Are You Addicted to Social Media?

Discover 7 Ways You Can Beat It

Are you addicted to social media? Whether you are connecting with friends, watching videos or just scrolling through your social media feed, social media has become popular over the past decade. Today we have a massive 3.78 billion social media users globally (ng.oberlo.com/statistics/how-many-people-use-social-media). While some people might use social media without problems, others have become dependent on social media.

Social media addiction is an uncontrollable urge to use social media, leading to spending so much time on it that it negatively affects your life. Studies reveal that about 210 million people suffer from social media addiction globally (famemass.com/social-media-addiction-statistics/). It also reveals that prolonged social media use can cause mental health problems like anxiety and depression, low self-esteem, disruption in sleep patterns, amongst other problems.

But how do you if know you have an addiction to social media? In this article, we will explore the signs of social media addiction and how you can beat it.

Are You Addicted to Social Media?

Signs of Social Media Addiction 

There are a few ways to identify if social media is an addiction, rather than just a hobby.

• Social media affects your work productivity or school work
• Social media is the first thing you turn to as soon as you wake up or when you get the opportunity.
• Are you constantly on social media when hanging out with your family and friends.
• You rely on social media to cope with your problems.
• You get irritated, restless and sometimes angry when you aren’t using social media.

7 Ways to Beat Social Media Addiction

Just like any other addiction, it might not be easy to overcome an addiction to social media. Here are a few tips to help you overcome social media addiction and create a healthy balance.

1. Delete social media apps from your phone. Making it harder to access is an effective way to resist the temptation to ‘quickly check your social media page’.
2. Turn off your notifications. Most social media apps send you notifications on what is happening on your social media profile or those of your friends. Turning off the notifications will decrease the urge to use social media.
3. Set a time limit for your social media platforms. Several apps are designed to help with this.
4. Switch off your phone during work hours or social activities like family gatherings and hangouts with friends.
5. Put your phone out of reach before going to bed.
6. Engage in other productive activities, like learning or improving your skills. This will take your mind off the need to go on social media. It will also improve your self-esteem.
7. Try out new hobbies. This will help you develop new and healthy passions.

Get The Help You Need Today

Social media has many positive benefits, including connecting with new people, developing strong bonds, and establishing relationships. However, it is important to set clear boundaries for yourself to avoid being addicted to social media. Like it or not but social media addiction is real and is just as addictive as someone on heroin. So before you judge others take a look at yourself. Are you spending to much time on your phone? Is your kid looking for you to see him score the shot and on the sidelines your buried in your phone?

If you find yourself unable to break free from social media or you are experiencing adverse mental health problems as a side effect, you can talk to your therapist today. Call us at High Expectations Counseling today at 407-967-1327 and start the road to getting your life back.