Social

Media
Theories of Mass Communication
Addictio
n Today
Social media addiction has become a modern day problem. New research
has begun looking into this addiction and its probable effects on society, Matt Meier
notably students.
introduction
Addiction, as defined by Psychology Today, “is a condition that results

when a person ingests in a substance or engages in an activity that can be

pleasurable but the continued use of which becomes compulsive and

interferes with ordinary life responsibilities.” [emphasis added]

(Psychology Today, 2013)

Addiction comes in different forms, such as a food addiction, drug

addiction, or sexual addiction. For food addicts, becoming addicted to food

can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes or heart disease. Drug

addicts face serious consequences of affecting their bodily and mental health

with repeated use. And sex addicts can have damaging relationship

problems arise that can, in term, affect their mental health.

Since the birth of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s, billions of

people have been able to dial into the vast network of connections that have

built up. While these networks have allowed for an easier flow of

communication, a whole new level of addiction as arisen as a consequence.

the addiction
In the past few years, an untold level of addiction has grown in the face

of social networks. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube boast millions upon

millions of daily users, each connecting and sharing with friends, family, and

strangers. YouTube boasts that they receive over 3 billion unique views per

day. (Rao, 2011) Facebook data shows that users spend 19 minutes per visit

on the website, with multiple visits in a day.

1|Page
 Numbers are only part of the story. Various health organizations and

news media have reported worldwide the growing number of people who are

finding it difficult to turn away from social media. In the United Kingdom, The

Express reports of the growing number of Britons becoming addicted to

technology, namely Facebook and Twitter. (The social networks ranked 12 th

and 13th respectively on their list of “Things We Just Can’t Give Up”).

(Mathews, 2013) And comedian Louis C.K. recently took it out against social

media, with the networks becoming the crux of his jokes. “I think these

things are toxic,” Louis said, “They don’t look at people when they talk to

them and they don’t build empathy.” (Wright, 2013)

The addiction of social media has grown to be a massive distraction for

many, particularly among younger demographics. Distractions can come in

different ways, such as in driving or in the classroom. The threat of this

digital addiction has real-world consequences among millions, and the

danger is only rising.

is facebook good for us?

largest social network on the internet. The world population is just over 7

billion, meaning that nearly 1/7 th of humanity shares a common connection

through Facebook. The possibilities for the levels of interaction are truly

infinite.

Being connected with the heartbeat of humanity is a tremendous feat

in human history, but is it healthy for people? A recent study from New

2|Page
Zealand attempted to explain the relationships between Facebook and the

human psyche, notably by way individuals portray themselves through their

avatars. (Brunskill, 2013)

The term “avatar” derives from Hindu religion, wherein gods took a

humanly form (an avatar) when interacting with people on Earth. In a social

media context, an avatar refers to a person’s ideal impersonation of their

self online. In Facebook, the avatar is directly applicable to the profile image

and cover photo.

The argument in the New Zealand study is that people tend to

obsessively promote a favorable interpretation of their own self. Because the

internet has no restrictions a person’s interpretation of their self, a person

will endow their self “with special attributes of intelligence, status, and

charisma which [they] do not normally possess to nearly the same degree.”

The implications here are that people are lying about their true self in the

hopes of gaining social recognition.

The problem with presenting two facets of one person is that it creates

negative effects on the psyche. According to the study, evidence shows that

when a person experiences tension between their two facets (the one

presented through the avatar and their real self), difficulty of acceptance,

violent and rude awakenings, and desperate attempts to save face are likely

to occur. Also, the obsessive focus to curate a perfect avatar can create

narcissistic traits. Though not readily apparent, a sense of peer pressure may

3|Page
drive an individual towards crafting their online image, creating these

problems with their psyche.

The study concludes that finding a harmonious balance between a

person’s online self and offline (real world) self is unlikely, and can constitute

an unhealthy obsession towards curating an online avatar. The study makes

the point that, “self-promotion will overtake self-awareness to the extent

that profound psychological effects are likely to emerge over time.” If people

continue to obsess over their online avatar, then it would “leave modern

man not feeling happy with his god-like nature.”

