Yes, being addicted to social media is an actual thing, and it is very serious. Just like any other addiction, it has significant adverse effects on the human mind: Not only on the mind but your physical well being as well.

Constant likes and notifications from all of these applications trigger your brain’s reward area similarly to the reaction to the chemicals in drugs.
When the brain experiences something rewarding, it causes the dopamine levels in the body to rise. Scientists have said the dopamine you get from social media is basically like injecting a considerable amount of it straight into your system.

Having an addiction to social media has the same adverse effects as being addicted to any addictive drug. Being more preoccupied with social media than your actual social life, tolerance to how much social media is needed, withdrawal, and relapse or some of the effects of it if you were to become addicted.

Causes of being addicted to the media are usually from using it as a coping mechanism in your life. People use apps like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to look away from what is going on in their lives. Dealing with stress, loneliness, and depression is difficult, and with that comes a need for a distraction. Some turn to drugs, others turn to maybe working out or perhaps even reading. But with the new technology coming out and advancing year after year, people don’t realize that it takes a toll on their lives. They don’t think of it as a drug because it is not referred to as something hard and dangerous like heroin, cocaine, and opiates. Social media and technology is something that almost everyone uses and is the new normal.

Ages from 18 to 34 are the most common users of social media. This age group is probably the most likely to become addicted, and they contribute to the meaningful use of all of these apps. If it were considered more dangerous to your life and society itself, it wouldn’t be a surprise that having an addiction to it is real. I also think that more people would realize that maybe they actually have a habit, and they might even lay off being on their phones and technology.

Social media should not have this much power over our lives and how we live them. It should be like how it was before phones and technology where your loved ones’ spending time was more important than a screen. Phones should only be able to be used to call people, and that’s all. With only that being the phone’s ability, you still get your communication with people, but without all of this other distracting stuff that comes with it.