The Addictive Effects Of Social Media Link To Addiction

Social Media ties to addiction It is believed that using social media can be addicting and can cause substance abuse and addiction. This is completely incorrect, social media does glorify drugs and alcohol and can be an addiction in itself but it may not cause drug and alcohol addiction. It can contribute to an addiction, because addiction is developed over a period of time and cannot be caused by one thing, such as social media. The addictive qualities of social media, including the glorification of drugs and alcohol, can contribute to addiction but cannot be its sole cause. Addictive qualities often become prevalent at a young age and can affect many aspects of someone’s life. When someone is addicted to drugs they do whatever necessary …show more content…
In a study it was determined that “the transition from alcohol use to dependence is the result of complex interactions of genes, environment, and neurobiology” (Toni-Kim, et. al. par. 1). A person does not drink, use a drug, or go online once and instantly become dependent or addicted; it takes time to develop the disease of addiction. Being addicted to anything will change lives of the addicted as well as those who surround them. The addiction becomes the world, all that is important, and the only way of life that they will know. Such a drastic transformation to someone cannot simply happen overnight, but instead over a period of time. Everyone is different when it comes to the time it takes for their addiction to suck them in and take over their life; it could be a week, months, or sometimes take a matter of years for the change to take place. One of the things everyone who experiences this has in common is that they once were seemingly ‘normal’ before they found this Achilles …show more content…
This feeling is frequently connected with social media, by people seeing others do something that they were not included in. “Kids are getting on Instagram and seeing pictures of people they know doing something [that] they aren’t. It can be overwhelming for someone . . . to feel like they are missing out on something.” (Negroni, par. 3). This feeling can cause insecurities that cause a void, or a feeling of emptiness. There are multiple ways to fill this void or not feel it at all, but as stated before the path of least resistance is often followed, and the path of least resistance in this case can be mind altering substances. Nelson Bryce published an article in the New York Times which read “There are several significant personality factors that can contribute to addiction: Impulsive behavior [and], difficulty in delaying gratification” (par. 5). Social media can cause these personality factors and they are directly tied to addiction. When taking a couple pills, or drinking some liquid can seemingly fix a problem it can seem to be the only outlet or just the easiest, and causes a need to do so for