Using Apps To Cope With Addiction
Just be sure to keep it all in perspective. While apps can be an excellent tool during your recovery treatment, they certainly cannot replace attending 12-step meetings or consulting with your healthcare provider. This article highlights 10 apps that were chosen for their affordability, accessibility, and evidence-based principles that can supplement your treatment and journey to recovery.
Social Media Addiction Assessment
If you or someone you know might be suffering from a social media addiction, it is important to catch it as soon as possible. Since there is a fine line between regularly using social media and having an addiction, it might not always be easy to spot someone who might have an addiction.
Below are some links to some helpful social media addiction assessment tools:
What Can I Do To Prevent Social Media Addiction
Social media, being now readily available to anyone with modern communicative technologies, has inherently made it possible for communication without limitations of distance, language, or even areas of cell phone service. Popular platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook provide billions of people worldwide with connection to anyone, with little intervention as to how much time or how the time is used on the platform.
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For Those Who Like Setting Their Own Rules: Appdetox
If you prefer an app thats a bit more customizable, consider AppDetox. You can set your own rules on which apps you want to detox from, and then set them aside with an applocker. Plus, every time you break a rule, youll get a notification, and be pushed to keep track of your violations in a log the log of shame.
Reply From Notifications Instead Of Opening The App To Reply
This trick helps you to stay away from distractions within the apps while still replying quickly. You can pull down or long press a notification to show the reply sheet. Not only Messaging apps are supported, also Instagram for example. This helps you to stay away from other distractions that might pop up once you open the app itself: Because Instagram and Twitter know exactly what you like and how to capture your attention within seconds.
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What Does Teen Social Media Addiction Look Like
- Its known that teens and adults alike check their phones upwards of 150 times a day, and its been well-documented that our excessive access to social media and our obsession with our online appearance has had a significant impact on teens, including severe self-esteem issues and feelings of anxiety.
- Social media not only promotes the decline in mental health for many teens, but it also becomes an easy outlet for online aggression and cyberbullying, further impacting a child emotionally.
- An addiction to online media may lead a child to struggle to engage with others on a normal level, as well as affect their academic performance and chances for a future.
- Addiction-levels of social media use can also negatively impact existing relationships, leading many teens to struggle to maintain a commitment to their partner or friends due to constant distractions and lack of attention.
Consequences Of Social Media Addiction
Does someone who is spending too much time on social media have an addiction? The answer is no. Many people over-use social media, with the main consequence that they neglect other responsibilities and waste a lot of time that they could be doing other things.
However, while this is a negative consequence, it does not qualify as an âaddictionâ. Addiction involves negative consequences that go beyond merely âwasting too much timeâ on social media. Instead, social media addiction implies more serious consequences on quality of life and mental health, including but not limited to:
The next time you log off, take stock of your feelings. If youâre left feeling worse than you did when you logged on, it might be time to reassess how much you use social media and whether or not it is extending from just a bad habit to real problematic use and even addiction.
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Who Is More Addicted To Social Media Men Or Women
Males 17 have been proposed to be more vulnerable to social media addiction than females.
Instagrams Impact On Young People
In October of this year, a former employee of Meta supplied a series of internal documents to journalists. Known as The Facebook Papers, these documents revealed that the tech conglomerate had conducted research on how Instagram can impact the teens who use their app. Metas data showed that 1/3rd of teenage girls reported that Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies.
One of the insider documents, released by France Haugen, reads, Comparisons on Instagram can change how young women view and describe themselves.
Even with the knowledge of the potential damage to mental health and body image, the company had not made any changes to their services or engagement techniques. In response to the whistle blowers claims, a bipartisan group of state attorney generals initiated an investigation into Meta. The 11 states involved in this investigation intend on examining how Instagram works to increase frequency and engagement specifically for young people.
Meta claims that the initial reporting of their data lacked context and did not include important information. They insist that the survey of young girls included 12 issues total and that using Instagram made them feel better in all of the 11 other categories.
The company has also halted the development of a previously announced version of Instagram intended for only children to use.
