Social Media Addiction

Social media addiction is when you find yourself spending way too much time on social media, to the point where it starts to affect your daily life and well-being. It’s more than just enjoying a few scrolls through your feed—it’s when you’re spending hours online at the expense of real-world responsibilities and relationships.

Common signs of social media
addiction

If you’re recognising these signs in yourself, it might be helpful to seek advice from a mental health professional or consider strategies to better manage your social media use.

What you may not be aware of about
social media addiction...

1

In Australia, 73.8% of social
media users are on
Facebook, 55.5% use
Instagram, and 41.5% are
on TikTok

2

Australian adults spend an
average of around 2.1 hours
per day on social media

3

52% of Australians use
Social Media as a source of
news

4

98% of Australian users
access social media via a
mobile device

What the research says
about social media
addiction

Over the past decade, there’s been a surge of interest in understanding social media addiction. Researchers have been busy analysing everything from how it impacts our mental health to how we can effectively treat it. This study looked at 501 documents published between 2013 and 2022, and here’s what they found.

First off, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Turkey are leading the way in researching social media addiction. These countries contribute nearly half of all the studies out there. Interestingly, even though countries like China and India have a massive number of social media users, they don’t have as much research on its negative impacts. This could mean there’s still a lot to learn about social media addiction in these regions.

Some of the big names in this field include MD Griffiths, CY Lin, and AH Pakpour. These researchers are prolific and their work is highly cited. They delve into areas like behavioural addiction and mental health, helping us understand how social media addiction can lead to issues like depression and anxiety.

The top journals publishing this research are “Addictive Behaviors,” “Computers in Human Behavior,” and the “Journal of Behavioral Addictions.” One of the most influential studies comes from Andreassen, who has done a lot of work on the symptoms and impacts of social media addiction. Common themes in the research include the links between heavy social media use and poor sleep quality, psychological distress, and lower life satisfaction.

A lot of the research focuses on young people, which makes sense given how much they use social media. But there’s a growing recognition that we need to look at other age groups too, especially as platforms like YouTube and TikTok continue to grow.

When it comes to treatment, the research suggests several effective strategies. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most promising approaches. CBT helps individuals recognise and change their problematic behaviour and thought patterns related to social media use. Mindfulness and self-regulation techniques are also gaining traction as they help users become more aware of their social media habits and develop healthier patterns.

Most studies rely on quantitative methods, which means they’re looking at hard data and statistical relationships. However, there’s a call for more qualitative research to explore why people get hooked on social media and what drives their behaviour. Understanding the “why” can be just as important as understanding the “what.”

The research also highlights the need for better regulations and preventive measures, especially for young people. Excessive social media use can mess with their school performance, social behaviour, and relationships. So, there’s a push for more awareness and intervention programmes to help manage this growing issue.

In summary, this comprehensive review of the literature offers a solid foundation for future research and highlights the importance of diverse approaches to understanding and treating social media addiction. Whether it’s through CBT, mindfulness, or better regulations, there’s a clear need for continued efforts to tackle this modern-day challenge.

Tips for managing social media addiction

Our Psychologists are highly qualified with Masters or Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology. They
use Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), the gold standard for many psychological issues, along with
other evidence-based treatments like Mindfulness and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).