Smartphone and Social Media Addiction: A Modern-Day Drug

Running head: DRUGS AND SOCIETY
Drug and Society
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DRUGS AND SOCIETY
Smartphone and social media users have become some of the unavoidable aspects of the
modem lives. Particularly the teenagers and the adolescents have a great tendency towards then
usage of these materials. This is because of the fact that smartphones and social media have
become some of the basic necessities of life. The teenagers use smartphones and the different
social media network for the purpose of connecting with people all around the world. However,
in the modern scenario, many of the teenagers have started developing a mind of addiction
towards the use of smartphones and social media. Not only the parents but the teenagers
themselves often find that they are getting too much involved within the long usage of these
items.
This is a very important and modern topic to be explored in this 21st century. This is
because life has become very fast and people everywhere are looking for some faster and easier
methods for getting all their information. Many of the students feel that they will be getting a
major amount of information regarding all the burning topics from Smartphones. There are so
many users from all across the world using the different social media sites like facebook, twitter,
and other such sites. Thus, teenagers often feel that initiating conversations on these social media
platforms will be helping them to get a wide range of views and opinions from many different
users. Apart from this they also try to look for new companionship on the social media platforms.
However, it has been seen that the users often develop the habit of logging onto their social
media many times in one day. The users’ often get so much addicted that they cannot spend their
time without looking at the updates that might have been shared by them and the other users on
the internet. This might also create lots of stress over their eyes and their mental set up as well.
The over usage of the smartphones and the social media can be termed as drugs and their
excessive use can also be termed an addiction.
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DRUGS AND SOCIETY
As per the opinion of the Boulianne (2015), there are many disadvantages of using social
media sites and also smartphones. Spamming is one of the major aspects that often affect people
in a harmful manner. The excessive usage of smartphones and social media sites often make the
make their accounts filled with viruses. This might affect the smooth functioning of the
Facebook accounts and the other social media accounts that are used by the individuals. It is seen
that the teenagers who have their accounts in the different social media often misuse their
valuable time.
Topolovec-Vranic & Natarajan (2016) has suggested that these people have become too
active in their accounts rather than doing some good and useful work. There are many school
goers and the college students who have their accounts on social sites. Due to their addiction to
these sites, they often get drifted from their studies. They pay much less attention to their exams
and their studies. Instead, they have the habit of logging onto their social sites and talk with
people coming from many different backgrounds. They are so frustrated in their lives that they
enjoy the virtual company that they enjoy.
Houston et al. (2015) have also suggested that the level of frustration is increasing in this
modern day scenario. Ss a result of thus the adolescents are trying to find solace and company
within the virtual world. In other words, they try to find some friends online or on the various
virtual platforms. They make sure that they do not have to interact with anyone face to face or in
reality. They just try to escape from the real world scenarios and interact with someone that they
do not know in person. Van Laethem, Van Vianen & Derks (2018) has also agreed to it saying
that the millennial have the habit of looking for their solutions within the virtual company that
they can find in their social sites. They have a habit of compulsively checking their updates and
the pictures that are being shared by all the users on social sites. This is because they are
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DRUGS AND SOCIETY
developing this view that online friendships or relationships are the best places where one can
seek valuable solutions to their problems.
Cheever, Moreno & Rosen (2018) is of the opinion that extensive and prolonged usage of
the social sites often hurt the confidence and the thought process of the Millennial. The problem
with social media is that there are so many users from all across the world. All the users are
coming from much different cultural and social background. It is thus evident that these people
might have some kinds of comments or share some opinions that might hurt the sentiments and
the emotions of people. For an instance, if a teenager shares some pictures on the social site there
is a chance that the other online users will be giving their comments over the same. However, the
teenager will not be getting only positive or good comments. There can be many other users
using the social sites who will be giving some negative comments over the pictures. Seeing these
negative comments the teenagers might feel that they are being insulted and demeaned by these
negative comments.
Thus the self-confidence of the users will be hurt through these kinds of comments. However,
teenagers or adolescents will also not be able to share their thoughts and feeling with their
parents.
They will be storing these negative aspects within themselves. This will make them very
upset and will also affect their mental balance. They might also start suffering from mental
issues, anxiety and many other such problems. There has been a sharp rise in the percentage of
the entire population that uses social media sites. It is perhaps no surprise that, over the past ten
years, there has been a sharp rise of about 20 percent. The population belonging in the age group
of 16 to 24 years of age that are engrossed in the usage of social media sites like facebook,
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