Is social media addiction a mental illness?

In this millennial era, almost everyone we meet has a cell phone, and they usually spend a lot of time using it. It's not uncommon for us to meet people who get angry when they forget to bring their cell phone because they can't communicate via the WhatsApp application or can't open other networking applications. Does this then include dependency?

Basically, all tangible things can cause human dependence, including social media. At first, everything that humans do is to seek pleasure, avoid uncomfortable feelings, as a hobby, or just to try, but over time it can become a habit.

If the use of social media has increased more than usual, the intensity of use has increased, and there is a strong urge to immediately open social media and follow the actions that must be taken to the point of neglecting work obligations and resulting in changes in behavior when not accessing social media, it can be classified as a dependency. 

Lately, someone's need to access social media seems to have started to cause problems. Someone who spends the majority of their day on social media, for example, spends the majority of their time only accessing it. This of course will result in users' neglecting their obligations, such as going to school, working, taking care of household chores, or relating to family.

In the pandemic era, the use of social media has increased because many jobs and schools have shifted to using online facilities, so the time allotted for viewing mobile phone screens has increased. not to mention the desire to stay connected and find information about news out there. However, this does not justify excessive use of social media, which has no benefits.

Statistical data in 2017 showed that social media users reached 2.78 billion people around the world. This data shows that its users have increased 2.5 times compared to 2010 and are expected to increase by three times by 2021. The same data also shows that 71% of internet users use it for social media. Data from the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII) in 2017 shows that there are 132.7 million Indonesians who use the internet, and 40% of them are active users of social media, with the majority being young people.

Research shows that screen time of more than two hours a day can decrease mental health. Research in America on adolescents aged 14 to 17 years with screen time of 7 hours versus 1 hour showed a two-fold higher risk of being diagnosed with depression, anxiety disorders and being treated with medication in the last 12 months. It was also discovered that there is a link between social media use and excessive screen time, as well as anxiety disorders and depression. 

Social media is also closely related to self-esteem issues. Individuals who spend a lot of time on social media usually have lower self-esteem and have narcissistic personalities. They often need to increase their self-esteem by channeling and expressing themselves and their success on social media and getting rewards from positive comments as well as "likes" given by their circle of friends. Social media is also a means for them to "not be left behind" because of their fear of missing out (FOMO). In addition, individuals who are lonely and alone channel themselves more through social media as a means of expressing their thoughts and feelings.

So, is social media addiction dangerous? Recent studies have found that there are many similarities between addiction to cigarettes or narcotics and addiction to behaviors, such as addiction to social media, the internet, gambling, shopping, playing games, sex, and others. The difference is in the physical symptoms caused.

Behavioral dependence, such as dependence on social media, does not cause withdrawal or withdrawal symptoms such as body aches, flu symptoms, headaches, changes in appetite, and so on, as is the case with narcotic addiction. However, other symptoms of addiction are the same as dependence on narcotics, so you need therapy from a psychiatrist if it's very disturbing, whether it's with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both.

This therapy usually helps people who are dependent on social media to be able to manage their time to use social media reasonably and control uncontrollable desires. In addition, therapy also helps users to better channel their thoughts and feelings in a better way while increasing their self-esteem.

Of course, prevention is better than cure. Prevention should start with yourself and also extend from parents to their children because children and adolescents are prone to social media addiction. This is especially true with the rise of new applications that can be misused by children and adolescents to seek access to pornography, bullying, and fraud.

Internet use should be limited only if there is a need to use it, namely when you want to communicate, find important information, or for work needs, and only during emergencies. Currently, there are also several applications to limit screen usage time on mobile phones and monitor which applications we use most. We can set limits on the use of certain social media, for example, the maximum use of Instagram and Tik Tok is only 30 minutes in 24 hours. Try to increase your physical activity and connect socially with those around you instead of connecting via cell phone.

 

If you or your family are already experiencing social media addiction or other behavioral addictions, consult a psychiatrist at Hermina Tangerang Hospital.