How to overcome addiction to social networks. How I got rid of my addiction to social networks and the Internet. Social media addiction - statistics

Temptations in modern world there is a great variety. Indulging in them beyond measure often leads to negative consequences. A person loses control over his behavior and is unable to exist normally in the absence of the object of adoration. This state is called addiction. This feeling is experienced by the majority of people living on our planet. However, not everyone is ready to admit this not only to others, but also to themselves.

Dependency Types

Each of us has a need for something. An example of this would be the desire to take a sip of water.

Some types of addiction are vital for us. So, we cannot exist, create and breathe without food. However, some people become addicted to various tasty treats, fruits or vegetables. At the same time, having opened the refrigerator, a person is not able to refuse a piece of his favorite delicacy. It beckons him and attracts him to itself, becoming an essential item.

A person can also become addicted to new things. This category of buyers is called shopaholics. These people fill their closets with various rags, which sometimes they do not need at all. However, after the next purchase, shopaholics’ souls become much easier.

There are also some types of addiction to your hobby. This happens when a harmless hobby develops into fanaticism. This happens to those who collect stamps and to those who cannot imagine their life without computer games. Such people are simply not aware of their own actions. They become like zombies. The classification of computer-type addictions includes in its list constant presence on social networks.

There are people who are literally obsessed with their feelings. It seems to them that breaking off relations with the object of their adoration will lead to life chaos. This is love addiction.

IN Lately young people began to get involved in extreme sports. They also create a certain dependence.

Religious fanaticism poses a danger to the peaceful existence of society. This is a type of addiction when a person acts contrary to common sense, without recognizing any other ideologies. Dependence on a chosen idol is close to religious fanaticism.

Sometimes a person cannot exist without smoking, alcohol or drugs. These are very dangerous forms of addiction. For the sake of a dose, such people are capable of any action.

In the modern world, people's dependence on money is considered quite common. Of course, this is not bad, but often the desire to achieve financial well-being goes beyond all existing boundaries. Money becomes the main subject in life. Everything else just fades into the background.

Thus, human addictions are different. Sometimes people simply don't realize they have a problem.

Social media

They have firmly entered our lives. What are social networks? This is a certain collection of sites on the Internet through which communication between people from all over the world is organized. It occurs by discussing a problem, exchanging photos, audio and video.

Is there a dependence on social networks? Or is this just an opportunity to constantly expand your circle of acquaintances? No definite answer has yet been received. Opinions on this matter are polar. However, the majority is still inclined to believe that this problem is an addiction.

Social networks for a person are a whole virtual world in which problems are reflected modern society. Visiting all kinds of sites has its own positive sides. These include communication with family and friends located far away, correspondence with friends with similar interests, exchange of information and job search. However, prolonged use of such resources separates a person from the real world, causing damage to his life. This could mean social media addiction, which is classified as a disease.

Negative health effects

It would seem that existing networks are an invaluable resource that allows a person to satisfy his need for communication. However, a study of addiction to such Internet sites showed the opposite result. A person partially loses touch with the real world and begins to experience a lack of live communication. All this, according to doctors, worsens the overall well-being of the online consumer. At the same time, the immune system is weakened, an imbalance is observed hormonal levels. Addiction to social networks leads to vascular diseases and disruption of the thought process. A person runs the risk of developing mental disorders, oncology, dementia, and heart disease.

Teenagers' dependence on social networks is especially dangerous. At such an early age, it seems that friendship, love and respect are quite easy to win and then destroy without any hesitation. Just a few key manipulations are enough. However, this path is false. The dependence of young people on social networks leads to the fact that the younger generation is not prepared for the realities of life. Teenagers do not realize that everything requires patience and intelligence. They turn into impulsive, intolerant and often unpredictable people. The most terrible result that this Internet addiction presents to society is suicide attempts, which occur under the influence of strong emotions. And all this is only because the bright, fast-flowing life that young people see on the Internet does not coincide with reality.

How does addiction occur?

At first, a person is simply interested in an Internet resource. The user registers in one or another network, and then begins to gradually expand his account. Over time, correspondence becomes more and more lengthy. A person constantly looks at new messages, takes part in forums, plays games and is addicted to applications. This gradually develops into a pathological addiction to social networks. A person begins to evaluate the day as boring and uninteresting if he was unable to visit his favorite Internet resource.

