One of the most common questions I get asked once someone hears that I practice psychotherapy is, “what do you think about social media apps like Facebook?” I often find that the person asking me that question is either concerned that they may have a problem or knows someone they think might be having a problem with social media. Many people are surprised when I tell them I don’t find them troubling.
Asking whether apps such as Facebook or Instagram are good or bad is a silly question. The fact is social media apps are inanimate technological devices that have no inherent value. However, like gambling, recreational drugs, porn, and other things we more commonly associate with addiction, social media apps rely on the same dopaminergic (the main source of dopamine) effects. Dopaminergic neurons play an important role in controlling multiple brain functions, including voluntary movement and a broad array of behavioral processes such as mood, reward, addiction, and stress. So yes, these apps can be highly addictive both physically and psychologically.
“The thought process was all about, ‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?” — former Facebook President, Sean Parker
The fact is they are built to get you hooked, just like the Vegas casino is designed to keep you gambling. Everything from the lighting to the sound of the machines and the lack of clocks and much more is carefully thought out to make sure you stay and spend your money. Social media sites are designed the same way to keep you clicking and spending as much time as possible. The inventors would love you to be on them all day, and they spend hundreds of millions of dollars on psychological research to do just that.
So why do I tell people I don’t find them problematic? Because like other more commonly thought of addictions, it is about the individual, not the device or object. Many people can drink responsibly while others develop an addiction that leads to problems. Many people can use social media without developing any problems. Most people seem only to view things through a binary lens; it is either good or bad. Eat this, don’t eat that, do this, don’t do that. The truth is life is much more nuanced, and many factors contribute to something being good or bad, and many things can and should be enjoyed in moderation.
A study performed by California State University found that individuals that visited any social media site at least 58 times per week were 3 times more likely to feel socially isolated and depressed compared to those who used social media fewer than 9 times per week. —Primack et al., 2017
Simply said, it is the amount of time spent, and why someone is using social media, not social media itself, that is dangerous. Although in the hands of the wrong person, social media can be debilitating. This is why I typically suggest young children avoid social media, the very market many of these apps appear designed to appeal to. Excessive use of social media like drug use can hijack synaptic plasticity mechanisms in key brain circuits, most importantly in the mesolimbic dopamine system, central to reward processing in the brain. This can be particularly troubling for young children who have not fully developed physically or emotionally.
- How much time have you lost that could be more productive spent with family and friends?
- Do you find yourself waiting to see how many likes you get on a post?
- Are you becoming increasingly isolated?
- Do you regret the time you wasted on social media only to do it again the next day?
Addiction is becoming a serious problem, especially for many young adults. The good news is that recent neuroscience studies have shown that you can recover. The sooner you deal with addictions underlying causes, the less damage you will do to your brain and the easier it will be to overcome and live a more well-rounded life.
