A New Level of Addiction

Emma Stein wrote an article titled "Social Media Dependency Has Become a Mental Health Issue", and I have such a variety of emotions after reading it. Considering I don't live under a rock, I am very aware of the rapidly growing addiction to social media. Little did I know that "those who interact via social media on a daily basis are five times likelier to use tobacco, three times likelier to use alcohol, and twice as likely to use marijuana." That statement is astonishing! I clearly have underestimated the power of scrolling through photos. 

Yes, I am a social media addict. You shouldn't be surprised. But how did this happen? I wonder how often I have been influenced because of something that I saw was posted by a friend. Social media networks were intended to keep contact with friends from our past and present, and to make more connections that otherwise wouldn't have been possible. And now it's becoming the source of ideas for young people to try drugs and alcohol? I don't doubt that these people wouldn't run into the idea another way, if not a different source of media. But do people post pictures while drinking or doing drugs in order to glorify the actions? There is also the point that Facebook now reaches a very young audience, and if these impressionable minds didn't have access to the photos of people they know doing drugs- would they be as inclined to try it themselves? 

The article covered many more points about the dependency on social media, and how it has proved to be detrimental to the mind. Interested in reading? Click here.