While there exists no official diagnostic term or measurement,<unk>  can be conceptualized as a non–substance related disorder, resulting in preoccupation and compulsion to excessively engage in social<unk>  platforms despite negative consequences.<unk>  is associated with mental health symptoms, such as anxiety and depression in children and young people. A 2022 meta-analysis showed moderate and significant associations between<unk>  in youth and increase symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Another meta-analysis in 2019, investigating Facebook use and symptoms of depression, also showed an association, with a small effect size. In a 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis,<unk>  Facebook use was shown to have negative affects on well-being in adolescents and young adults, and psychological distress was also found with<unk>  use. Frequent social<unk>  use was shown in a cohort study of 15- and 16-year-olds to have an association with self-reported symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder followed up over two years. Decrease in mood A 2016 technological report by Chassiakos, Radesky, and Christakis identified benefits and concerns in adolescent mental health in regard to social<unk>  use. It showed that the amount of time spent on social<unk>  is not the key factor but rather how time is spent. Declines in well-being and life satisfaction were found in older adolescents who passively consumed social<unk> ; however, these were not shown in those who were more actively engaged. The report also found a U-shaped, curvilinear relationship between the amount of time spent on digital<unk>  with risk of depression developing, at both the low and high ends of Internet use. Eating Disorders According to research by Flinders University social<unk>  use correlates with eating disorders. The study found eating disorders in 52% of girls and 45% of boys, from a group of 1,000 participants who used social<unk> . Through the extensive use of social<unk> , adolescents are exposed to images of bodies that are unattainable, especially with the growing presence of photo-editing apps that allow you to alter the way that your body appears in a photo. This can, in turn, influence both the diet and exercise practices of adolescents as they try to fit the standard that their social<unk>  consumption as set for them. Excessive use One can evaluate their social<unk>  habits and behavior toward it to help determine if an addiction is present. Addictions are a certain type of impulse control disorder, which may lead one to lose track of time while using social<unk> . For instance, ones psychological clock may run slower than usual and their self-consciousness is compromised. Therefore, individuals may passively consume<unk>  for longer amounts of time. In fact, psychologists estimate that as many 5 to 10% of Americans meet the criteria for social<unk>  addiction today. Addictive social<unk>  use will look much like that of any other substance use disorder, including mood modification, salience, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse. In the digital age, it is common for adolescents to use their smartphones for entertainment purposes, education, news and managing their daily life. Therefore, adolescents are further at risk for developing addictive behaviors and habits. Many<unk> al experts have looked at the survey and come up with a clear conclusion, saying that teenagers' excessive smartphone use has an impact on their behavior and even their mental health. If the excessive use of social<unk>  and the platforms encompassed therein have proven to cause mental health issues, eating disorders, lowered self-esteem, and the use of such<unk>  has been shown to be addictive in some form or another,<unk> ally there should be an avenue to treat the use or excessive use of the<unk>  platforms. The excessive use is causing underlying health conditions that in themselves are treatable, but if these issues are stemming from the use of social<unk>  platforms, the addictive nature of these platforms should be addressed in a way to reduce or eradicate the health related or mental related effects resulting. More studies need to be done, more funding has to be provided, and the addiction to such platforms should be seen as a true addiction and treated as such, and not simply discarded as a millennial issue. Social anxiety Social<unk>  allows users to openly share their feelings, values, relationships and thoughts. With the platform social<unk>  provides, users can freely express their emotions. However, not all is great with social<unk> , it can also cause discrimination and cyberbullying. Discrimination and cyberbullying are more prevalent online because people have more courage to write something bold rather than to say it in person. There is also a strong positive correlation between social anxiety and social<unk>  usage; and in particular between cyberostracism and social<unk>  disorder. The defining feature of social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is intense anxiety or fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in a social or performance situation. Many users with mental illnesses, such as social anxiety, go to the internet as an escape from reality, so they often withdraw from in-person communication and feel most comfortable with online communication. People usually act differently on social<unk>  than they do in person, resulting in many activities and social groups being different when using social<unk> . The pros and cons of social<unk>  are heavily debated; although using social<unk>  can satisfy personal communication needs, those who use them at higher rates are shown to have higher levels of psychological distress. Symptoms of social anxiety include: excessive sweating, blushing, trembling, rapid heart rate, nausea, rigid body posture, lack of eye contact, quiet speaking, difficulty interacting with people, feeling insecure, and avoiding places with a lot of people. Lowered Self-Esteem Low self-esteem has generally had some sort of connection to serious mental health illnesses such as depression, some studies have been done to find if social<unk>  platforms have any sort of correlation to low self-esteem. One such study found that participants who were given the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to rate their self-esteem based on their social<unk>  usage, found that participants that used Facebook tended to rate themselves more poorly on their general self-esteem. This unfortunately isn't an isolated issue, as similar tests have been done in other countries, another study conducted in Pakistan which also found that users that used Facebook exhibited lower self-esteem, claimed there's a possibility social<unk>  usage could be used to predict the self-esteem among individuals since higher social<unk>  usage tended to correlate with lower self-esteem.
Problematic social media use
Problematic smartphone use
Video game addiction
Psychological effects of Internet use
Computer addiction
Factitious disorder imposed on another
Childhood trauma
Social isolation