Social Media Addiction: Causes, Effects and Possible Solutions

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Nowadays, there seems to be one common problem among kids and young adults and this is called social media addiction. Social networking sites look so appealing to youngsters that they spend roughly two hours per day scrolling through digital news feed, photos and videos. They try to keep up with their friends mostly online and it seems hard for them to put all their digital devices aside. 

Let's look at some main causes of social media addiction and its negative effects on people's lives. We will also give some possible solutions to this problem at the end of the lesson. 

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SHORT NOTES (More info below.) 


Causes 

• socialising on the Internet 
• the excitement of receiving notifications from social media 

Negative effects 

• fear of missing out (FOMO) 
• isolation and lower self-esteem 
• online harassment 
• insomnia 

Possible solutions 

• limited screen time 
• attending real-life events (People should attend more real-life events.) 
• social interactions face to face 

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Causes 

• The most important cause of this problem is the excitement of receiving notifications when someone 'likes' and 'shares' what you posted on social media. People tend to feel good and excited about being liked online.  
• Youngsters are raised in a society where the Internet is such an important aspect of socialising. Children look at the Internet as an extension of their current social life. This is the main reason why they are so much dependent on their cell phones as a means of communication. Social networking sites like Facebook, for example, are a popular way for people to keep in touch with their friends. 

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Negative effects 

• People's social interactions tend to happen online instead of in the physical world and at the end of the day they feel isolated. As a result, they have lower self-esteem and feel dissatisfied with their self-worth. 
• The fear of missing out results in people constantly checking their accounts for any updates and looking at others' profiles for hours. This is an actual social anxiety from the fear that you are missing a potential connection, event or opportunity. 
• Consuming too much digital technology and using social networking could lead to childhood development problems. Children are constantly distracted by their digital devices and this leads to short attention spans. 
• Addiction to social networking can distract students from their studies. As a result, students may feel guilty about not being able to control themselves and they may feel frustrated with falling behind academically. 
• When people engage with their phones or something external, they stop thinking about their dreams and feelings. Nowadays, kids are constantly engaged with technology and the Internet, and they don't reflect on other people and are unable to empathise with others. 
• People miss the chance of developing real-life skills such as social engagement, talking to people face to face, gaining competence, and so on. 
• Because people are spending many hours a day online, they are using their creativity less. 
• Many youngsters may suffer from insomnia due to staying up late so that they can be online. As a result, not getting enough sleep may lead to anxiety and poor performance at school. Too much time online affects not only students' grades, but their health as well. 
• A lot of adults have experienced online harassment. As a result, victims may suffer from stress and that may lead to a decline in mental health. 

Possible solutions 

• Parents need to ensure that their children have adequate social interactions face to face. 
• Schools and parents need to teach children human interaction and to encourage them to make human connections. This can be achieved by playing games in real life and taking place in contests as well as other engaging activities. 
• Screen time should be limited as much as possible so that children and teenagers can spend more time with their family and real-life friends. 
• Schools and universities should establish a strict policy on cell phone use. 
• The important thing for parents is to maintain communication with their children to remind them how precious they are. 

VOCABULARY

• appealing - attractive or interesting | OPP. unappealing 
• youngster - a young person or a child 
• put something <-> aside (phrasal verb) - to ignore or forget something 
• means of communication - computer, cell phone, newspaper, magazine, television, radio, etc. 
• be / keep in touch with somebody / something 
• result in something (phrasal verb) - to make something happen 
• self-esteem - a feeling of being happy with your own character and abilities 
• high/low self-esteem 
• self-worth (Synonym: self-esteem) - a feeling of confidence in yourself that you are a good and useful person 
• engaged with something 
• empathise (with somebody / something) - to understand another person’s feelings and experiences, especially because you have been in a similar situation 
• stay up (late) (phrasal verb) - to go to bed later than usual
• have/establish/maintain communication 
• precious - loved or valued very much 

Click below to read some of our IELTS related lessons: 
Discourse Markers for IELTS Speaking and Everyday English 
Causes and Effects of Migration from Rural Areas to Cities 
IELTS Speaking Test: Means of Transport 
IELTS Speaking Test: Arriving Early and Being Patient 
IELTS Speaking Test: Places That Tourists Visit and Being a Tourist 
IELTS: Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet 


Other lessons: 
City Life - Going out 
Cities - Talk about your area 
Cities - Advantages and Disadvantages of Urban Life 
Countryside - Advantages and Disadvantages of Rural Life 


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