Currently, social media addiction is the most popular addiction in the world. A study in China reported that millions of young Chinese spend at least 18 hours on the internet and social media. The story is the same globally. The impact of this addiction is extremely negative. According to several studies, addiction is a brain disorder characterized by compulsive involvement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences.
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People become addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, fast food, sleep, masturbation, pornography, narcotics, video games, television, work, caffeine, etc. In recent times, social addiction seems to be the most disturbing addiction since the 2010s. Millions are just as addicted to social media despite how it negatively affects their private life, family, school work, office work, and their social life in general. . In a world where people live their entire lives on social media, scientists have warned that social media addiction is far more harmful than we think. In this article, we will review 6 ways to overcome social media addiction.
The first step to overcoming addiction to social networks is that you must recognize that you are addicted to them and that you must take the appropriate measures to overcome them. Not only do you understand that you are addicted, but also admit that you have a life-threatening problem.
Another effective way to overcome social media addiction is to set your priorities and make them your lifestyle. To help you do that, you should ask yourself critical questions like: Would I rather spend more time on social media than lose my job? Would I rather spend hours on social media than fail final exams?
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Should I spend more time on Instagram at the expense of my personal growth and development? Your answers to these questions and more can help you set your priorities right.
Overcoming addiction requires determination and challenging yourself. Creating challenges is one of the ways to overcome addiction. However, many have found ways to challenge themselves to overcome their worst addictions like food, sex, and drugs in many interesting ways. Many have labeled this challenge a “detox”. What does this mean? Many have detoxed from social media for a month or more. While some popularized challenges like #30DaysWithoutSocialMedia to break the addiction. The consequence of this detox is that they discovered themselves and started doing what they loved. You can start with three days and gradually you can face the challenge of a month of detox from social media. And you can make it fun by doing it with friends and family.
In an attempt to help cut down on the time you spend on the internet, software companies have developed PC programs that track the time you spend on the internet and remotely notify you that your internet access time is limited daily.
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As soon as you reach your limit, the program will cut off your access to your social networks and the internet until the next day. It is a very effective method.
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Engage In Old-Fashion Lifestyle
Modern lifestyles that revolve around the use of gadgets have been largely responsible for social media addiction. For example, we almost do everything through our gadgets, from reading to writing, playing games, having fun, and more. This lifestyle keeps our eyes glued to the screen for hours. The need to stay informed and entertained makes us spend hours on our gadgets. However, getting information may sound good, but you should realize that your mental health is gradually being affected by addiction. Devices today are equipped with reading apps and games, and we might want to use them for much more productive things like reading. However, we can replace these apps with old-fashioned stuff. You can replace reading apps with real books and get information by listening to radios and reading newspapers and game apps with board games. Instead of getting addicted to selfies on Facebook and Instagram, you can take a camera along with you.
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Set Some Rules Of Social Engagements
Social media has affected the way we communicate with friends and family. There are cases where people who go on a date or chat with other people get glued to their smartphones in the process. These acts are often seen in cafes or other public places. To overcome this, you should set some rules of keeping your phones in your pockets or purses, turning off the internet access during appointments or meetings, or leaving your smartphone at home when you go on a date in a cafe or a meeting in places with internet connection. Put yourself in restraints just to enjoy the conversation with the people in front of you.
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This article was first published on 4th August 2022
nnaemeka-emmanuel
Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.
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