Internet and Social Media Addiction
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Back in 1995, the idea of an internet addiction initially began as a joke to poke fun at the excessive complexity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the decades since that time, however, access to the internet has become close to universal in the UK and we are now able to go online almost anywhere thanks to our ever-present smartphones. What used to be the domain of tech lovers and the workplace has turned into a social expectation. For most people this connection to the online world is merely a convenient addition to life, allowing them to google answers to questions, access reviews of restaurants, and keep in touch with families but to be without the internet isn't the end of the world. Some people, however, have an obsessive relationship with the online world and exhibit similar behaviours to other compulsive addictions.
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An internet addiction acts an umbrella term to cover a number of different sub-types, dependent on the particular focus of the compulsive behaviour. While addictions to cyber sex, internet shopping, and online gaming are all different facets of the wider internet addiction category, it is social media addiction that has risen to rapid prominence in recent years. Social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, allow users to stay connected to friends around the world through status updates and shared posts. For people with a social media addiction, access to these sites becomes an obsession and they will have a compulsive need to stay connected. As with other addictions, internet and social media dependencies can severely impact the lives of the user and their loved ones.
Prevalence
In the UK today, internet access is widespread and on the rise. Around 89% of all homes have internet access and the government is working towards having broadband access across the country. Mobile phones and tablets make it easier to be constantly connected to the internet, with 70% of adults making use of the ability to go online while on the move in 2016. 82% of adults in the UK – 41.8 million – reported using the internet daily in 2016.
Naturally, the easy availability of internet access means that developing a dependency is a real problem. As internet and social media addiction is yet to be officially acknowledged by the medical field, verified statistical data about the prevalence is not available at this time. There are, however, preliminary studies into this kind of addiction. In South Korea, where almost 100% of households have internet access, one study suggested that around 18% of adolescents have an internet addiction and may require treatment. The Director of Addiction Medicine in China's Beijing Military Region Central Hospital, meanwhile, reported a much higher percentage, finding that around 13.7% of young internet users met the diagnostic criteria for an addiction. Male internet users were found to be at greater risk of developing an internet addiction than female and it was found to be prominent among younger internet users. While there has yet to be a similar study carried out in the UK, it is thought that the percentage of the population affected by internet and social media addiction would also be significant.
In the UK today, internet access is widespread and on the rise. Around 89% of all homes have internet access and the government is working towards having broadband access across the country. Mobile phones and tablets make it easier to be constantly connected to the internet, with 70% of adults making use of the ability to go online while on the move in 2016. 82% of adults in the UK – 41.8 million – reported using the internet daily in 2016.
Naturally, the easy availability of internet access means that developing a dependency is a real problem. As internet and social media addiction is yet to be officially acknowledged by the medical field, verified statistical data about the prevalence is not available at this time. There are, however, preliminary studies into this kind of addiction. In South Korea, where almost 100% of households have internet access, one study suggested that around 18% of adolescents have an internet addiction and may require treatment. The Director of Addiction Medicine in China's Beijing Military Region Central Hospital, meanwhile, reported a much higher percentage, finding that around 13.7% of young internet users met the diagnostic criteria for an addiction. Male internet users were found to be at greater risk of developing an internet addiction than female and it was found to be prominent among younger internet users. While there has yet to be a similar study carried out in the UK, it is thought that the percentage of the population affected by internet and social media addiction would also be significant.
Dangers and Risks
While research into an internet and social media addiction's affect on physical health is limited, there have been far more completed with a focus on mental health. Internet addicts are shown to be far more stressed than their non-dependent counterparts, along with being less happy and more likely to be diagnosed with depression. It is suspected that this is in part because of their inability to disconnect from the world. They are unable escape the pressures of their working and social lives because they are always accessible through social media and email. While social media access facilitates the ability to stay in contact with friends from around the world, research has also found that internet addicts are lonelier than non-addicts and more likely to experience low moods.
Social media has also been found to be largely detrimental to mental health and internet addicts who's compulsions relate to social media usage are more likely to be affected in this way than non-users. This is, in part, related to the lack of sleep the overuse of these sites causes but the content generated is also a significant factor. A study by the Royal Society for Public Health examined the impacts different social media platforms had on mental health, looking at body-image, depression, and anxiety, in young people aged fourteen to twenty-four years old. They found that Youtube, the video sharing site, was the only social media platform out of the ones mentioned to receive a positive impact. The others – Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram – were all found to have detrimental affects on mental health. Instagram was found to be the most detrimental to mental health out of all the social media platforms studied.
