‘Addiction’ to social media a real problem says counsellor
Social media users are more likely to be addicted than cigarette smokers and alcohol drinkers, according to a counsellor and psychotherapist.
“More and more people are gradually losing control over the time they spend online – whether via smartphone, tablet or PC,” warned Eoin Stephens, a member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP).
While it is beneficial to connect with friends and business associates via social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, Stephens maintains it also has “obvious” negative consequences.
“Many people, especially young people, are finding their desire to use Facebook or other social media sites is so strong that it’s affecting their personal relationships, their studies and often their jobs too,” he said,
Some are so addicted, Stephens adds, that they have extreme difficulty keeping their phones or computers out of use, even during a meal with friends, attending a meeting or on a date.
He said people could determine if they are addicted by asking themselves: “[Are you] guilty of checking your Facebook account before you even get out of bed in the morning?”
Stephens highlighted a recent study by researchers in Norway who have developed the ‘Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale’ which rates addictive behaviour via a checklist of statements such as ‘You spend a lot of time thinking of Facebook’, ‘You feel the urge to use Facebook more and more’ and ‘You use Facebook to forget about personal problems’.
The counsellor urged social media users to take a hard look at this scale, as the desire to use social media cannot be easily controlled due to its ubiquity.
“As well as being very time-consuming, internet addiction can lead to very sterile lives,” he said. “Meaningful interactions with other people are replaced by superficial ones. Studies have shown that people with high usage of social media sites tend to have lower levels of self-esteem and have a higher incidence of depression.”
According to Stephens, the steps involved in tackling social media addiction are “similar to tackling any addiction and involve changing your environment, creating boundaries and alternatives, and telling friends and family about your plans to stop. It is challenging, and counselling can help.”