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Putting Things In Perspective: The Upside Of Social Media
26% of car accidents in US were caused by smartphone distraction in 2014. Smartphone usage is linked to a decrease in focus and productivity in workers. Studies have linked the increase of suicide rates in young people to an increase in the use of social media and mobile phones. This is all true.
Being distracted and anything other than in the moment has become the social norm. And that is as far removed from fully living and appreciating life as we could get.
At the same time, digital technology made the Arab Spring possible. It facilitated the Black Lives Matter and MeToo movements. Digital technology makes our lives so much easier in so many ways it makes it easier to get where youre going, to know whats going on in the world, or what weather its going to be.
Its making it possible for you and I to connect, right now.
The technology in and of itself is neutral. The problem, as the Architect reminds Neo in The Matrix, is choice.
How do we choose to have our new and rapidly evolving tools and capabilities impact our lives as individuals, organizations and as a global society? Combating the effects of truly dangerous amounts of social media usage, or simply using social media more than is truly beneficial to our lives, starts right there with making a conscious choice.
Whos At Risk For Social Media Addiction
Simply accessing the internet and using social media doesnt automatically mean you will develop a problem. Many people use the internet and social media without developing an addiction.
However, certain risk factors can increase the chances a person might develop an addiction to the internet or social media.
Mental Health Issues: People who suffer from a mental health condition, such as an eating disorder or social anxiety, are more likely to develop an addictionincluding social media addiction. For instance, a 2019 Texas State University study showed that people suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder tend to turn to social media to relieve their anxiety.
Other Addictions: Someone already suffering from another addiction, whether a behavioral addiction or substance use disorder, is far more likely to also develop a social media addiction. In particular, people who suffer from a smartphone addiction are likely to suffer from a social media or internet addiction.
Outside Influence: Someone with a family history of addiction is likelier to develop an addiction. Additionally, adolescents whose internet usage is not monitored by their parents are more likely to develop problematic social media use habits than their peers with limited social media time.
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Besides Using These Tools Shifting Your Mindset On How You Look At Restrictions Is Also Very Important
If you try to restrict yourself out of a place of hate , it will be harder to change your habits.
However, if you know you need to have a better relationship with social media because it makes you a better individual and you see this disciplined practice from a loving perspective, naturally itll be easier to develop this habit.
For more reference, I want to share a recent podcast episode about Restriction Love that I heard from Brooke Castillos Life Coach School Podcast. Its an amazing one and Im sure youll love it.
Social Media: Mental Health Effects And Side Effects
A causal link is generally difficult to prove, but at least in one study among 143 students at the University of Pennsylvania, social media were proven to have a causative effect on depression and feelings of loneliness.
- Find a more extensive summary of research findings here.
We can all but equate smartphone addiction to social media addiction most of our usage of our smartphones comes from the usage of social media, as mentioned before, and most of that usage goes to the five major ones being , Whatsapp,
Biggest social media platforms by usage Statista, October 2020
Does that mean digital technology in general, and social media specifically, are evil? The technology in and of itself is, of course, neutral.
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Is Social Media Addiction Real
Social media refers to any mobile app or website that lets people create and share content, talk with other people, and participate in online social networking. Some popular social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
People use social media sites or apps for various purposes. Some people use them to connect with family and friends, while others use them for work purposes, like to reach their target audience. Younger users tend to use social media like virtual scrapbooks, documenting their lives with pictures.
In some cases, social media use becomes problematic, particularly when it has adversely affected other life aspects. This includes people being overly concerned with their social media accounts, having an uncontrollable urge to use them constantly, or spending excess time on social media platforms.1
Health professionals do not yet recognize social media addiction as a diagnosable disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition doesnt include social media addiction in its list of medical conditions.2
Stop Using Your Phone As An Alarm Clock
Don’t keep your smartphone within reach at night. Rather than charging it on your nightstand, your phone should charge further away from your bed or ideally be left in another room entirely so you’re not tempted to pick it up if you wake up in the middle of the night. The best way to do that is to get a separate alarm clock so your wake-up isn’t tied to your device.
