BLOG #6: Identifying a Social Media Addiction
--
The article goes over ways to identify and recognize if someone is addicted to social media. While many people use social media habitually, relatively few are truly addicted. Ask yourself these questions if you’re afraid that someone might be at risk of having a social media addiction:
- Constant urge to check your phone notifications
- Using social media as a means to forget about personal problems?
- Does he/she become restless or troubled if unable to use social media?
- Is the use of social media having a negative impact on his/her job or studies?
As a safeguard, the person should partake in a digital detox; a period of time during which someone drastically decreases the time spent or refrains from using electronic media such as smartphones or computers. This can be done easily in the following ways, shutting off sound alerts and only searching once an hour for social networking pages. Other improvements can include making intervals throughout the day where non-screen time is self-imposed, such as at mealtimes, or leaving the phone in a different room altogether.
