Social Media Addiction - Case Study Example

Patrick Studart Dr. Rowe Lit Review Literature Review: Social Media Addiction An inarguable fact concerning the recent past is the fact that a great degree of internet profusion into daily life has defined the past few decades. Whether one considers the progression between landline telephones, pagers, car phones, and eventually mobile communications and PDAs, such as are exhibited within the modern era, or whether one considers the growth and development of the microchip from what it was merely 30 years ago and to what it has become today, it is clear and obvious that technological change permeates nearly every aspect of the modern world in which we live. The intent of this brief analysis will be to understand whether or not the way in which humanity currently interacts with the internet is on the whole helpful or harmful – or whether it exhibits key aspects of what can be understood to be an unhealthful and addictive relationship of dependence. The ultimate stakeholders that the research will be attempting to impact will be the parents of children in society that can have the ability and decision making power to constrain the amount of time that these young people spend online; thereby forming positive life habits that will doubtless be exhibited in their own future life. Through such an analysis, this student would like to engage the reader with information concerning how parents must engage in definitive forms of action in order to ensure that subsequent generations do not grow up to become zombie-like internet addicts with poor communication skills and poorly socialized. Even though the intended audience is aware of the fact that social media addiction is of importance, the discussion will focus upon presenting a literature review that focuses specifically upon the ills of addiction as it relates to social media. Likewise, the psychology of addiction has long been of particular interest to psychologists and professionals from a variety of different fields. Traditionally, addiction has been understood in terms of well-known substances and behavior addiction of many varieties. However, regardless of whether or not an individual understands addiction as being genetically predisposed or environmentally conditioned, the fact of the matter is that addiction is a very real element of the human psyche. Moreover, addiction spans far beyond the relevance of understanding such a term in its traditional context (Sands 60). What is meant by this is that research into addiction has oftentimes been focused around discussing well-known addictive substances: such as tobacco, alcohol, street drugs in general, and prescription medication of various kinds. Within the past decades, it is come to be understood that behavioral addiction is in and of itself every bit as powerful as substance addictions. Ultimately, seemingly “normal” processes such as watching television, reading celebrity gossip, or checking one’s Facebook or Twitter status can come to be a stumbling block that provides a form of addiction that is exceedingly difficult to break free from. This has a tacit connection to the field of communications due to the fact that individuals have fundamentally shifted the way in which they interact with one another as a result of the internet revolution and the mass availability of social media. Accordingly, the purpose of this literature review will be to discuss some of the interpretation that scholars and subject matter experts have been able to make clear with regards to the issue of Facebook and twitter social media addiction. Some might conclude that studying social media addiction as something that is frivolous, the fact of the matter is that a larger and larger number of health care professionals are seeing individuals who complain of a variety of symptoms which can all be links to a dependence and/or addiction to social media. Whereas it is true that social media has formed an invaluable part of human discourse and serves to allow individuals from large distances to communicate in a more natural and effortless manner, the research that will be provided within the literature review will allow for a greater level of understanding with respect to the negative ramifications of the addiction. In seeking to answer the question of how social media affects our lives, it is necessary to understand that social media in and of itself has the potential to become somewhat of an addictive function (Griffiths 104). An understanding of how social media can be ultimately addictive, also engenders many other negative aspects of human nature and social media (Farooqi et al. 40). Accordingly, as a means of understanding this, the authors discuss some of the ways in which social media addiction is exhibited, some of the reasons for why it happens, and some of the means by which individuals have come to realize and seek help with regards this particular addiction. Pi-Chu therefore put forward the hypothesis that addiction at its very core is always the same; promoting the view that an addiction to a hard drug is similar in many aspects to a behavioral addiction (Pi-Chu 541). Such a view helps one to gain a more full and complete understanding of the means by which social media addiction is exhibited within an environment and the overall applications at this rather new level of personal addiction means with regards to society, interpersonal relations, studies, and work. Another approach to this issue is presented within the research by David Zemmels. Zemmels sought to engage the reader with an understanding that social