Social media addiction
Social media addiction is an medical condition caused by over use of social media. In the opinion of many medical experts globally, the unintended consequence of social media for some people was neuro-developmental problems in childhood. This is especially notable with children who are genetically at risk for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
All over the world medical experts are working on this from a scientific perspective. Social media has unintentionally often profoundly altered the ways that children think, interact and develop, some in a positive way, and some in a very negative way. Whilst mental health problems have occurred throughout human history, scientists are unclear as to the direct links between social media and mental health outcomes at present. They appear to depend on the individual, and the social media platform used. There is a very large overlap between the diagnoses of chronic internet addiction and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The diagnosis of internet addiction is arguably under-recognised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health disorders.
Those with risk of ADHD are at risk of developing other neuropsychiatric conditions when untreated, especially in the setting of chronic sleep deprivation.
Background
Social media began in 1997, with SixDegrees.com, which considered that everyone in the whole world can be connected with "Six Degrees of Separation". 100 million people had access to the Internet by 2000, and MySpace was the first true surge of use of social media. Facebook was invented in 2004, and has 2.27 billion active users presently. Facebook Inc also own the social media platforms of Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Internet addiction has been recognised as a disorder for a number of years, especially in the nations of China and South Korea. Most research into this disorder has come from the perspective of gaming disorder, rather than social media.
Some medical scientists have shown that girls and women are more likely than boys and men to develop a social media overuse disorder. Girls and women are also less likely than men overall to be treated for ADHD.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a neuro-developmental disorder, that medical and allied health professionals treat in individualised ways. There are known overlaps between Internet gaming disorder, ADHD and social media addiction.
Neurodevelopment
From the time they are an infant until their early 20s, using the process of synaptic pruning, humans remove billions of neurons in their brain, as they learn and develop connections. There is current theory that social media for those who are susceptible, may affect this process. This may manifest in the symptoms of ADHD, which include emotional dysregulation, inability to focus, hyperactivity and restlessness.
ADHD is treated on an individualised basis depending on the person and their comorbidities, often successfully without any medication. It continues into adulthood for many.
There is evolutionary theory that the genes that lead to ADHD were previously adaptive, and many people have similar problems. Social media appears to have medically exacerbated these problems to the extent that all young people at any risk of addiction genetically, previously, are now at high risk of addiction to any addictive substance.
Strategies
Facebook and other social media companies have come under a lot of criticism over the last few years. Many people together will continue to work on these problems all over the world together. These theories have been very controversial for a very long time. However, as the neuroscience rapidly develops, they appear to be correct.
All over the world medical experts are working on this from a scientific perspective. Social media has unintentionally often profoundly altered the ways that children think, interact and develop, some in a positive way, and some in a very negative way. Whilst mental health problems have occurred throughout human history, scientists are unclear as to the direct links between social media and mental health outcomes at present. They appear to depend on the individual, and the social media platform used. There is a very large overlap between the diagnoses of chronic internet addiction and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The diagnosis of internet addiction is arguably under-recognised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health disorders.
Those with risk of ADHD are at risk of developing other neuropsychiatric conditions when untreated, especially in the setting of chronic sleep deprivation.
Background
Social media began in 1997, with SixDegrees.com, which considered that everyone in the whole world can be connected with "Six Degrees of Separation". 100 million people had access to the Internet by 2000, and MySpace was the first true surge of use of social media. Facebook was invented in 2004, and has 2.27 billion active users presently. Facebook Inc also own the social media platforms of Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Internet addiction has been recognised as a disorder for a number of years, especially in the nations of China and South Korea. Most research into this disorder has come from the perspective of gaming disorder, rather than social media.
Some medical scientists have shown that girls and women are more likely than boys and men to develop a social media overuse disorder. Girls and women are also less likely than men overall to be treated for ADHD.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a neuro-developmental disorder, that medical and allied health professionals treat in individualised ways. There are known overlaps between Internet gaming disorder, ADHD and social media addiction.
Neurodevelopment
From the time they are an infant until their early 20s, using the process of synaptic pruning, humans remove billions of neurons in their brain, as they learn and develop connections. There is current theory that social media for those who are susceptible, may affect this process. This may manifest in the symptoms of ADHD, which include emotional dysregulation, inability to focus, hyperactivity and restlessness.
ADHD is treated on an individualised basis depending on the person and their comorbidities, often successfully without any medication. It continues into adulthood for many.
There is evolutionary theory that the genes that lead to ADHD were previously adaptive, and many people have similar problems. Social media appears to have medically exacerbated these problems to the extent that all young people at any risk of addiction genetically, previously, are now at high risk of addiction to any addictive substance.
Strategies
Facebook and other social media companies have come under a lot of criticism over the last few years. Many people together will continue to work on these problems all over the world together. These theories have been very controversial for a very long time. However, as the neuroscience rapidly develops, they appear to be correct.
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