Other good tips include not using smartphones for the last hour before bed and using apps like f.lux or Night Shift on iOS devices to reduce blue light stimulating your mind before sleep. But the best remedy for tech-related sleep issues is to keep your smartphone as far away at night as possible.
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Bufferbuffer Is Another Social Media Management Tool That Can Save You Time
One of the biggest challenges with Facebook is that if you’re about to make an update, it’s easy to get lost scrolling through your News Feed and looking at pictures from two months ago.
With Buffer, you don’t have to log into Facebook every other day to make an update.
Instead, you can write your status through Buffer and schedule it to be shared later on in the day.
If you know that #ThrowbackThursday is coming up, why not schedule your post in advance?
It saves you the time from having to do it later.
At the end of the day, tools like these are only able to do so much.
If you’re truly looking to escape your addiction to social media, you really have to understand what’s luring you in each and every day.
Are you obsessed with an ex?
Are you obsessed with the news?
Or, are you obsessed with yourself?
All of these are possibilities.
The key is understanding the answer and identifying a way to fix it.
These tools are just one part of the puzzle.
Do you have any other tools that you use to stay focused and away from social media?
I’d love to hear them in the comments.
Launch Apps By Typing
Modern smartphone interfaces are designed as intuitively as possible so you can use them without having to think about it. It’s easy to tap into an app and start scrolling without even considering whether you opened it for a reason. Even that small change in behavioral architecture lets you pause for a moment and think about whether you’re opening the app for a reason.
On iOS, swipe down from the home screen to open the search bar and type for the app you want. Another good tip is to turn off Siri Suggestions by going to Siri & Search from the Settings menu and toggling off the two options. On Android you can use the Search Box on your home screen.
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How To Detox From Your Social Media Addiction
All New Net Nanny® – Toms Guide #1 Rated Parental Control App
Instant Search Reports, Alerts for App Usage, & Blocking of Inappropriate Content.
How many times have you found yourself in the dark, scrolling through or feeds until it’s past your bedtime? Do you find yourself checking into your favorite social media platform multiple times throughout the day, or better still, insisting on taking a photo for before taking a bite, every time you eat out?
Do these questions describe you or a member of your family? You might not realize it, but social media addiction may have crept into your familys life. If youre looking for a solution for yourself or your family, try using a Social Media Contract to help regulate internet use on phones and tablets.
Get Help For Your Social Media Addiction
While using the internet and spending time on social media is a big part of our society today, it is important to be conscious of the amount of time spent doing both things.
You can begin with a digital detox or by setting new habits for yourself around social media use. You can also join a support group that deals with social media addiction.
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How Teen Social Media Addiction Is Treated
Social media addiction treatment requires time spent away from social media and online media in general as well as a focus on helping teens deal with the repercussions of their addiction, face the potential causes for their addictive behavior, and identify methods that might help them better limit their social media use, and continue a healthier relationship with online media.
Talk Therapy One-on-one psychotherapy with a professional may help teens dissociate from their behavior and realize the damage it has been doing to them and others. Theres an argument to be made that teens live with different concepts of communication and interaction thanks to the internet, but research has shown that excessive online media use leads to severe negative mental health impacts. By understanding the damage that has been done and why it was done in the first place teens can move on to find ways to balance their online media with life.
Family Therapy Sometimes, it helps to work not only with a teen, but with their family as well. A group therapy session can help the rest of the family better understand what the teen is going through, as well as identify methods to help them.
Implementing changes throughout the whole family can also help the teen better deal with their problem and encourage healthier use of online media throughout the household.
Signs Of Technology Addiction
It can be hard to know how much technology is too much. So, if youre not sure if you or your kids are heading towards a social media or technology addiction, consider the following signs, which can include:
- Excessive use of screens
- Emotional or physical difficulty being away from your devices
- Relationship problems because of an overabundance of use
According to the PEW Research Center, 54% of teenagers surveyed said they spend too much time absorbed in their phones and 65% of parents agreed about their kids’ device overuse. And while we focus on kids use of smartphones, we need to also look at our own digital habits.
If you or your family feels completely attached to social media, youre not alone, but you can learn how to detox from your social media addiction with these four easy steps.
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