Computers in Human Behavior Reports notes that addiction mainly relates to alcohol, drugs, and gambling. Still, increasing use of computers and the internet has led to technology addiction becoming more of a social problem since the mid-1990s. California State University (CSU) reports that five to 10 percent of Americans might meet the criteria for being at risk for social media addiction.
CSU said that overuse of social media was much more problematic with children because their developing brains are more malleable. While our reward system begins to activate more and develop faster when we reach adolescence, the same is not true for self-control which does not fully develop until 21.
PLOS One, a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science, reports that a growing body of research indicates that using modern technologies, such as the internet, video games, smartphones, and social media platforms, is addictive. While social media addiction is not yet an established diagnosis, it is one of many suggested behavioral addictions. They noted that internet gaming disorder is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders appendix as a condition requiring further research.
PLOS notes that academic work in this field faces criticism for inconsistencies in defining normal and problematic usage and using non-standardized measurement tools. There is also a lack of reviews on the subject and no established agreed-upon definitions or gold standard measurements and cutoffs.
One part of the research gap is that reported prevalence rates derive from different populations in very different settings and involve differing definitions. PLOS stated there is a scarcity of studies on prevention or treatment for technology-related addictions.
A Common Sense Media report on media use by tweens and teens found that 84 percent of teens use social media, with 62 percent using it daily. On average, teens spend one hour and 27 minutes a day scrolling social media.
Only one-third of teens said they enjoyed social media a lot, and 42 percent of teen girls said they enjoy social media in comparison to 27 percent of teen boys. Girls were also more likely than boys to use social media daily (68 percent compared to 57 percent).
Psychiatrist Anna Lembke, the author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, says the addictive substance of choice nowadays is often the internet and social media channels. She said social connection through social media apps made us vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption.
Joseph Rock, a psychologist in Rocky River, Ohio, reported that research only now shows how our behaviors surrounding social media might meet the standards for addiction. He noted that heavy social media users develop a tolerance to their feelings, meaning they need more and more exposure to get the same effect, which sounds much like drug and alcohol use.