Who is prone to social media addiction?

Not every person shows increased interest in Internet resources. There are people who visit social networks only occasionally, communicating on them with healthy prudence. There is also a category of Internet users that this resource does not recognize at all. What is the reason for such different attitudes towards social networks?

Experts believe that Internet addiction develops only in those individuals who are unsure of themselves and have low self-esteem. Everything is explained quite simply. No one will see you on the Internet. When posting a photo, you can choose the most successful shot, or even hide behind the picture. Only on social networks is there freedom of expression own opinion for teenagers without the fear of being stopped by constantly critical parents or unfriendly classmates.

Portrait of a regular social network user

As a rule, people who strive for virtual communication love to fantasize and embellish the existing reality. Such users are humanitarians with a romantic mood. Psychologists classify these people as mentally unstable. They suffer from a chronic sleep disorder. Signs of addiction appear already after appearance. You can recognize such people by their moist and shiny eyes, as well as by excessive sweating. A user who is constantly present in networks increases the level of dopamine in the brain. This substance is almost an analogue of adrenaline. This is why networking causes a certain surge of energy and excitement. A person strives to get such pleasure again and again when sitting down at a computer monitor.

Symptoms of Internet Addiction

1. He is worried about the fact that his message did not receive a response. This is the first alarm call. We can talk about a deterioration in the condition when the user calls the recipients, asking them why they are silent.
2. He spends six hours a day or more on websites, neglecting his business and health.
3. The virtual world begins to replace the real one. For example, such a user clearly remembers his friends on the Internet, forgetting about those who are close to him.
4. He constantly updates his own page on the Internet. At the same time, in the virtual world he has a huge number of friends (within 200-500 people).
5. If you can’t get to your page, depression or panic immediately begins. This is how addiction manifests itself. The lack of virtual communication is akin to not getting the next dose for an alcoholic or drug addict.

Fighting Internet addiction

Over time, more and more users around the world are beginning to think about how to regain real communication. Of course, the Internet provides an excellent opportunity to communicate with a wide variety of friends and provides numerous information for leisure, work and health. And all you need to do is click the mouse.

Sometimes computer addiction compared to drugs or alcohol. However, this is not at all true. After all, the first of them is eliminated using psychological techniques, and the other two are eliminated by drug treatment.

How to wean your child off social networks?

Most of the users of Internet resources are children. After all, it is not yet easy for them to get used to the world around them and boldly enter adulthood. Treatment of addictions at a young age cannot be done without the help of loved ones and psychologists. In this case, you will need to teach your child to be calm about stupid jokes from ill-wishers, to be friendly and purposeful. This concerns most of all younger age when the formation of one’s own “I” occurs.

The highest prevalence of addiction to social networks is observed in children 10-12 years of age. This is a period when a child strives to become an adult as soon as possible, but does not yet know how to do this. The Internet helps him with this. The virtual screen allows you to express your thoughts without fear of being laughed at. Social networks for a child are a game of adulthood, where there are no moralizing parents, various problems and worries.

However, constantly being at the computer at such an early age results in overexertion. No load physical nature and communication with real people may lead to serious problems in the future. And here you will need maximum parental participation. They should take the path not of banning the Internet, but of reorienting vital interests, directing their child to sports section, to a dance club, etc. We must try to ensure that the child spends more time in live communication and accustom him to work.

Eliminating addiction in an adult

There are simple rules that, following them, will allow you to easily wean yourself from constantly sitting at the computer. First of all, you will need to reduce the time you spend on social networks, minimizing it. For example, on the first day it could be six hours, on the second - thirty minutes less, etc. During such a period, you will need to increase your communication with people living in the real world. Make it a habit to take evening walks. Go to the movies, concerts and theaters. Invite some of your already forgotten friends with you. And you will certainly be surprised at how many acquaintances managed to miss communicating with you while you disappeared on social networks.

To eliminate dependence on Internet resources, you will need to set a limit on your stay in them. The time allocated for viewing correspondence and photographs should not exceed twenty minutes during the day. To control the limit, you can set special program, which will remind you to leave the site, and if necessary, block the resource until the next day.

A fairly effective option is to delete all accounts. Your absence from social networks will allow you to say goodbye to addiction in just a month.

