Social Media Addictive and Linked to Substance Abuse

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Social Media Addictive and Linked to Substance Abuse

Excessive use of social media such as Facebook can be addictive and is linked to problems with emotion regulation, impulse control, and substance abuse, new research suggests.

Results from a survey of university undergraduates showed that almost 10% met criteria for what investigators describe as “disordered social networking use.”

“Respondents who met criteria for the proposed diagnosis of disordered online social networking were significantly more likely to also meet criteria for problem drinking compared to those without problems related to Facebook use,” first author Julia Hormes, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at the the University at Albany in New York.

This is related to having an “addictive” personality – a person prone to addictive behaviors.

Respondents who met criteria for “Facebook addiction” also reported “significant” symptoms commonly linked to addiction, such as tolerance (increased Facebook use over time), withdrawal (irritability when unable to access Facebook), and cravings to access the site, she added.

“Our findings suggest that there may be shared mechanisms underlying both substance and behavioral addictions,” Dr Hormes added.

The study was published in the December issue of Addiction.

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