• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
Podcast
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

Social media addiction disrupts the sleep, moods and social activities of teens and young adults

March 9, 2023
in Article
0
Social media addiction disrupts the sleep, moods and social activities of teens and young adults
file 20230214 28 2onfti
Social media developers design apps and platforms to create dependencies in users. (Shutterstock)

It took a half century for the first American Surgeon General Report to establish the link between tobacco and lung cancer. In response, companies infiltrated media and genetically modified tobacco leaves to make them even more addictive.

Curiously, tech companies developed similar compelling algorithms to create dependence among users — these technologies appear innocuous, but should be regulated. There are objectionable consequences regarding the influence of algorithms because they manipulate users by creating false perceptions, dependencies and addiction.

Today’s youth are among the first generations to not have experienced life before the internet. For many, their most important generational memory will be that of security concerns associated with terrorism or the recent pandemic.

Advancements in communications and internet technologies have produced a virtually integrated world; parents, guardians and educators struggle to make sense of how to manage youth online.

Table of Contents

  • Designed to be addictive
  • Finding belonging
  • Overcoming addiction

Designed to be addictive

Research in neuroscience has established that adolescence lasts into one’s 20s — and beyond for youth with neurodevelopmental disorders — making universities a prime site for addressing and managing problematic social media use.

Social media are designed to be addictive — driven and reinforced by dopamine. Teens and emerging adults are susceptible to acceptance and rejection through social media, making them particularly responsive to such media and emotionally addicted.

Daily use of social media is associated with a significantly increased risk of self-harm and depression for adolescents. The added sleep cycle disruptions explain part of the association with depressive symptoms.

a teenaged boy lies in bed in the dark, his face illuminated by his phone screen
An addiction to social media can disrupt teenagers’ sleep patterns.
(Shutterstock)

Even moderate screen use is associated with mental health difficulties that require medication. The lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic only aggravated the situation.

Finding belonging

Youth peruse social media to derive a sense of belonging or to avoid challenges in their offline lives. Compared to live interactions, online socialization has been associated with intolerance to negative emotions and poor concentration.




Read more:
Want to delete your social media, but can’t bring yourself to do it? Here are some ways to take that step


As a result, youth experience an inability to manage frustration, fear, sadness and academic difficulties. These risks could lead to problems in education, work and relationships.

One study revealed that young people were motivated to scroll as a coping mechanism or out of habit or boredom. The researchers found that staying off social media for one week led to less FOMO — the fear of missing out on social events.

Another study found that staying off social media for one week led to significant reductions in depression and anxiety in 154 young adults. In yet another study, university students were instructed to limit their use for each application to 10 minutes daily, while a control group used social media as usual. The group taking a break reported an overall improvement in well-being, achieved mainly through sleep quality.

a young sad-looking boy pushes a phone away
Giving up social media is similar to giving up other addictive substances.
(Shutterstock)

Short breaks from being online — even as little as two and a half hours at a time — has a positive effect on perceived life satisfaction. A study of 65 university students used daily journals to track social media use and experienced emotions. The control group used social media as usual, but the group who abstained experienced improved behaviors and feelings during and after abstinence.

Overcoming addiction

Weaning someone off social media is similar to giving up a food, drug, gambling or alcohol addiction. Cognitive behavioural approaches — such as keeping a daily journal, reading on paper, listening to music or podcasts, planning social activities, sharing meals with friends and family, physical activity, active transportation, a daily gratitude practice and bundling mundane activities with enjoyable ones — can help support the transition.

Such strategies create tolerance for solitude at times when a user may be tempted to go online. After giving up social media for a week, users experienced less distress, more active behaviour, and a more positive outlook on how to live life more mindfully and efficiently.

There is consensus that social media is deliberately designed to introduce and sustain addiction. The overuse of social media is detrimental to well-being. Therefore, we suggest that universities launch a “challenge” campaign that sensitizes and discourages leisure screen use for a period of 72 hours each semester to foster student organizational, affective, and cognitive growth. This would set the stage for better life-long habits and success.

The Conversation

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

ShareTweetSharePin
Previous Post

Muscle memory is key to helping you get in shape again after time away from exercise

Next Post

Food prices are not the only obstacle to achieving food security: Root causes include systemic barriers

Next Post
Food prices are not the only obstacle to achieving food security: Root causes include systemic barriers

Food prices are not the only obstacle to achieving food security: Root causes include systemic barriers

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

November 29, 2021
Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

October 12, 2022

10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

October 12, 2021

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

October 12, 2021
Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

October 12, 2021
How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

December 1, 2021
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

September 28, 2022
Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

July 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS