What is social media addition and how do you know that you are addicted to social media?

Checking and scrolling through social media has become a popular activity for kids. Today even an eight years old kid has an account on Facebook and Instagram they know how to make reels, post a feed or a story. At a very small age, they isolate themselves from the real world. They are rather interested in making friends online than making friends in real. Being overly concerned about social media, the inability to stop or curb to log on to social media, and spending so much time and effort on social media comes in between other important aspects of life.

Addiction to social media is like any other substance abuse. Signs that you are addicted to social media are:

1. When you get up in the morning, the first thing you do is check your social media.

2. Spending more time on social media than pursuing a hobby.

3. When you don’t want to go out with friends and family and just stay at home and check social media.

4. Feeling irritated or anxious when you cannot use social media.

5. When you use social media to cope with negative emotions.

6. You constantly think about how your post should look, which image, what caption, what statues need to be posted, what memes need to be shared, and then constantly check how well your post performs.

7. You think you heard your phone buzz when really it didn’t.

This unhealthy relationship with your phone and social media is called social media addiction.

Negative impact of social media

Spending too much time on social media has a very bad impact on children's bodies and minds. The negative experiences one faces when you overindulge yourself on social media are:

1. Insecure about your life and your looks: It is easy to manipulate the pictures we post on social media. Seeing how other people are looking, the way they dress, their appearance adds a feeling of complexity to you. In the same way, seeing just a highlight of others' lives, you feel insecure. The feeling of envy or dissatisfaction when you see posts of friends or celebrities.

2. Mental health: Social media addiction has a huge impact on the mental health of a person. The continuous distraction of social media decreases the attention span among kids. People who regularly post on Facebook, Instagram, go through a lot of stress and anxiety. The stress of how their posts will look, how will people react, whether it will live up to the expectations of others or not. All this leads to stress and anxiety in people.

3. Fear of missing out (FOMO): It is a form of anxiety that is the most widespread negative effect of social media on society. The idea is that you are missing out on something important when you see others are having fun or having a better life than you have. This leads to low self-esteem and increases your stress and anxiety levels.

Some people make remarks that make other people feel uncomfortable. Users should know how to block such people on social media.

4. Cyberbullying: People make fake accounts, make friends, and then betray and embarrass them. Passing offensive comments, spreading hurtful rumors, lies, abuse which drive people to hurt themselves or take their own lives. Cyberbullying can leave a lasting scar on the mental health of a person.

Social media and cyber-crime

More and more people regardless of age are joining social media. People are connecting with hundreds, thousands of friends and followers spread across multiple profiles. The most targeted social media sites are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and Snapchat. With the increased use of social media, there is an increase in the number of risks. These risks are:

1. Hacking and fraud: Logging into someone’s account without their permission or behind their back or making fake accounts to trick people and posting embarrassing and inappropriate content on social media is a punishable offense.

2. Fake relationships: By making fake accounts people make relationships, whether it is friendship or being more than friends and hurting the feelings of others. It is another type of fraud that is common. Just for having fun people make fun of other person emotions.

Precautions while using social media

Yes, technology is important, using social media is also healthy to interact with others, but to what extent? We don’t know what are the intentions of the person sitting on the other side of the computer. With the increasing popularity of social media, there is an increase in the amount of risk involved. To make the best use of social media while avoiding the risks, users need to follow safety tips. These are:

1. Do not share too much information: Sharing little information about yourself for your friends and followers is okay but one should be cautious about what information you are posting. Sharing your address, phone number, bank details or any information that can lead to the risk of identity theft or fraud should not be shared.

2. Keep strong passwords: Security is important for a social media account. You should choose a strong password that will prevent hackers from gaining access to your account. The password should not be less than eight characters and should include numbers, alphabets, and characters.