The Internet and social networks have become a part of our lives. Possessing undoubted
benefits, such as the opportunity to receive a large number of information,
find your friends and communicate with people all over the world, social networks are fraught with
hidden danger. With increasing popularity, they attract every day
a huge number of people, many of whom today cannot imagine a single day
your life without viewing the news feed, reading messages, viewing photos,
visiting your account or the pages of other users.
Excessive attraction to spending time on social networks,
the attractiveness of communicating with virtual friends and living online has led to
the emergence of a state that modern psychology calls the concept
“social media addiction.” Is this addiction dangerous, how does it appear and
Is it possible to deal with it? This is what we will talk about in this article.

Why are social networks so attractive?

In my opinion, one of the main advantages that social networks have is
this is a kind of facelessness, i.e. the ability to anonymously communicate with people, “interfere” in someone else’s
life, the opportunity to express yourself without risking anything - insulting people, “trolling”
or, for example, confessing your love. Social networks are just a godsend for
shy, self-conscious and insecure people who find it very difficult
express yourself in real life. Hiding behind a beautiful, often someone else's photograph,
such people surround themselves with numerous “friends”, making up for it with virtual
communication - the lack of real, living communication in your life.
Social networks also provide great opportunities for self-realization
– you can be anyone, create any image for yourself, even change your gender if you’re very
I want to. Through social networks you can only show your positive qualities,
embellish your life beyond recognition: post photos that you missed
through filters, make different things about yourself interesting posts. And immediately your feed
become bright and attractive to other people, you create many reasons for
envy. Your photos are appreciated, your posts are discussed, you get a lot
attention and the illusion of being noticed by others, because social networks are built based on
a game of your imagination!

An alleged portrait of a man living a virtual life

Very often, people suffering from social networks become addicted to
loneliness in real life. They have few friends and have difficulty getting along
establishing contacts and establishing communication. Such people may have
low self-esteem, lack of faith in yourself and your attractiveness to others.
A very large number of them are teenagers, for whom it can be very difficult to find
common language with peers. Also susceptible to addiction to social networks
young mothers who spend all their time on the Internet free time. Notice the edge
separating the passion for social networks from addiction is practically
impossible. You know you're addicted when you can't go an hour without it.
in order not to check messages or scroll through the news feed.

Typology of people addicted to social networks

Thinking about people living virtual lives, I would like to focus on three
types:
— Passive type: you constantly observe other people's lives, watch them
news and photos: perhaps nothing interesting is happening in your life, for
she is boring and unattractive to you, you are very dissatisfied with her. Or vice versa, you
you want to abstract yourself from real life, it is unbearable for you, there is a lot in it

discomfort: uninteresting work, difficulties in the family, problems with parents, spouse
or children.
- Active type: you yourself put your life on display, hourly sending to
social networks your photos and making different posts: perhaps you are missing
approval from loved ones, their support and praise in something. And then you strive
make up for this deficiency in virtual life. Perhaps you hide it carefully
your loneliness, anxiety, your own discomfort from real life, so much
investing in creating an image on the Internet.
- Mixed type: you spend a lot of time on the pages of others
users, while also investing a lot in your own account:
You may be a narcissistic person who is intensely competitive.
It is important for you to be visible, to be noticed, and at the same time you do not suffer defeat, for
You can't stand the feeling of being inferior to other people in something. Constant
the process of comparing oneself with others is not amenable to conscious control, it occurs
on an unconscious level.

What does social media addiction lead to?

A person who spends a large amount of time on social networks often does not
thinks about the possible consequences of his “hobby.” I will describe only a few
of them, which are especially significant for me as a psychologist, with which I
I had to deal with working with people addicted to social networks:

— People replace real life with screen life. virtual communication
draws a person in so much that he sacrifices his work, relationships in
family or with friends, emotionally withdraws from them, wanting as long as possible
stay in a fictitious virtual world.
— Viewing other people’s accounts, photos, constantly comparing yourself
with other people, often not to one's advantage, causes a lot of tension, envy and
depression.
- A person does not notice his life, does not attach value and importance to it,
captivated by the bright colors that fill the lives of other people for him. On
this background has its own own life seems gray and expressionless to him. It's spoiling
the mood from contemplating someone else’s happiness and realizing one’s own boring, unhappy
life.
— The illusion of fullness of life allows a person not to notice
feelings of loneliness, replacing the reality of your life with a fictional world.
— Time spent on social networks often feels like
wasted: other people always have something going on, they walk,
they go shopping, to a cafe or to the cinema, and you sit at home and your life is empty. You
you can’t even find the strength to do some planned things or
spend time usefully. Such reasoning instills in a person even more
confidence in one's own worthlessness and weak character.

