Dear Compulsive Scroller…

Do you want to break free from the compulsive need to scroll through social media?

Maybe you have tried to control yourself in the past but somehow come back to square one. It’s time to face the facts! Internet addiction is not a joke. The urge to mindlessly scroll online to see what others are doing can lead you to feel unhealthy amounts of self-pity and comparison. You may start to believe that your life is just ordinary and overlook all the blessings right under your nose. Unfortunately, Social media has fallen into the trap of capitalism where people are being exploited for the sake of obtaining profits.

You may be wondering, How is that so?

When the concept of social media first came to the public, the aim was to get connected with friends on a global level but as time progressed the focus changed. These social platforms are now intentionally designed based on the Social Validation Feed-back Loop, which is a devious strategy that takes advantage of human vulnerability for gaining profit.

Let’s understand the social-validation feedback loop by looking at the fact that every human-being has the need for social validation. Validation is an important part of surviving in a social world where the support of people helps us succeed in various aspects of life. Social media offers that validation through likes, comments and messages. Although receiving validation is not necessarily a bad thing, the problem arises here: Most social media platforms are scientifically engineered to capitalize off our need for validation. The manufacturers of these conglomerate sites have appointed ‘attention engineers’ and neuroscience experts who are specialized to develop more ways to grab our focus and keep us clicking away. Any social media user can develop unhealthy signs of dependence and withdrawal, which are signs of developing addiction.

How do you know if you are in danger of social media addiction?

The first step is to understand your own relationship with social media. Do you feel the need to excessively post or scroll on a regular basis? Do you constantly check the number of likes you have received or doubt your self-worth when you haven’t received the response you desired? Do you experience mood swings and anxious thoughts after social media usage? If you have answered yes to most these questions then you may developing a social media addiction and probably should address the issue. You can do so by reading our article tips and tricks to manage social media dependency.

We also welcome you to join our group counselling initiative for beating internet addiction. At Group Therapy you can gain valuable insight about your personal struggle with social media and discover the solutions to overcoming it along with a supportive community of people with similar stories. Social media addiction is preventable and manageable if you put your mind to it!