definition of Social Media Addiction, but it is a proposed diagnosis related to the overuse of social media and believe us when we say, it is a very real problem.

Have you ever thought about how much time you spend using social media? How often does your mind instigate you unlocking your phone and checking social media, just to see what you might have missed in the last 10, 20, 30 minutes?

Would you agree that this process is worryingly similar for a smoker, someone who is physically and psychologically dependent on nicotine? A smoker will think about smoking, and will then subsequently feel the need to smoke, and will therefore light a cigarette.

The same can be said for someone whose habit is social media. But does this mean they’re an addict?

What is Addiction?

The NHS defines addiction as “not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it can be harmful to you.” When you think of an ‘addict’, what does your mind conjure? Do you see someone using Heroin? Or do you see someone using social media?

They’re both addicts, but only if they’ve both lost the power of choice to be able to stop. Addiction is a very powerful word and one that can be used quite frivolously and, in some cases, unnecessarily. If a person cannot participate in their everyday life whatsoever because instead, they are or would prefer to be on social media, then they are addicted.

To understand whether or not social media has taken over a person’s everyday life, you need to observe how they act and behave in the -quite probably short amount of time- when they’re not on social media.

The Warning Signs of Social Media Addiction

We have learned that there are definite signs to look for to identify whether someone has an addiction to social media. You might even want to reflect on these signs for yourself. The seven most visible signs of social media addiction are:

• Spending excessive amounts of time on social media

• Unreasonable anxiety or irritation if the immediate ability to use social media is delayed

• Corresponding anxiety or irritation when social media use is blocked or otherwise unavailable

• Increasing social isolation in favour of spending time on social media

• Poor work or school performance or non-attendance as a result of spending time instead on social media

• Increasing anxiety, insomnia and unexplainable mood swings when not on social media

• Lack of interest in relationships, especially marriage and sexual.

We believe that a person whose social media usage is so excessive that it interferes with what is considered ‘normal social functioning’ is someone who at least needs to be evaluated.

The person on the road to social media addiction is someone who will prefer this activity over most other things. They will lose interest in other hobbies; physical social interaction will be put on the back burner; there will be little desire to get out of the house and do things.

In its most severe form, social media addiction results in the same types of scenarios we see with other behavioural and substance addictions; the addictive behaviour takes over as the primary controlling factor in a person’s life.

Most decisions are made based on using social media; going online determines the course of the addict’s day; if the addict has to choose between social media or doing something else, social media usually wins. This is when professional support should be a priority.

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

The fear of missing out is a social anxiety characterised by a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing. Society has fallen into the grip of FOMO; the fear of missing out on something or someone more interesting, exciting or better than what they’re currently doing, a term which has become popular with the rise of social media use.

For those who overuse social media, FOMO will play a big part in their lives and will be one of the reasons why they’re overusing social media.

They’ll say it’s not “interruption”, but connection. But when you think about it, it’s not really “connection” either.

It’s the potential for a different connection; a desire to experience something other than what they’re presently experiencing. It may be better, it may be worse, but they won’t know until they check, and therein lies the compulsion.

FOMO creates a vicious cycle for social media users; if they don’t check what’s happening without them, they become anxious and fear that they’re missing out. But then by checking social media and seeing that things are happening without them (because of course they are, not everyone can be involved in everything), they’re anxious because they subsequently believe they’ve missed out.

Treating Social Media Addiction

The best thing a person can do is to accept they have a problem and to ask for help. This is what we call a 'red flag' or a person's 'defining moment'; the thought and acceptance that they have truly lot the power of choice and that they need -and most importantly, want- to gain back control of their life.

FOMO creates a vicious cycle for social media users; if they don't check what's happening without them, they become anxious and fear that they're missing out

When a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol, treatment follows a standardised process of detoxification, which safely removes the drugs from the body, followed by therapeutic treatment, which removes the desire to take the drugs again and advocates complete abstinence from drugs or alcohol in the future.

But with process addictions like social media, the treatment process differs slightly in that abstinence is generally accepted to be unachievable for the addict’s future. Instead, more focus is given to developing and learning coping strategies to allow the person to develop a healthy relationship with social media without it taking over their life.

There are typically five stages of treating social media addiction:

1. Reducing Time Online

Just like the heroin user needs to stop taking heroin, the social media addict needs to cut down on the amount of time spent online. In this sense, and in the immediate short-term, the goal of abstinence is the same. It is vital that the addict is cut off from social media completely at the start of treatment, so that all psychological emotions that arise from going ‘cold turkey’ can be addressed in the next stages of treatment.

2. Counselling

Social media addicts undergo the same types of counselling utilised for alcoholism or drug addiction. The most effective form of counselling in this regard is known as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

This therapy was originally developed to help people struggling with depression and other mental illnesses; it has proven rather successful as an addiction treatment as well. Through counselling, the addict can explore why it is that they prefer to spend their time online instead of in the real-world.

3. Group Support

Social media addicts generally find group support to be very helpful. Group support provides mutual accountability, which is as important in social media addiction as in any other addiction. Group members rely on one another to hold them accountable and help carry them through the difficult times

4. Coping Strategies

Developing coping strategies is critical to treating social media addicts. Unlike those recovering from alcohol or drug addiction, social media is not a tangible thing that can simply be cut off.

Social media use is all around us and will only get bigger and more encompassing on life. Therefore, the recovering addict needs to learn coping strategies to be able to live in the digital world without returning to compulsive behaviour.

5. Compulsive Behaviour is the Earmark of Addiction

Social media addiction is a very real problem. It ruins relationships, drives spouses and partners away, jeopardises financial stability, and alters cognitive function; just like heroin does.

The common thread between the social media addict and the heroin addict is the presence of uncontrollable compulsions. Where the heroin addict is compelled to inject despite knowing the damage it causes, the social media addict battles uncontrollable compulsions to be on social media. Compulsive behaviour is the earmark of addiction.

It is fair to say that using social media will not always result in addiction. Most children, young adults and adults have very healthy relationships with social media. But there will always be those whose hobby becomes habit; habit becomes dependency and dependency becomes addiction.

What’s important is to recognise that, either in yourself or in a loved one, and get the help you need.

For more information, please visit UKAT's website: www.ukat.co.uk