Written By: Senthamil Stefi
Social media addiction can be defined as a person who spends too much time on facebook, twitter and other forms of social media to the point where it begins to interfere with other aspects of their daily life. But there is no official medical recognition for it being a disease or disorder. Nevertheless this topic has become the topic of serious discussion and research.
Researchers at Chicago University recorded cravings towards media, cigarettes, alcohol and other items of several hundred people over the course of several weeks. Their results concluded that addiction to social media could be much stronger than addiction to cigarettes and alcohol. Another interesting piece of information I came across was a finding made by researchers at Harvard University. They found that self-disclosure communication (talking about oneself and expressing their personal opinions which is a core component of social media) stimulated the brain’s pleasure centers, much like that of food.
Let’s put this whole addiction notion to the test! On Tuesday December 25th, 2012 I challenge you to abstain from all sources of social media and spend that quality time with your family and friends in real life. Are we actually addicted to social media? Let’s find out!!
Tags: Speak Out