How to return to real life?

So is it possible to get rid of this addiction? I think yes, definitely
Can. And the most important thing here, in my opinion, is to be able to pay attention to your
real life, don't be afraid to come face to face with possible difficulties or
discomfort, and also want to fill your life with real sensations and
feelings. Here are a few more simple recommendations that everyone can do:
*Turn off notifications on your phone. Constant audio messages
they pull you out of life, distracting you from the events happening in it. I know from myself that
It’s impossible to finish something without checking what kind of message came to your phone
or tablet.

* Clean up your social media page: reduce the list of your “friends”
remove unnecessary groups that do not provide any benefit to you. Thus you
reduce the number of alerts and reduce the amount of unnecessary information.
*Forget your phone at home more often, for example, when going for a walk with your family
or friends. In 1-2 hours nothing supernatural will happen, but nothing will happen to you
will not distract from the world around you.
* Gradually limit the time spent on social networks. Don't do it abruptly
reduce time by 15-20 minutes a day. Ideally, it is better to allocate yourself a special
time for visiting social networks, for example, only morning and evening hours, 10-15 each
minutes to respond to messages, view your news feed, or read
interesting article.
* Hobbies - find a hobby in the real world: drawing, reading, sports - everything,
what captivates you and brings you a lot of pleasure and positive emotions!
*If you can’t cope with social media addiction on your own
It turns out, seek help and support from a psychologist. With common effort
you will definitely be able to find a way to return to real life!

Illustration copyright Getty Images

A British parliamentarian proposes recognizing addiction to social networks as a disease. Psychologists discuss whether it is worth taking this step and explain why digital detox is not the best medicine.

Prince Harry, who, by the way, recently opened a joint account on Instagram with his wife Meghan, said that social networks can be more dangerous than alcohol and drugs.

American congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez deleted her Facebook account and said that social networks pose a risk to everyone's health.

British Labor politician Chris Elmore went the furthest and suggested that this issue be submitted to doctors, calling this kind of addiction a full-fledged disease.

"The world is not the same as on Facebook"

Several years ago, Katya first thought about the fact that many people around her could not control their use of social networks.

“One evening, my close friend, during an interesting conversation with me, opened Instagram and started scrolling through his feed. Then I noticed on several dates that the guys were constantly looking at their phones and checking social networks,” she says.

Both in the case of the friend and the young people, all meetings went well, and most admitted that they open social networks unconsciously and rather automatically.

Back then, Katya rather humorously and sometimes condemned the behavior of others and believed that she personally did not and never would have any problems with using social networks. But she was wrong.

“I am a journalist and work in Ukraine. The amount of negative information about politics in my social networks over the past few years has gone through the roof. I realized that I was deeply affected by the news on my feed, and I could not switch off from it,” she notes.

“The latest example - a few months ago I went on vacation to the Canary Islands, did not open news sites, did not communicate with colleagues, just scrolled through my Facebook feed - as a result, one day at sea I dreamed of Zelensky, who allegedly did not accredit me for elections because I am from Donetsk."

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Vladimir Zelensky really dominated the news agenda in last weeks

“I was tired of looking at photos of my colleagues - how they give interviews, how they put on body armor in front of the camera, how they relax. By limiting the consumption of social networks and simply deleting some of them, I realized that I was not missing out on anything, I began to accomplish much more and I had a feeling freedom from social approval. I felt that the world was actually different, not like on Facebook.

Symptoms of social media addiction

Katya's story is not unique.

"Today everything more people admit they are tired of using social media and delete social media apps from mobile devices, leaving only messengers,” says Mikhail Gurevich, managing director of the Fishki.net project.

