Is Social Media Addiction Worse Than Cigarettes?

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Try Going a Day Without –

Nov 21, 2018 –

• FOMO: The fear of missing out, a phenomenon first identified in 2000 by marketing strategist Dan Herman and later allegedly coined by Patrick McGinnis, is apparently one of the stronger drivers of social network use. According to a 2013 Fix infographic, 67% of users feared they would “miss something” without their social media fix.

• The ego needs a platform: And social media is the perfect place for it. According to researchers, the ego desires recognition, which can, in turn, drive us to disclose our personal information, pictures of ourselves, etc. in order to earn “strokes.”

• Brain chemistry: Social networks are physically addictive as well as psychologically addictive. A study from Harvard University showed that self-disclosure online fires up a part of the brain that also lights up when engaging in pleasurable activities. In some studies, frequent social media usage has caused detrimental effects in other aspects of people’s lives, leaving some researchers to view the problem as an addiction.