Chance Stephenson

English 102

Mr. Daniel G. Heslep

January 23 2020

Social Media Addiction

The short article “Serious about social media” from The New York Times, published in

February of 2018, is about how people today are addicted and obsessed with social media. I

picked this article because sometimes I feel like I cannot put down my phone when I’m on social

media. I spend a lot of time on social media keeping up with my friends and family. Also, I feel

like I waste much more time then any productive person should.

The writer for this article introduces herself and professes that she is addicted to social

media. Lindsay, the writer, says that she once broke her phone and that is when she realized how

much time she wastes on her phone. She says, “can’t stop myself when I scroll through my feed

for hours at a time” because she loses track of time and enjoys herself to much. Most of the

information she is giving the reader is from personal experience that she has had or has seen in

her friends and strangers. The suggestion she gives to the reader is to slowly stop using social

media, just like you would stop any other addiction.

From my personal experience with social media, I’m not necessarily addicted like the

writer, but I am in a different way. I don’t check my feed everyday, but on some day that might

be what I do for hours as if it was an activity. This cannot be healthy as it is complete waste of

time to see what hundreds of people that I barely know are doing. Instead, my time would be

better spent if I were to go and meet people and make experiences. I feel like part of the reason

people are addicted to social media is because it is as if you are meeting people when you see the
shared experiences they have with others. But in fact, you are not, you are sitting on your phone

wasting time.

Along with the writer’s personal experience, she is constantly on social media, she gives

says there is a chemical reason we are addicted to social media as well. The writer uses one

outside source according to one CBS News article when she says, when you check your social

feed too much, your brain sets off a chemical reaction that acts similar to a cocaine addiction”.

This would mean that something everyone with a phone has access to something that is closely

as addictive as cocaine. The worst part of all this is that it is so accepted. This is because, for the

most part its because there really isn’t anyone who does not do it.

Part of this social media problem is the medium that is uses. People’s phones are how

they stay connected with people and make plans. When the writer says, “We have become

dependent on our phones, and checking social media” it is true because we are not capable of

going out or doing anything without checking our phones. So, when people are checking social

media, they don’t feel like they are wasting time on their phone, instead they feel like they are

checking to see if they are invited to something or are a part of something. This is a false sense

of connection that just isn’t good for a generation that is supposed to be the most connected

when we really are the farthest thing from it.

Now anyone can go in public and spend time with each other but really just be constantly

checking their phones. I have seen people I know, and friends spend entire days looking as social

media no matter what they are doing or who they are with. The biggest problem for most people

is the feeling that you are missing out of something if you do not check to see if there is

something or someone near you that could be near you.

 The article also touches on the fact that most businesses now are using social media as

advisement. The writer explains, “Businesses use social media platforms to advertise their

products, or organization as a way to pinpoint target customers and keep track of them”. Now,

businesses can design your advertisement to be things that you are interested in so that you don’t

lose interest in what you are looking at. This only can better people’s experiences on their phone

which will most likely prolong the amount of time they spend on their phone. I’ve seen this to

many times when I have searched something on amazon and then it shows up in an add on my

feed.

While this article might have a dim outlook on technology it gives the me a few things to

think about while I am spending time on the social media like the dopamine hits, forming habits

by constantly checking on my phone, and the targeting businesses do on users. I plan on doing

further research and to spend less time on it.

 Work Cited

Trombly, Lindsay. "Serious about Social Media — Constantly Checking Social Media can
Become a Daily Addiction and Distraction." University Wire, Feb 09, 2018. ProQuest,
https://search.proquest.com/docview/2113605983?accountid=14472.