IN modern psychology While there is no diagnosis of “social network addiction”, there is only the concept of “Internet addiction”. But at the same time, there is a term “problematic use of social networks” - that is, excessive passion for social networks, which negatively affects the human psyche.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption “Escape” to social media feeds may mean a desire to escape from problems in real relationships

Problematic use has the following symptoms:

Do you prefer communication on social networks to face-to-face communication?
Through a social network, you solve problems that you cannot solve in personal communication, and go there in order to throw out your emotions
You experience maximum emotional absorption associated with events on social networks. You may spend a lot of time and emotion wondering who liked you and who didn't - and why.
You are experiencing problems in your family and professional life, your offline relationships are being destroyed due to your activity on social networks
Feel the need to spend more and more time online
Feeling strong negative emotions when someone tries to pull you offline
Lying to people around you about how much time you spend online
You make unsuccessful attempts to control your actions online and the time spent there

If you have at least half of these symptoms, which last for at least six months, then you have problems using social networks.

How to treat?

One of the most common pieces of advice is to limit your use of social media.

At the beginning of the 2000s, at the dawn of the fight against digital addiction, they used programs that turned off the Internet at certain times. Plus, the person was asked to make a list of things that he can do outside the computer and the Internet.

"Today in all mobile phones It is possible to track how much time you spend on the social network. When you see permanent growth, you should pay attention to it,” Mikhail Gurevich is sure.

Another popular trick is to regularly do an online detox.

“You need to set aside one day at a certain period of time when you will be without social networks and check what is happening to you at this moment,” says Gurevich.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Forget about “likes” for several hours a day, expert advises

However, many psychologists are confident that such measures relieve symptoms, but do not eliminate the very causes of problematic use.

“To eliminate the causes, you need to work with a person’s self-esteem, with his emotions and outlook on the world. It is necessary to form a more positive attitude towards the real world in a person. This helps to build offline relationships and begin to relate to oneself differently,” says Doctor of Psychology, Professor High school economics Olga Gulevich.

In 2018, Candidate of Psychological Sciences Denis Moskovchenko, together with colleagues from the Department of Clinical Psychology at the Evdokimova Moscow University of Medicine and Dentistry, conducted a study of the problematic use of social networks using the example of the Russian-language version of Facebook. The study involved 900 people, with an average age of 28 to 35 years.

“Our surveys of these respondents showed that people who have problems using Facebook have higher levels of anxiety and use negative emotions more often than others. In particular, they have higher levels of catastrophizing, are more likely to self-blame and get stuck in certain ways. then uncomfortable thoughts,” says Moskovchenko.

“If I were a person, I would not limit the consumption of social networks, but would think about what lies deep down. Behind the problematic use of social networks there are a lot of problems related to emotions. The problem is not how to limit, but why you want limit this," says the scientist.

Should this be considered a diagnosis?

“Although scrolling through Facebook may not have any visible physical consequences, as with other addictions - cigarettes, alcohol, gambling or drugs, the damage it can cause to a person’s mental health cannot be underestimated.” - says British politician Chris Elmore.

But psychologists agree that his initiative to recognize social media addiction as a disease makes no sense. There is something more hidden behind this problem in each individual case.

“Plus, unlike alcohol and drug addiction, addiction to digital technologies does not require medical intervention. This is a purely psychological thing,” Olga Gulevich is sure.

Reading time: 3 min

The problem of addiction to social networks is considered as a real threat to the psyche, along with chemical addictions that change personality and ability to social adaptation. The accessibility, prevalence and design features of network communications themselves can satisfy any human needs. There are standard ones, designed for a wide audience, and there are highly specialized ones, where people can satisfy their professional interests or develop. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram exist for mainstream consumers and are widespread; networks with a medical or IT focus are less popular, but are more in demand among a narrow audience.

Positivity is the ability to exchange any information, look for like-minded people even while in captivity or among spiritual strangers. Many professional industries are also moving to social networks - here you can find vacancies and a suitable employee, no longer focusing on standard resumes, but getting to know a person as an individual by scrolling through his profile. You can book places to stay and arrange joint trips in appropriate groups; creating your own page helps promote your creativity, and without the use of social networks it would be more difficult and longer.

This is a way to earn money or raise funds for charity, an opportunity to help law enforcement agencies with a report of a violation or a found wallet or passport. A huge number of positive aspects are born precisely because there is a union of people using all the possibilities of the Internet. The only disadvantage of this phenomenon is the emerging psychological dependence on social networks, after which a person practically refuses to live in the real world, completely transferring his communication and any other social contacts online.