Mental illnesses like depression and anxiety are relatively common among individual's with addiction but research into internet and social media addictions have shown strong links to another form of mental illness: eating disorders. Instagram, in particular, is highlighted as a contributor to the spread of this kind of mental illness as the over-saturation of heavily filtered or altered images being portrayed as truth create feelings of inadequacy among users. Orthorexia Nervosa, where the individual becomes obsessed with eating healthily, is a significant risk among social media addicted Instagram users as the lifestyles that are displayed on the app by social influencers and celebrities often encourage so called “clean eating”. The constant pressure to fit the unrealistic molds that they are seeing online can become a real detriment to the health of the internet and social media user.
Divorce where an addiction to the internet in some capacity is cited among the reasons for action is becoming far more common. When one half of the partnership is far more focused on the online world, they are more likely to neglect their partner and this can lead to the breakdown of the marriage. Social media can also be a significant source of jealousy between partners. According to a study by law firm, McKinley Irvin, around 16% of couples pointed to Facebook as a source of contention because of the jealousy and suspicions of cheating it could cause. The firm also found that around a quarter of couples, whether addicted to the internet and social media or not, fight about sites like Facebook on a weekly basis. These regular arguments and jealousy issues put the family relationships of internet and social media addicts at risk and increase the likelihood of separation.
Internet and social media addictions can also put the employment of the dependent individual at risk through the statuses they post online. Many businesses nowadays use social media platforms as a judge of character and content that an employee or potential employee put up can be used against that individual. It isn't uncommon for businesses to have a social media policy that restricts the type of content that an employee can put up to prevent their company from being thrown into disrepute through an individual's actions and inappropriate posts can result in dismissal.
In addition to this, excessive internet and social media use can cause the dependent individual to forget about sleep. Research suggests that one in five young people are surrendering sleep to stay online or wake up regularly to check messages, which can go on to have a hugely detrimental affect on their ability to work well at school or in their profession. This can prevent them from achieving their potential on an academic basis and could even put their job at risk, further isolating the internet addict and increasing feelings of loneliness.
Most crimes associated with internet or social media addicts will be acts of convenience. For some, this will be through things they have learned in their regular internet usage and they may not have thought about the legality of the situation or have assumed that the anonymity of being online would protect them from detection. This includes actions such as hacking and piracy. In recent years, internet hate crimes have become punishable offences and so an abusive comment posted online in perceived anonymity can result in police intervention.
- Health:
While research into an internet and social media addiction's affect on physical health is limited, there have been far more completed with a focus on mental health. Internet addicts are shown to be far more stressed than their non-dependent counterparts, along with being less happy and more likely to be diagnosed with depression. It is suspected that this is in part because of their inability to disconnect from the world. They are unable escape the pressures of their working and social lives because they are always accessible through social media and email. While social media access facilitates the ability to stay in contact with friends from around the world, research has also found that internet addicts are lonelier than non-addicts and more likely to experience low moods.
Social media has also been found to be largely detrimental to mental health and internet addicts who's compulsions relate to social media usage are more likely to be affected in this way than non-users. This is, in part, related to the lack of sleep the overuse of these sites causes but the content generated is also a significant factor. A study by the Royal Society for Public Health examined the impacts different social media platforms had on mental health, looking at body-image, depression, and anxiety, in young people aged fourteen to twenty-four years old. They found that Youtube, the video sharing site, was the only social media platform out of the ones mentioned to receive a positive impact. The others – Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram – were all found to have detrimental affects on mental health. Instagram was found to be the most detrimental to mental health out of all the social media platforms studied.
Mental illnesses like depression and anxiety are relatively common among individual's with addiction but research into internet and social media addictions have shown strong links to another form of mental illness: eating disorders. Instagram, in particular, is highlighted as a contributor to the spread of this kind of mental illness as the over-saturation of heavily filtered or altered images being portrayed as truth create feelings of inadequacy among users. Orthorexia Nervosa, where the individual becomes obsessed with eating healthily, is a significant risk among social media addicted Instagram users as the lifestyles that are displayed on the app by social influencers and celebrities often encourage so called “clean eating”. The constant pressure to fit the unrealistic molds that they are seeing online can become a real detriment to the health of the internet and social media user.
- Social:
Divorce where an addiction to the internet in some capacity is cited among the reasons for action is becoming far more common. When one half of the partnership is far more focused on the online world, they are more likely to neglect their partner and this can lead to the breakdown of the marriage. Social media can also be a significant source of jealousy between partners. According to a study by law firm, McKinley Irvin, around 16% of couples pointed to Facebook as a source of contention because of the jealousy and suspicions of cheating it could cause. The firm also found that around a quarter of couples, whether addicted to the internet and social media or not, fight about sites like Facebook on a weekly basis. These regular arguments and jealousy issues put the family relationships of internet and social media addicts at risk and increase the likelihood of separation.