media has experienced a great growth and differentiation from its earliest days. This of course stands to reason due to the fact that social media is ultimately a result of technology which in and of itself grows and develops at a rapid rate. Without seeking to pick specifically on any particular platform of social media, the authors denote this growth and development exhibited within the means by which Facebook was originally intended merely as a means of linking individuals together (Zemmels 7). The author argues that comparatively, exhibitions such as Twitter and other social networking sites now place the interconnectedness and friendship dynamics of individuals upon a secondary level of importance; choosing instead to focus upon the means by which seemingly endless status updates and tracking of activities/interests can be relayed within the community itself (Kittinger et al. 326). Although Zemmels did not point to the fact that social networking is in and of itself negative, he notes that this particular shift has been described has necessarily increased the overall level of the addictive nature and addictive tendencies that are exhibited within its usage. The engagement that Zemmels made is useful with regards to the study which will be conducted due to the fact that it allows the reader to assume that the development and proliferation of social media technology has a measurable impact with regards to the rate of addiction that is evidenced within society. A noted break from the approach that has thus far been put forward is noted by Clodagh O’Brien (2011). As such, the author states that discussing social media addiction without understanding the level of interpersonal communication and interaction that it seeks to replace is a futile effort. Ultimately, social media in all of its forms is originally intended to provide a virtual connection between individuals. From its very earliest phase, social media exhibited the strength of promoting communication between a broad number of individuals that might not otherwise communicate. This is of course facilitated due to the virtual realm within which this communication takes place (Elphinston et al. 634). Although this has given individuals around the globe a means by which increased levels of dedication might take place, it also necessarily portends a situation in which individuals regularly communicate and engage with a far higher number of people than they might otherwise. He further engages the understanding that unlike hard drugs, social media in and of itself is not a societal evil. Rather, the author argue that the addictive quality of social media is apparent with regards to the way in which individuals become dependent upon constant communication and interaction within the virtual world as a means of defining an understanding their own reality. As with many addictions, social media addiction is not physically addicting. Rather, it is psychologically addictive due to fact that it helps the user to understand and define the world in which they live to a more full and complete extent. This dependence feature upon social media necessarily engages the reader with an understanding of why such a process ultimately becomes addictive (Conley 55). The authors note that fact that from studies that have been conducted, both by other researchers as well as within their own initiative, the results indicate that a powerful level of addiction, both physical and psychological, exists with regards to social media addiction (Griffiths 519). Naturally, understanding this addiction on a graduated scale is necessary. The methodology that was employed was predicated upon a sliding scale of agreement that was measured via interviews within key demographics. The author provides just such a scale; however, the question that comes to mind is with regards to the issue of measurement and how the researcher should interpret the findings that are presented. Perhaps one of the worst aspects regarding social media addiction, , illuminated Lee Aase in his article “Towards Social Media Addiction”, is with regards to the level in which social media addiction only encourages even further levels of social media addiction. What is meant by such a statement is with regards to the fact that individuals who are oftentimes partially or nominally addicted to social media will invariably spend a percentage of their time engaging with it. Accordingly, the author discusses that the amount of time spent within social media necessarily takes away from the amount of time that the individuals might have engaged in other activities; such as engaging with individuals within the real world or fostering further communication skills (Aase 20). In this way, each and every hour that is spent in social media addiction necessarily reduces the exposure that the individual might otherwise have with the remainder of the outside world; thereby representing something of a vicious cycle. Sami Khan put forward a study entitled “Social Butterflies” which postulated that even though it may seem rather humorous to the uninformed reader, social media addiction is a form of addiction that is affecting a larger and larger number of people within the environment. Accordingly, addiction experts have noted a dramatic increase in the overall level of individuals who come to them seeking advice and aid with regards to seeking to let go of their dependence upon social media within their daily lives (Andreassen et al. 507). Experts note that the rapid increase in overall addiction to social media has spawned something of an additional problem. Some have