Causes of addiction

The dependence of young people on social networks is explained by the fact that it is a cult of the present time. It is no longer fashionable to drink, use drugs or smoke, but it is fashionable to write your own blog, record stories and post photos about every event. Older generation uses online communication much less frequently, and also resorts to problem-solving formats offered on social networks. Those who were looking for lost things still turn to the police, and those who met through mutual friends do not start looking for a companion through the same subscriptions.

In addition to age-related factors, it is worth remembering that developers are constantly improving functionality, making communication easier and the content colorful and enjoyable. A huge number of settings help to create a world that is convenient for you - the ability to add friends and maintain confidentiality, adjust who will know what news or receive comments. Here you can unsubscribe and not see what you don’t want to see, no one will force you to interact with unpleasant people.

Everyone creates their own ideal world, which is more attractive than the real one, constantly accessible (now there are more chances of receiving an answer in the messenger than of the person coming to a meeting or picking up the phone), and also in it, those people who meet which is even impossible in reality (we do not take into account that these people may add you not out of interest, but out of politeness). Regular encounters with stressful reality forces one to seek refuge in an alternative one, increasingly looking into the social network and increasingly widening the gap.

Over time, the individual begins to develop hormones of joy from the time spent there, various paid content is introduced, with additional functions, and then there is the involvement of payment, there marketers connect mechanisms to influence the subconscious. For some, a social network is the only place where they have the opportunity to gain recognition. Everyone needs praise and psychological stroking, so if in reality there is no recognition of a person’s beauty, talents or intelligence, then he will strive for the world where it is.

In addition, teenagers become dependent on social networks due to a large number of complexes associated with adolescence, and online communication creates a feeling of a certain facelessness, freedom, and irresponsibility. You can choose a photo properly and generally upload an anonymous avatar and create a fictitious personality, the kind you want to be, and realize your dark sides there.

Signs of addiction

Signs of addiction to social networks include both emotional and behavioral, some of which are common to any type of addiction, and some are exclusively specific to addiction to Internet communication. The primary sign of addiction to social networks is the appearance of an irresistible desire to go to your page or watch news in a group, check the number of likes or new comments. At the emotional level, a person is not able to analyze the absence of the need for every minute check, and instead there may be anxiety and fear.

Then there is a loss of temporary control, which ultimately begins to lead to material real life and failure to fulfill certain obligations. So, not realizing that it took not a few minutes, but a couple of hours to check likes and photos, a person misses meetings or does not do the necessary work. It may turn out that the complaints of real loved ones are becoming stronger, the person is accused of insufficient attention to own family and everyday problems. The addict himself may consider these complaints inappropriate, zealously discuss with Facebook friends the illegality of the family’s demands, and they will support.

The only difference is that then everyone will close the browser and find themselves with their families, and someone will quarrel with them for the sake of the love of unknown subscribers. Problems move to a completely physical and material level - sleep may suffer in order to unsubscribe and respond to everyone on time, an addict may not eat or drink while on a social network, or just sit on coffee all day long. This entails not only problems of interaction and health problems, but also the possibility of normal independent financial security.

A high level appears if there is no connection to the satellite or the possibility of open Wi-Fi. Quarrels with partners can start over social networks - who liked whom or forgot what other users commented on. Adjustments become methods for clarifying relationships marital status and removing each other from the list of friends is typical even for married couples, and the understanding that this is only a surrogate for interaction and the fact that a person removed from friends will not leave your common kitchen does not prevent the other from committing similar actions.

The desire to constantly attract attention through changing avatars, new photos and constantly updating posts speaks not only of addiction, but also of a lack of attention and recognition that finds saturation in this way. You can even recognize your own addiction to social networks by the fact that you met with friends a year ago, while swearing eternal friendship and saying that you miss them, transferring all communication to daily correspondence.

Who is susceptible to addiction - personality types

There are certain prerequisites that contribute to the development of addiction - a feeling of self-doubt, insignificance and low self-esteem, as well as multiple complexes that drive a person into a state of inability to have normal contact with society. The possibility of self-realization against the backdrop of these complexes or simply the lack of ability to do so forms dependence not on the immediate circle, but on those who understand, but are far away.

