For the majority of people, social sites such as Twitter and Facebook are mild platforms that enable or facilitate personal expression and social interactions. For many others, it has turned out to be more than an entertainment; it has turned into a compulsion. This is a concept that researchers and psychologists are starting to address, and many studies have suggested that social media addiction exists. Addictions are about feeding one of human’s greatest desires, the longing to feel connected and being a part of something bigger. Nothing fulfills this specific urge like signing in and interacting with the majority at any time of the day ("Social media companies are the real 'enemies of the people'" 2018). The desires for these sites are hard to control since they are easy to access and yielding to these social impulses appears to be far less destructive than yielding to nicotine or drugs. As such, social media addiction is an important issue not only to me, but also to my family and the whole society.
First, understanding social media addiction is very important since social media is vital for both personal and professional life today. These platforms have changed how we interact for instance, LinkedIn, Twitter, Vine, Facebook and many others make it easy to remain connected with others. We can without much of a stretch make up for lost time with friends and families through photos, statuses and videos they post ("Social Media Use in 2018"). Furthermore, social media is not only critical for personal life, but also an important instrument for organizations or anybody attempting to establish their professional network or seeking for employment. Thus, when these sites become addictive, this is an important issue for a society to consider.
Secondly, social media addiction relates to low self-esteem. Studies have found a relationship between social media addiction and low self-esteem ("Why Social Platforms Are Making Us Less Social" 2018). Being social and constantly active online is relatively easy for individuals who suffer from of self-esteem. Thus, in this group of people, an addiction to social sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook is more effectively framed. Also, according to many studies carried out on internet addiction, Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) ruins lives by causing psychological disturbances, neurological complications, and social issues. This is a big issue not only to me, but also to the society.
Consequently, it is important to understand that social media addiction symptoms can be like other addictions, and categorized into two kinds of behaviors: a regularly growing urge to engage with the addiction subject, and individuals feeling bad when not able to access it ("Social media companies are the real 'enemies of the people'" 2018). It is the specific behaviors that prompts to a diagnosis of social media addiction, however, the seriousness, the functional status of an individual and also whether such behaviors interferes with their social activities, jobs, or school. This understanding is important in order to ensure that the use of social media does not become destructive to individuals.
Conclusion
In essence, it is clear that social media will keep on shaping how we live, establish our professional life and do business on the web. Amidst this, it is important to take into consideration the fact that a little goes a long way, and in many instances we can have excess of a good thing. If not for the socially pumped iPhone with that Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest application, we can never imagine how we would survive the physician’s waiting rooms and long queues at the market ("Social Media Use in 2018"). However, still there are the negative sides of social media such as its addictive nature that we must understand.
Works Cited
"Social media companies are the real 'enemies of the people'." 22 Aug. 2018, www.courierpostonline.com/story/opinion/2018/08/22/trump-right-social-media-alternatives-facebook-twitter-column/1042015002/.
"Social Media Use in 2018." 1 Mar. 2018, www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/.
"Why Social Platforms Are Making Us Less Social." 9 July 2018, www.newsmax.com/michaellaitman/social-media-addiction-mental-health/2018/07/09/id/870724/.