noted that the current generation seems to exhibit an egocentric approach to life, over dependence and overuse upon social media only serves to compound such an eventuality (Cam and Isbulan 17). If one considers the way in which updates are posted in individuals interact with each other within such a format, the focus is invariably with regards to the way in which the individual sees the world, their individual triumphs, defeats, and a curiously insular approach to all matters (Khan 22). Whereas social media was designed as a means of bringing people together, what has actually been realized as a situation in which the individual is ultimately encouraged to recluse into their own world within this highly populated environment. Finally, La Rose et al. indicated that regardless of the way in which one integrates with social media, the fact of the matter is that social media and mobile devices are playing an increasing role in the way individuals interact with one another and with every aspect of society (La Rose et al. 229). Measuring this, alongside other indicators, the research was able to put forward the premise that understanding the total scope of social media addiction is something of an impossible task; due to the fact that, like any other form of addiction, it is invariably under-reported (Koc et al. 383). After reviewing the arguments which that many other researchers had put forward, the authors indicate that their hypothesis that social media addiction is unrelated to age and in fact is more concentric upon personality type is affirmed (Kirwan 18). Authors such as Simbat Walid have pointed to the fact that it is inherently obvious that social media addiction is very much a measurable trend that is affecting a large number of individuals within society (Walid 10). Therefore, seeking help if one finds oneself in a situation of social dependence and addiction is one of the most important steps to can be made. As with any form of addiction, realization is the first step towards recovery (Turan et al. 139). Finally, from the information which is been discussed within this review, the reader can come to the understanding that social media in and of itself is not necessarily a net evil or dangerous. This must be noted due to the fact that anytime one discusses the aspect of addiction, negative connotations arise with regards to the physically addictive aspects of narcotics and drugs. Whereas this is obviously not the case with social media, it nonetheless portends a level of danger with regards to the addictive nature that the individual might exhibit if he/she interacts with it too much. In short, the understanding that this analysis wishes to convey to the reader is that technology has a high the potential to be addictive; especially for those stakeholders in the younger generations. However, technology in and of itself should not be understood by the same means that many other addictive or potentially addictive habits are understood. As such, technology in and of itself is neither evil nor harmful; rather, human dependence upon it and overdependence/addiction to it, as has been defined within the preceding analysis, is what is most destructive with regards to this relationship. From the information that has been provided, it is the strong view of this author that even though the internet is a valuable tool for communication, information, social networking, and a litany of other activities, the risks of internet addiction, especially among young people, remain quite strong; necessitating parents to actively assert their authority and reduce/limit the overall amount of time that their children spend on this particular technological platform. Moreover, the engagement that the parent must make in order to reduce the overall risk of internet addiction is to ensure that the resource itself is available for the child; however, constrain the amount of time that is spent on this particular medium. Through such an approach, although time and labor intensive, the overall prognosis for the child, and indeed for broader society, can be much better than a “hands off” approach. Rather than becoming obsessed with controlling the internet, a far better approach would be to set and adhere to strict yet reasonable limits with regards to how the child is able/allowed to use this resource. A consensus that seems to exist within the scholarship on this topic relates to the fact that social media addiction, unlike other forms of addiction that could be analyzed, is very much a behavioral/mental addiction. Whereas it is true that behavioral addictions are no less constraining or dangerous than physical addictions, such a realization allows the researcher a unique angle from which to approach the issue and analyze it more fully. Works Cited Aase, Lee. "Towards Social Media Addiction." Associations Now 3.(2007): 20. Business Source Complete. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. ANDREASSEN, CECILIE SCHOU, et al. "Development Of A Facebook Addiction Scale." Psychological Reports 110.2 (2012): 501-517. Business Source Complete. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. Çam, Emre, and Onur İşbulan. "A New Addiction For Teacher Candidates: Social Networks." TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology 11.3 (2012): 14-19. PsycINFO. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. Conley, Dalton. "Wired For Distraction?." Time 177.7 (2011): 55-56. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. Elphinston, Rachel A., and Patricia Noller. "Time To Face It! 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