There’s no shortage of academic literature to attest to the addictiveness of social media. The phenomenon has become so common that it even has its own place on the Addiction Center website, which claims that an estimated 5% to 10% of Americans meet the criteria for social media addiction.
The Addiction Center characterizes social media addiction as “being overly concerned about social media, driven by an uncontrollable urge to log on or to use social media, and devoting so much time and effort to social media that it impairs other important life areas.”
Most research into social media and mental health delves into the negative psychological consequences that can be the result of excessive social media usage. However, some researchers are looking at stress, burnout and mental health issues as potential sources of the addiction itself.
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To mitigate social media usage among teens, Utah is one of the first states to pass a law requiring age verification for all users in the state. The Utah Social Media Regulation Act only allows children under 18 to use social media under parental control and bars social media companies from using a “design or feature that causes a minor to have an addiction to the company’s social media platform.”
Stress and proclivity for addiction
The largest drivers of social media addiction — specifically to short-form video applications like TikTok and Instagram — were burnout and social phobias, a 2022 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found. The researchers noticed that the participants’ stressors caused them to use social media more frequently, which decreased their levels of happiness.
Another study from Frontiers in Psychology stated that during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, heightened amounts of stress were “positively associated with tendencies toward addictive social media usage.”
Stress is an “agitated state,” which “occurs when there is a lack of approaches to satisfy the many environmental and social requirements,” a study by the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health said. Stress has also been identified as a key factor in behavioral addictions.
Historically, scientific literature has identified stress as a factor that can lead to addiction in general. The Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences reported that some people are more susceptible to addiction than others, stating that “early life stress” and “child maltreatment” have been shown to negatively impact the part of the brain that adapts to stress. Such events can cause some people to be more likely to manage stress in harmful ways, such as drug use and other forms of addiction.
A 2022 study published in Brain Sciences found that some people are simply more vulnerable to social media addiction than others. The study explained that people who experience high levels of stress are more susceptible to experiencing temporal dissociation in order to cope with unpleasant feelings.
Temporal dissociation is when an individual has a distorted perception of time while engaged in a particular activity. This study suggests that when someone who experiences high levels of stress uses social media for extended amounts of time, they are more likely to experience temporal dissociation, which causes them to lose a sense of time passing and become disconnected from their surroundings.
Temporal dissociation, the authors hypothesized, makes those who experience frequent anxiety more vulnerable to becoming addicted to social media.
Clinical stress-management resources
Some amounts of stress can be a good thing, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, excess amounts of stress can strain the mind and body, making it difficult to carry out daily activities.
When experiencing stress, the brain emits a range of hormones that can result in serious physiological issues. Chronic stress can damage the parts of the brain that deal with long-term memory, attention and executive function, according to The Washington Post. Prolonged periods of stress have been shown to negatively affect vital bodily functions, with the potential to harm the cardiovascular, respiratory, immune and gastrointestinal systems.
Research shows that living a healthy lifestyle and sticking to a routine can diminish stress. However, it can be hard to make healthier decisions when being weighed down by stress, and sometimes the pressures of a healthy lifestyle can add more tension.
How to manage stress
The Canadian Medical Association says that the first step to stress management is to stay in touch with your stress levels and identify what you are capable of doing to reduce your stress in the moment. The Canadian Medical Association provides a color-based stress-level chart, with green symbolizing a calm, balanced state; and orange and red symbolizing a highly reactive and emotional state.
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When in the green stage, take steps to manage future stressors, such as cleaning, planning and doing things that will minimize the load in more stressful situations.
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In a yellow, orange or red state, the association suggests taking deep breaths and taking actions that can decrease physical arousal.
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If needed, it may be helpful to remove yourself entirely from a situation by taking a walk or doing something to bring your heart rate and thoughts back to a lower level.
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Most importantly, the association states that self-care is crucial after a high-stress situation. Taking time to unwind and care for yourself can aid in preventing further distress.
If you find that you are unable to mitigate stress on your own, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasize the importance of recognizing when you need more help. If that becomes the case, or if you experience thoughts about suicide, reach out to a professional.
In a state of crisis, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by phone by dialing 988, or on their website. For residents of Utah, SafeUT is a crisis chat line for “any sized problem.”
A primary physician can be a great place to start when seeking stress relief, as they can help you find a psychologist or psychiatrist, or help with other issues that are contributing to stress. Psychology Today is another resource to direct you to mental health professionals who take your insurance or fit other needs you may have.
Resources for social media addiction
Books: There are several books written on the topic of digital detox and reducing social media consumption. Some popular titles include:
Online courses: There are several online courses that can aid in stress management and social media addiction, many of them free to access.
Websites and blogs: Numerous websites and blogs provide valuable insights and tips on stress management and reducing social media use. Some popular ones include:
Apps: Interestingly, some apps can help you manage your social media usage and set boundaries. Examples include:
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Freedom: An app that blocks distracting websites and apps to help you stay focused.
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Opal: An app that monitors screen time and blocks distracting apps during focus sessions.
