Technology is now everywhere, even at the center of our lives. Thanks to these smart devices, we keep track of our work, order food and have fun; In fact, we spend so much time during the day that instead of living the moment in a beautiful environment, we sometimes turn to our phone without realizing it. This situation of not being able to prevent the desire to overuse is called addiction.
Today, research reveals that the majority of people are addicted to technology, the internet or games. According to data, people spend an average of 4.5 hours a day on their smartphones. When the time spent in front of the computer and television is added to this situation, a negative picture emerges.
The most common addiction is social media addiction. Individuals share on social media with their smartphones and are constantly active throughout the day.
So, what connects us to this situation?
-Social media enables individuals to open up to the world. makes it easier. Being able to reach people from many different points can be more attractive to people. It is important to be followed and liked by many people and to also earn financial income from this.
-Social media provides emotional satisfaction and helps people experience emotions that they cannot reach in real life.
-Social media provides emotional satisfaction.
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-With social media, people can express themselves more freely and act more courageously.
-Social media sends the message to other people that individuals are not alone.
-Likes and positive notifications from social media accounts activate the reward center of our brain, that is, dopamine. Thus, individuals feel happy.
What are the harms of Social Media Addiction?
Following other people's lives can make people feel worthless. In addition, constantly spending time on the phone or computer creates imbalances in life and increases individuals' susceptibility to anxiety disorders and depression. Spending time outside causes muscle and joint pain. After a while, people experience spinal disorders. Burning, watering and irritation in the eyes increase over time.
Using the phone for most of the day reduces the time a person devotes to himself and his environment. It weakens the individual's communication quality and breaks in real relationships.
The person's self-care skills decrease.
A decrease in the individual's real life activities and eating and sleeping disorders are observed.
Addiction, which I worked in 2019, is observed. According to the results of the Turkey Addiction Risk Profile and Mental Health Map, which is the largest study in its field in Turkey and the second largest in the world, university graduates ranked first in social media addiction. Social media addiction was found to be higher in women than in men.
So, what should we do?
Using technological tools on time and in a certain time zone,
Removing some time-consuming applications from our phones,
Prioritizing face-to-face meetings instead of virtual environments in our friendships,
Socializing in line with your abilities and interests,
>If we cannot get over it, getting help from a mental health professional would be the best solution.
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