By Darian Garbig
Why Are People Addicted To Social-Media Sites?
Today, billions of people use social-media sites like Facebook and Twitter for multiple reasons. These reasons can range from talking to friends and family, staying updated with new trends, getting the news, even playing games. Getting back to the main question, why are they so addicting?
Social-Networking sites are just harmless sites that people can talk to friends, family, and even meet new people. But, can that let to an obsessive urge to keep coming back to the site to update your "Status"? In the site http://www.businessesgrow.com/2012/04/19/yes-you-can-be-addicted-to-social-media/ it says, "The University of Chicago recently conducted one such study and found social media to be even more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol. Addictions are, after all, about feeding a compelling urge, and one of the greatest human urges is the yearning to feel connected and a part of something larger." This shows that once you start, you can't go back. But for some people, they can control themselves with it, usually older people. Teens seem to be the biggest contributor to these sites, usually talking to friends about gossip.
So what? Isn't it normal for someone to be social? Not necessarily. Sure, someone can talk to friends and family, but what about when it gets to a point when it controls you? Not only will people spend hours on social-networking sites, but they will be on them everywhere they go. "I need to find a place with good WiFi." "Why?" "Duh, because I need to update my status." This shows that social-networking sites can lead to the obsessive urge, to simply tell everyone what you are doing. On the site http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/04/26/social-media-addiction-study/ it says "Your intention might be to hop online to quickly update your status or tweet your latest life revelation, but social media is addictive and a major time consumer."
To back this up, I interviewed my friend Taylor, and asked her "How many hours, or minutes, do you spend on social-media sites like Facebook and Twitter?" She replied with "Well, I usually spend... about 2-3 hours each day on Facebook." I asked her, "Do you think you would call yourself an "Addict" to Facebook?" She said, "I think that I would, mainly because I find it hard to simply say to myself, OK that's enough for today." So, what does this mean? It means that the longer you spend on these so called "Social-Media", the more you become addicted to it.
Why Are People Addicted To Social-Media Sites?
Today, billions of people use social-media sites like Facebook and Twitter for multiple reasons. These reasons can range from talking to friends and family, staying updated with new trends, getting the news, even playing games. Getting back to the main question, why are they so addicting?
Social-Networking sites are just harmless sites that people can talk to friends, family, and even meet new people. But, can that let to an obsessive urge to keep coming back to the site to update your "Status"? In the site http://www.businessesgrow.com/2012/04/19/yes-you-can-be-addicted-to-social-media/ it says, "The University of Chicago recently conducted one such study and found social media to be even more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol. Addictions are, after all, about feeding a compelling urge, and one of the greatest human urges is the yearning to feel connected and a part of something larger." This shows that once you start, you can't go back. But for some people, they can control themselves with it, usually older people. Teens seem to be the biggest contributor to these sites, usually talking to friends about gossip.
So what? Isn't it normal for someone to be social? Not necessarily. Sure, someone can talk to friends and family, but what about when it gets to a point when it controls you? Not only will people spend hours on social-networking sites, but they will be on them everywhere they go. "I need to find a place with good WiFi." "Why?" "Duh, because I need to update my status." This shows that social-networking sites can lead to the obsessive urge, to simply tell everyone what you are doing. On the site http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/04/26/social-media-addiction-study/ it says "Your intention might be to hop online to quickly update your status or tweet your latest life revelation, but social media is addictive and a major time consumer."
To back this up, I interviewed my friend Taylor, and asked her "How many hours, or minutes, do you spend on social-media sites like Facebook and Twitter?" She replied with "Well, I usually spend... about 2-3 hours each day on Facebook." I asked her, "Do you think you would call yourself an "Addict" to Facebook?" She said, "I think that I would, mainly because I find it hard to simply say to myself, OK that's enough for today." So, what does this mean? It means that the longer you spend on these so called "Social-Media", the more you become addicted to it.