To summarize, one explanation for a likely addiction to social media

stems from people’s desire to build the perfect image of their self. The

addiction can build to obsessive and narcissistic levels, leaving to an

imbalance between online and offline livelihoods. Psychological effects, such

as violence and self-esteem issues, can likely arise as a result of becoming

addicted to social media.

uses and gratifications

it comes down to it, people use social media to be social. Humans naturally

gravitate towards discussion and interaction, which social media networks

greatly offer in spades. Millions of people connect out to friends, family, and

even strangers to share and consume information.

The proposed theory to why people use social media (and the internet

as a whole) is known as the uses and gratification theory. This theory holds

4|Page
that people use social networking sites because “it emphasizes the

importance of the individual.” This importance is gratified through social

interactions that the individual seeks in the realm of social media. (Raacke &

Bonds-Raacke, 2008)

To better understand the relationship of uses and gratifications to

social media, two researchers sought why people use social networking sites,

what the characteristics are of those people, and “what uses and

gratifications are met by using these sites.” To narrow the scope of the

study, the researchers focused on college students at a four-year public

university located on the East Coast.

The study revealed that a large majority of the students surveyed had

a social media account (87%) and that a reason most of them used social

media were “to keep in touch with old friends (96%).” Another large majority

(91%) stated that “to keep in touch with current friends” was another reason

they were using social media.

If pure numbers are any indication, then most students surveyed for

the study are finding a level of gratification in using social media (again, 87%

have and use a social media network). Perhaps most notable in the surveys

were the amount of hours spent using social media. According to those

students that had an account, they averaged three hours of social media use

per day. Keep in mind that this study was conducted in 2008, just as social

media was exploding, and the popularity of smartphones were still in their

infancy.

5|Page
 Five years have elapsed since the uses and gratification study was

concluded. In that time, a vast majority of college students now have mobile

access to their social media accounts. Smartphone technology has allowed

for millions to cut the cord and be truly mobile. This mobility allows for them

to be connected nearly anywhere at any time. The potential for addiction is

greater now than in 2008, thanks to smartphone technology.

about face
The level of interaction that social media offers is both a blessing a

curse. As stated previously, there are an infinite number of connections that

can be made through social networks. That level of connectivity is truly a

gift. But the amount of time people are spending on the networks is

becoming increasingly worrisome.

Some people would argue that the addiction they face is beneficial for

them. For example, students in South Africa said that social media

“enhances their academic and social lives,” according to a research study

that interviewed 1,435 students. Nearly 60% of the students openly claimed

that they were addicted to social media, with a vast majority of those

addicted students believing that social media “improved their studies and

enhanced their social lives.” Only 10% of students that said they were

addicted to social media found the media to be major problem for them.

(SouthAfrica.info, 2013)

While some students enjoy the addiction and benefits that social media

offers, others are giving an about face to Facebook, Twitter, and other

6|Page
networks all together. A study from Turkey examined the reasons why some

university students shunned social networks via case study methodology.

The results from the study revealed a myriad list of reasons why some

university students shied away from social media. (Turan, Tinmaz, & Goktas,

2013)

The largest reason for steering clear of social media was due to the

potential for spending too much time online. The uses and gratification study

noted that students are likely to spend around three hours per day using

social media, which is already a large amount of time to spend online. The

students in the Turkish study have a well-founded belief that they may spend

excessive amounts of time online.

The next two highest reasons to not use social media were related to a

lack of interest and a fear of addiction. Some students in the study did

believe Facebook and other networks would serve any purpose for them. “I

see Facebook as an unnecessary tool,” one student said. “I think I can do

whatever I might want to do on Facebook anywhere else.” And addiction

kept some students from using social media, or addiction lead to the

students deleting their accounts. One student reported that their repeated

use of Facebook lead to an online poker addiction.

Interestingly, some students stated that self-presentation on social

networks, namely Facebook, were not an idea they were privy to. The notion

that they disproved of curating their own image online ties directly to the

New Zealand study, which looked at the obsessive nature people have

7|Page
towards creating their online avatars. Ultimately, creating an ideal view of

the self could lead to leaking too much private information, which students in

the Turkish study did not like. “Everyone is sharing their private lives, and I

am not interested in their lives,” one female student said. “Since I don’t want

to present myself, I don’t find it necessary.”