Internet and social media addictions can also put the employment of the dependent individual at risk through the statuses they post online. Many businesses nowadays use social media platforms as a judge of character and content that an employee or potential employee put up can be used against that individual. It isn't uncommon for businesses to have a social media policy that restricts the type of content that an employee can put up to prevent their company from being thrown into disrepute through an individual's actions and inappropriate posts can result in dismissal.
In addition to this, excessive internet and social media use can cause the dependent individual to forget about sleep. Research suggests that one in five young people are surrendering sleep to stay online or wake up regularly to check messages, which can go on to have a hugely detrimental affect on their ability to work well at school or in their profession. This can prevent them from achieving their potential on an academic basis and could even put their job at risk, further isolating the internet addict and increasing feelings of loneliness.
- Criminal
Most crimes associated with internet or social media addicts will be acts of convenience. For some, this will be through things they have learned in their regular internet usage and they may not have thought about the legality of the situation or have assumed that the anonymity of being online would protect them from detection. This includes actions such as hacking and piracy. In recent years, internet hate crimes have become punishable offences and so an abusive comment posted online in perceived anonymity can result in police intervention.
Financial Costs
Without becoming an officially diagnosable disorder, it can be difficult to work out exactly how much internet and social media addictions cost us at a national level. However, it has been suggested that the diminished productivity because of excessive internet use costs the US around $650 billion each year and we can assume that the UK will be similarly affected. On top of this, the health impacts of these addictions are likely to have a significant impact on our NHS, particularly as the government pushes towards better mental health care.
Financial impacts at an individual level will vary widely with internet and social media addictions, due to the differing ways that people utilise these platforms. With home broadband bills, monthly data allowances, and subscription fees, however, the cost can rack up quickly.
Without becoming an officially diagnosable disorder, it can be difficult to work out exactly how much internet and social media addictions cost us at a national level. However, it has been suggested that the diminished productivity because of excessive internet use costs the US around $650 billion each year and we can assume that the UK will be similarly affected. On top of this, the health impacts of these addictions are likely to have a significant impact on our NHS, particularly as the government pushes towards better mental health care.
Financial impacts at an individual level will vary widely with internet and social media addictions, due to the differing ways that people utilise these platforms. With home broadband bills, monthly data allowances, and subscription fees, however, the cost can rack up quickly.
Signs of Addiction
As with many other aspects of an internet or social media addiction, the way it presents can be different for each individual. Most commonly, loss of time when using the internet can highlight the presence of a dependency. The individual may be unable to prioritise appropriately, giving more time to their internet or social media usage than is truly helpful in their situation, and they may find themselves lying to others in an attempt to conceal just how much time they spend online. Physical symptoms, like back ache and sleep deprivation, are also typical.
Other symptoms are more common among compulsive addictions, like anxiety and agitation when unable to get online and feelings of isolation due to their dependency. Internet and social media addicts are also far more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms and may suffer mood swings or be uninterested in other things.
As with many other aspects of an internet or social media addiction, the way it presents can be different for each individual. Most commonly, loss of time when using the internet can highlight the presence of a dependency. The individual may be unable to prioritise appropriately, giving more time to their internet or social media usage than is truly helpful in their situation, and they may find themselves lying to others in an attempt to conceal just how much time they spend online. Physical symptoms, like back ache and sleep deprivation, are also typical.
Other symptoms are more common among compulsive addictions, like anxiety and agitation when unable to get online and feelings of isolation due to their dependency. Internet and social media addicts are also far more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms and may suffer mood swings or be uninterested in other things.
Treatment Options
While internet and social media addictions have yet to be officially recognised by the medical community, there are an number of options available for treatment. Much of this involves talking therapies to help the individual come to terms with their addiction and begin putting procedures in place to help them develop a healthier relationship with their internet usage.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the primary treatment options for this type of addiction because of its focus on recognising the thoughts that lead to specific actions and then adjusting them to alter the behaviours. Internet and social media addiction is commonly associated with anxiety and so finding new ways to cope with anxious thoughts can help the individual overcome their compulsive use. While it is a gradual process, CBT can help the addicted individual adjust their thought patterns to become less dependent on the internet and social media.
While internet and social media addictions have yet to be officially recognised by the medical community, there are an number of options available for treatment. Much of this involves talking therapies to help the individual come to terms with their addiction and begin putting procedures in place to help them develop a healthier relationship with their internet usage.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the primary treatment options for this type of addiction because of its focus on recognising the thoughts that lead to specific actions and then adjusting them to alter the behaviours. Internet and social media addiction is commonly associated with anxiety and so finding new ways to cope with anxious thoughts can help the individual overcome their compulsive use. While it is a gradual process, CBT can help the addicted individual adjust their thought patterns to become less dependent on the internet and social media.