Addiction
doesn’t always include a physical dependence.
Though social
media addiction can’t cause you physical harm like drugs or alcohol can, it can
still cause you mental and emotional damage, which can be just as bad
sometimes.
Being addicted
to social media can leave people in denial because most people don’t think of
it as a serious problem. Those that are always constantly checking their
profiles and checking for updates and events withdraw themselves from the real
world and those around them, which ultimately pushes people away from you
because you care more about checking what’s new and exciting on Facebook rather
than hanging out with friends and family.
Due to this
constant feeling like you need to check up on all the social networks you’re
apart of, like mentioned before, it can cause many relationships to break and
crumble apart, even the ones you think are unbreakable. For instance, relationships
with your parents, siblings, spouse and best friend. These relationships can
break apart for many reasons, some being:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.
<!--[endif]-->You
neglect the people around you
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.
<!--[endif]-->You
post too much personal information online (relationship problems, family
problems etc)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.
<!--[endif]-->You
refuse to admit you have a problem and wont accept help (which can also be the
case with people that suffer from substance abuse)
Even though you
aren’t physically hurting yourself this type of addiction can still be compared
to substance abuse addiction because you withdraw yourself from the real world
to feed your addiction, and when you are addicted you don’t believe that you
have a problem or refuse to get help because of that reason. This leads to many
problems within the family and friends circle.
Here are some links to facts about alcoholism and drug use: http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/alcohol-statistics.html
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/drugs-drogues/stat/index-eng.php
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment.htm
- Karley. S
Hello Karley
ReplyDeleteYour post really can be an eye opener to those who are suffering with this addiction. A lot of people don’t believe it is as serious as other addictions but just like alcohol and drug addiction, it can affect not only you but others around you and cause physiological problems. As this website; http://digitaljournal.com/article/319011, states, social media can be more addictive then alcohol and cigarettes. It is a scary the thought how addictive social media can be when you compare it to other addictions that seem to be more serious to most. It is a very sad situation when relationships are broken due to the loss of reality and the addictions takes over from real life. I believe maybe if more people are aware of how serious this addiction can be then more people would be able to notice those with the addiction and help them overcome it.
-Kristie M
Karley,
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic blog post! I really like the way that you compared social media addiction to drug and alcohol addiction. Like you, I believe that even though social media addiction doesn't cause immediate physical harm that it still will cause emotional and mental damage. At the end of the day, an addiction is an addiction and no matter how big or small, should be taken seriously. Social media creates a dependency that is hard for many people to overcome.
I have attached a link to a video about social media addiction and how it impacts our health. http://youtu.be/bZIE_aKJm-0
Tiffany Hopkinson
It also, has a quiz that you can take to know if you are addicted.
Delete