The summation of this study holds that there are university students

out there who would not partake in using social media, as so many other

students are worldwide. Fears of addiction are prevalent in many of the

responses, which tie with other related studies regarding social media.

There are a growing number of people around the world that have

been turning away from social media. The trend has become common

enough that new internet applications have been created to help users

delete their social media accounts.

The reasons for this trend vary, though many individuals cite privacy

concerns as their reasons for deleting accounts. And a small percentage of

users, as noted in a study from the University of Vienna, stated that

addiction was their reason for quitting social media. (The Advertiser, 2013)

what’s to come
There is certainly a growing problem with social media addiction in

today’s world. In places like Japan, the government is reporting of prevalent

addiction among its youth. Statistics from Japan’s Medical and Addiction

Center show that 8.1% of junior high and high school students have some

form of addiction to the internet, with a large chuck of the addiction

8|Page
delegated to social networking sites, such as YouTube and Facebook. (The

Japan Times, 2013)

Aside from wholly deleting social media accounts all together, the next

best method to curbing rampant social media use is through time

management. Researchers at MIT have taken the concept of managing one’s

time on a website, such as Facebook, to a shocking level. A new device

called the Pavlov Poke sends a mild electric jolt into a user via conducting

pods that are attached to a keyboard rest. (London, 2013)

Other researchers have even created a scale to measure the level of

Facebook addictiveness in an individual. Called the Bergen Facebook

Addiction Scale, this measurement quantifies responses from Facebook users

on their amount of time spent on the social network. A high number is

indicative of addictiveness to Facebook. (Paddock, 2012)

Has society reached a point where it is necessary to quantify

addictiveness to social media and use electric shocks to avert extended use?

Clearly there is a problem, but the extents of the effects of social media are

still poorly understood. Many more studies need to be conducted to better

understand the effects of social media on the human psyche. It is generally

agreed upon that spending too much time online has detrimental effects on

social conditions of individuals. But how this affects a person’s education,

tolerance, perception, and other psycho-analytical factors are not fully

known.

9|Page
 Social media does have wonderful benefits to society, not least of

which is the vast connectivity it offers. Sharing of ideas, cultures, and

information can easily and readily occur. To really avoid addiction towards

social networking, everyone needs to find the time to turn off and turn away.

All devices have a power button; sometimes it is just a matter of finding the

switch and hitting it.

10 | P a g e
bibliography
Brunskill, D. (2013, October 24). Social media, social avatars and the psyche:

is Facebook good for us? . Australasian Psychiatry, pp. 527-532.

London, J. (2013, September 5). MIT Researchers Develop a Shocking

Treatment for Facebook Addiction. Retrieved from Slice of MIT:

http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2013/09/05/mit-researchers-

develop-a-shocking-treatment-for-facebook-addiction/

Mathews, J. (2013, November 13). Old habits die hard... that's why we are

struggling with addiction. The Express, p. 3.

Paddock, C. (2012, May 11). Facebook Addiction - New Psychological Scale.

Retrieved from Medical News Today:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245251.php

Psychology Today. (2013). What Is Addiction? . Retrieved December 3, 2013,

from http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction

Raacke, J., & Bonds-Raacke, J. (2008, Vol. 11 No. 2). MySpace and Facebook:

Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-

Networking Sites. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 169-174.

Rao, L. (2011, June 17). The Average YouTube Viewer Watches 5 Hours Of

Videos A Month. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from

http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/17/comscore-the-average-youtube-

viewer-watches-5-hours-of-videos-a-month/

11 | P a g e
SouthAfrica.info. (2013, November 12). Social Media 'Integral' to SA

Students' Lives. Africa News.

The Advertiser. (2013, September 19). About face as social media users turn

away. The Advertiser , p. 54.

The Japan Times. (2013, September 3). Net addiction a growing problem. The

Japan Times.

Turan, Z., Tinmaz, H., & Goktas, Y. (2013). The Reasons for Non-Use of Social

Networking Websites by University Students . Scientific Journal of

Media Education, 137-145.

Wright, M. (2013, September 23). Louis C.K is right: smartphones have

become a blight on our society. Retrieved from The Telegraph:

telegraph.co.uk

12 | P a g e