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Instagram is the app most harmful to teens’ mental health, researchers find
Do you find yourself unintentionally opening Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or LinkedIn and scrolling mindlessly? Experts have long believed that just like nicotine, alcohol and narcotics, social media can be addictive.
Like many users around the world, multiple studies have shown that UAE residents are also victims of mild to severe social media addiction.
A study conducted by a group of students at Canadian University in Dubai showed that around 69.7% of Emirati students use social media for five hours or more a day. Anything longer than two hours can be addictive, experts say.
However, subtle signs provide evidence of the early stages of addiction, not more obvious signs. David Golding, Dubai-based founder of Sober Lifestyle Coaching LLC, lists many subtle signs that residents need to be aware of.
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How do you define social media addiction?
Social media addiction is a behavioral addiction characterized by excessive attention to social media, spending too much time using social media, and inability to control the urge to log on to social media. When parents and adults need attention, the impact on physical and personal health or its use in other important areas of life can have a major impact.
“While checking screen time on your iPhone can help you discover how much time is being spent, there are more subtle symptoms that may indicate that people are getting used to it,” Goldin said.
“For example, tiredness due to sleep deprivation often exposes nighttime use. Effects on the ego may be a combination of: physical pain (eg, Whatsappitis), mood changes, increased tolerance to social media use and thus increased use, interpersonal problems such as increased conflict with others, withdrawal problems, and rapid reversion to old patterns of use after a period of abstinence (relapse),” he explained.
A 2016 survey by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) revealed that 14.7% of students spend between 5 and 10 hours a day on social media, and 12.3% spend more than 10 hours.
A large percentage of 69.7% said they spend between 1 and 5 hours a day on social media, while 3.3% said less than an hour. “A shocking 41% of students said their social media habits had caused them to go without food or drink for extended periods of time, and 56.5% said they had tried unsuccessfully to quit social media in the past 12 months.
Are heavy social media users prone to underlying mental health disorders?
“There’s a chicken-and-egg question here. Whether a user already has an underlying medical condition, and then adopting social media addiction as a ‘habit’ to deal with or escape emotions, or increased use of social media, has a negative impact on the user’s Mental health?” Goldin asked.
He explained that the “jury is still out” on whether there is a direct link between social media use and general mental health symptoms.
“Some studies suggest that social media use may be associated with increased feelings of isolation, self-harm beliefs, increased loneliness, social anxiety and attention seeking online,” he added.
While it’s hard to find studies establishing a direct correlation, it’s clear that heavy use of social media puts a large percentage of people at increased risk for depression, anxiety, or worse.
Is it harder for teens?
Based on a survey of nearly 1,500 young people (aged 14-24) from across the UK, researchers found that Instagram had the greatest negative impact on young people’s mental health.
Additionally, a University of Pennsylvania study found that heavy use of Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram increases depression and loneliness.
Dr Saliha Afridi, clinical psychologist, managing director and founder of LightHouse Arabia, says she refuses to allow her teens to use social media. “Whether we like it or not, our children are not only raised by social media, they are brainwashed by it, which has dire effects on their mental health and well-being,” she said.
She added, “For example, recently, a Facebook whistleblower confirmed what I intuitively knew was that Instagram was causing teenage girls to feel worse about their bodies, blaming the platform for anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.”
While social media use can come with a litany of negative effects, it can be an incredible source of information when used correctly.
Goldin said: “People should note that overcoming addictions is not an easy task, and rarely ‘overcome’ without help. Recovery from any addiction begins with accepting the fact that they are addicted. .”
Dealing with addictions often requires professional help, he said.
“If someone is a heavy user and doesn’t exhibit the characteristics of an addiction, then self-regulation and self-management are possible. Sometimes a person tries to self-regulate and discovers the disturbing truth about behaviors that they can’t highlight that are truly addictive behaviors ,” he added.
Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Linked to Social Media Addiction?
“Carpal tunnel syndrome (hand and wrist) has increased globally due to excessive typing on smartphones,” Golding said.
“The increase in thumb muscle damage (tenosynovitis) is commonly referred to as ‘Whatsappitis’ and was first identified in the medical journal The Lancet in 2014,” he added.
Neck muscle and ligament problems due to poor posture are known as “text neck” and cause chronic pain. Holding your phone excessively can also trigger tennis elbow by holding certain arm positions for extended periods of time.
“Physical ailments caused by smartphone users should be seen as an important warning against unhealthy behaviour and should not be ignored,” he said.
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Here are some tips for recovering from social media addiction:
consciousness. This is critical for anyone looking to change any behavior. The first step is to proactively monitor your usage. It knows the time it takes and its impact on your life. It takes a lot of honesty, and keeping a journal can help.
Turn off notifications. This might be more helpful than you might think. If you’re distracted by the “ding” sound of a new alarm, it’s similar to Pavlov’s dog that salivates when the bell rings.
Limit screen time. Give yourself a controlled time each day. If this is difficult to do, turn off the phone and leave it for a while. Please make this a routine to make it reliable over time.
replace. Get a new hobby or even go for a walk. Breaking Bad is a good idea. Learn to “reward” yourself with other positive things. If you have a tendency to become addicted quickly, watch out for cross-addiction.
Do things “in person”. Meet up with friends and share time with others. This stimulates oxytocin in the brain, the “hug hormone” that releases craving dopamine.
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