Did it hurt your ego? Or maybe you are judging me that who am I to tell you that you are a social media addict. That is true to some extent. I do not know you but what I do know is that there is an increasing number of social media addicts.
Social media addiction is dangerous and a real thing. It is more dangerous that we can imagine. You could be one of them without even knowing it.
But the question is, how can you know if you are a social media addict or not?
Checking Social Media Health: 5 Signs of Social Media Addiction
Social media addiction refers to excessive and compulsive use of social media platforms. The social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Social media addiction is when the use of these platforms is hindering the life and affecting the real life relationships.
Whenever one of our friends point out our use of mobile phone, social media in particular, the most common response is, “Nah, I am not addict. I have full control over my impulse to check social media.” But a lot of people have become slaves of this new digital era without even realising it.
Here are 5 signs that you should compare yourself against to see if you are a social media addict.
- Checking the phone every few seconds to see if you missed a notification in the last one second
Are you constantly checking your phone for updates, new messages or new posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter? Do you feel sad when you see no new notification?
Do not feel sad. This is not an uncommon practice but a sign that you might be a social media addict.
Keep the phone aside or maybe switch it off for a couple of hours in the day to keep yourself away from the growing need of checking the phone over and over again.
- Waiting to see how well is your latest picture doing and feeling good about yourself.
Do you feel proud when you get 100 likes really soon that you upload the next picture with an aim to break the previous record? Or maybe you wait anxiously to get likes and ask your friends to like your latest picture on Facebook by texting them to remind in case they forgot.
This is one of the most problematic effects of social media addiction. The teens often lose their self-esteem and confidence when their picture is not performing as it should.
“Teenagers are competitive. Getting likes on Facebook and Instagram posts is one way they show their dominance over other students. Kids who do not have thousands of followers and hundreds of likes are often victim of social media bullying.”, says Keith Morris, a nursing assignment help expert.
- Your online friends know the name of every dish you have eaten in the last 24 hours.
Does every single dish that you are eating not only goes into your mouth but also on WhatsApp story, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook?
It is okay to upload pictures when you go out some fancy place or have ordered some exquisite dish that is way out of budget of several people.
But if you are clicking a snap of every single dish you are eating, right from the morning coffee to the occasional chips, you might want to stop.
Stop thinking about what people think of your lifestyle, nobody cares. Enjoy a meal alone, away from the phone and talk to the people around you.
- No internet? God, how am I going to survive another minute in this pre-Victorian era.
Do you go all frantic when the internet is not working the way it should or the servers are down?
Not having an internet connection disrupts the life of many people. A large proportion of our daily work depends on the internet, be it working professionals or students.
However, if you think that the world is ending and the sky is falling just because the internet is not working, then you need to rethink your dependency on the internet.
Trust me, that Instagram “friend” will not be affected at all of you reply to their text next day. Try taking some time away from the internet and spend it with real people.
- Creating social media accounts of your pets because the world needs to see how cute they are.
Does your dog have an Instagram account Blake the Labrador, Husky the Cute Pug, Alicia the Golden Retriever, etc.? Do you enjoy going live on social media and show the world how your dog is eating the cereal? Or maybe you love it when you upload a snap with your dog in the hope that maybe now people will notice you?
You might want to reconsider your social media position and your dog’s as well. Your dog could care less if you are operating a social media account under his name.
All they care about is that you spend time with them instead of showing them to 100 people who do not care. Feed them, take them out and play with them.
Social Media Addiction: A Real Issue
Social media addiction is a real issue and consuming more people than are being born. Social media addiction can cause harm in real life and affect our relationships. There have been a number of studies on social media addiction and its impact on the lives of people.
Take out time from social media and spend it with your closed ones instead. Focus on things that are more important in your life than who is online and have not liked your post. Stop worrying what people think if you do not upload a snap of your food and enjoy it’s taste.
Social media addiction can lead to mental health problems and neither of us want to go to that stage, do we?