An important factor in the formation of dependence on social networks is loneliness, and not so much actual and formal as internal.

Naturally, those who are on the northern watch do not have the opportunity to contact anyone, but there are also residents of megacities who close themselves off from neighbors, colleagues and those passing by, opening up only to those who are truly close in spirit. Behind all this is the need for approval and emotional stroking, a spiritual hunger for love, stretching from childhood. The psyche can exist in an undisturbed state only when there is social communication and encouragement in it, therefore, initially, addiction is formed as a protective mechanism for survival.

Often people who are prone to addiction to social networks are quite infantile, so those who sit in chat rooms and groups are either teenagers or have an immature personality. Regardless of age, this is a comparison of opinions, taking actions to please the interactive community and preferring conclusions based on what is suggested rather than independent analysis.

Deceit can also be pushed to have a maximum presence on the Internet, since there you can appear as any person and express any views, promising anything or even directly deceiving others for profit.

Sensitivity to criticism instead of the ability to resist or not react is quickly edited here. A person regulates his friends and his feed so as not to encounter unpleasant opinions and eventually becomes addicted to social networks, because only there a feeling is created that they are accepted and understood.

Also, one of the features of all addicts with an emphasis on photographs - constant selfies, posting their purchases, trips or achievements indicates the need to maintain the level of one’s importance and the person’s confidence that someone is so interested in his life. And daydreaming and attempts to find yourself in a dream can also lead to addiction. better world when seemingly bright thoughts lead to the fact that a person begins to fall out of reality, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s into drugs or social networks.

How to get rid of social media addiction

To overcome addiction you will have to rely on willpower, because... any addiction is formed at the hormonal level, so the lack of dopamine will push you back to scroll through the feed.

It is necessary to load yourself up with pleasant events as much as possible, because this is not a constructive strategy, especially in the fight against addiction.

You will have to initially take care of reducing provocations - go into the settings of all applications and turn off notifications about any events - sounds and reminders about all birthdays, comments, likes and messages can distract throughout the day, creating a feeling of anxiety when the phone does not make sounds - then a person climbs to check everything on his own. If you turn off notifications, then after a couple of days the psyche ceases to experience anxiety from silence and at the same time gains focus on what is directly happening in life now.

Don’t get rid of your presence on social networks right away; you can gradually reduce the time you spend there. It’s better to start by going there at a certain time, then a schedule will be developed and the visit will cease to be chaotic. Once control over the visit is developed, you can shift either the duration of your stay on the social network or the frequency of news updates. You should be wary of the main habit of addicts – starting and ending the day with social networks. Here it is better to sit in them all day, but devote the morning and time before bed to other activities.

For those who have completely lost control, you can temporarily freeze or completely delete your account, and in the meantime engage in self-education or travel. It is these types of activities that replace surfing the news feed as much as possible - this is an influx of information and exchange of opinions with others. Reducing the frequency of visits will help to remove mobile applications - then you will be able to go to your profile only after getting to your desktop computer, and you will also think several times about what exactly is worth spending the remaining time on.

Speaker of the Medical and Psychological Center "PsychoMed"

For several years now, there have been clinics in China and the United States that provide therapy for those caught in the World Wide Web.

How does simple interest turn into pathological addiction?

Addiction to social networks - is “the devil” so scary?

Internet addiction, which is what Internet addiction is called, is not officially considered a mental disorder in medicine.

However, this phenomenon began to be studied in 1995, when American psychiatrist Ivan Kenneth Goldberg described human behavior in which there is a threat of complete displacement by the Internet.

At first it seemed like a joke, but the problem began to grow and spread throughout the world.

Attachment to the World Wide Web can be called the main disease of our time

Research and consulting centers began to be created, psychiatrists, psychologists and sociologists began to understand the nature of this phenomenon.

And in 2009, at a congress of psychiatrists, it was proposed that addiction to social networks and the Internet should be considered a chronic disease that needs to be treated.

Five types of users were identified:

Independent- no comments.
Slightly dependent- people who visit their account occasionally or out of necessity. They live a normal life in which social networks do not play a special role.
Transitional type- they can “out of nothing to do” go online a couple of times a day to have fun, look at photos of friends or exchange a few phrases. As a rule, a person does not stay in this phase for long and gradually migrates to the next one.
Highly dependent- they practically never let go of a tablet or smartphone. Such people try to keep abreast of all the news of their many “friends” and all the groups they belong to.
Absolutely dependent- people who already need treatment, because they cannot imagine life without the Internet.

