Social Media Addiction Disorders

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Social media is a teen’s lifeline to friends and nonuse can prove detrimental. However unmonitored use can be even more harmful. Lin, Zhou, Qin, Zhao, Xu, & Lei (2012) purport that Internet addiction disorder is becoming a serious mental health issue and found, through neuroimaging techniques, changes in brain structure and pathways occur through the use of social media. A better understanding of this could help with early intervention and prevention of addiction. The findings suggest that this disorder is on the rise and clinicians and researchers could benefit from establishing diagnostic criteria and inclusion of this disorder into the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.” The addiction stems from the dopamine jolt experienced …show more content…

Some studies found that increased online relationships resulted in decreased face-to-face relations, while others found the opposite; connecting online increased their interactions with others (Bobkowski and Smith, 2013). While many new relationships are forged on line it is often at the expense of face-to-face interactions. Additionally, social media communication lacks nuances. Teens are not learning the intricacies of conversation in the online arena. They are losing the ability to read contextual messages such as body language, facial expression and tone. Face-to-face interactions are still vital to the development of a well-rounded adolescent. Johnson, Tanner, Lalla, & Kawalski (2010) found that the reduction in family time with increased social media use has detrimental long-term effects. Parents are not interacting with their children in the same ways and parental/child attachments are being impacted. To adolescents the social network and contact with friends is paramount to development. It is their lifeline. Parents therefore need to closely monitor their adolescent’s use of social media. This recommendation comes only after establishing that it is vital to know the adolescent, their personality and the use profile prior to making clinical recommendations. Parents must be aware of the nature of the social media sites that their children are consuming. It is vital that the social media not simply be removed, but constructive guidelines need to be created for the beneficial use of the technology. In order to encourage healthy psychosocial development, adolescents must continue to connect with friends, classmates and others with similar interests. Teens are susceptible to peer pressure and lack the fully developed prefrontal cortex and therefore the ability to self-regulate. Parents must also bring themselves up to speed on technical skills in order to

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