Analysis of Social Media Addiction in Teens and Young Adults: A Recommendation Report

This study evaluates the objective and subjective data regarding phone and social media usage collected from eighty respondents’ personal cellular devices among teens and young adults. Young adults and adolescents were found to have a daily average screen time of 6.54 hours (SD = 2.74) with 96.3% of respondents reporting at least one social media application in their top three most used applications. Sixty percent of the respondents believe they are addicted to their phone, and sixty-six percent believe that it negatively impacts their grades. Seventy-five individuals (93.8%) reported experiencing one or more of the following: depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, body image, sleeping problems, social isolation, and emotional difficulties. Females exhibited greater use of social media than males, but these differences were not statistically significant, indicating that social media usage is high with consistently negative effects regardless of gender. The addictive behavior which is reinforced with social media usage creates a dopamine imbalance leading to poor self-perception, concentration, and poor sleeping habits, among other negative impacts. Thus, the disadvantages of social media far outweigh the advantages that are provided. School systems and families need to turn away from this hyper dependence on technology and social media to help teens and young adults experience proper sociological and psychological development, which in turn strengthens and improves their mental health and educational outcomes.