Social media addiction has become a public health threat

Most often, people who are deprived of normal communication in real life suffer from this.

Here you can just have a good time, have fun, find a job or even earn money.

Why do more and more people fall into this trap, turning their lives into a surrogate?

Social media addiction - statistics

The person living next to you will immediately notice that you spend too much time on social networks.

Few people admit that they have such a problem - what’s wrong with that, I’m not a drug addict or an alcoholic?

But any addiction affects mental health, and if you don’t change your behavior, physical health problems will follow.

In addition to problems with vision, spine and sleep, the ability to concentrate on real things is impaired. Attention jumps from one thing to another, without staying on anything for long.

According to statistics, a quarter of addicted users developed the habit of checking accounts within six months. Almost 60% became so over the next six months.

Social networks have become a modern drug

Young people in large cities almost entirely belong to the intermediate type of Internet addicts.

If a person has a hobby, then his chances of becoming an Internet addict are significantly reduced.

Compared to the brightness of virtuality, real life may become uninteresting and dull for a teenager, so they may even attempt suicide.

Young people are more dependent on the opinions of other people. They care about attention and approval, which can lead to very unhappy consequences.

Fortunately, today schools have begun to pay more attention to this problem. Seminars are held, children do research projects about social network addiction, write essays and compositions about Internet addiction.

Advice: in order to receive only the best from the global web, you must learn to choose from the huge flow of information only what helps your development - articles, educational games, videos.

Don't use your computer as a babysitter while you go about your business; spend more time together, become friends so that the teenager can trust you and share his experiences without fear of being punished.

Social media addiction - test

I would like to invite you to answer adapted questions from a test by Canadian psychologist Brent Conrad, which will help you understand how dependent you are on Facebook, as well as any other social network.

I often spend more time on Facebook than planned
I don't get enough sleep because I'm on Facebook late at night.
Relatives and friends notice that I spend a lot of time on Facebook
I hang out on Facebook for more than two hours a day for fun, not for work or study.
Despite the prohibitions, I communicate on FB during work hours (or during classes)
Not being able to log into my account during the day makes me feel uncomfortable
A lot of effort and time was spent on acquiring a huge number of friends on FB
Most of them are not my real friends
My performance at work (at school) suffers from the fact that I spend a lot of time on Facebook.
For the same reason, I don't have good personal relationships.
I spend hours playing different games on FB.
It's very frustrating that there are no comments on my posts.
I like virtual communication more than real one
All attempts to reduce the time spent on Facebook ended in fiasco
In this network I spend most time when I'm on the Internet
Often FB crowds out my daily responsibilities
Because of being online, I communicate less with friends, do little hobbies and sports
I'm lonely, despite the huge number of friends on Facebook
Even when communicating with friends, I am online
When I wake up, I immediately log into my account
Before going to bed I check my account
To cheer myself up, I go to Facebook
Staying on Facebook makes me often late for something
I get offended if someone doesn't add me as a friend.
My account is set up so that I can always see what my friends have done or what comments they have left.
Having more friends would upset me greatly
A whole month without social networks is impossible for me
I can’t remember where I heard an interesting phrase - in real communication or in virtual
Social networks are my cure for boredom or idleness

If most of your answers are positive, then you should try to bring yourself back to reality.

Social media addiction - how to get rid of it

Having determined the number of wasted hours, try to imagine how many necessary and useful things could have been done during this time.

By admitting there is a problem, you will do the hardest thing, and then you must try to adhere to some rules:

Limit your time online to a clear time frame - for example, log into your account only for half an hour in the evening
Make a plan of things that you need to do and try to complete it without distractions
Reduce virtual communication to a minimum - clean your friends list, leave groups that are not interesting to you
Do what you love, find a new hobby, learn a foreign language
Don't eat in front of the computer
Exercise every day

Remember that a computer is just a tool to help us do our work. Odnoklassniki, VKontakte, etc. They cannot replace the warm participation of your family and friends.

Do not allow virtual reality prevent you from living and working normally, crowding out real feelings and real friends from your life.