Now that I've posted several statistical facts, looked at the medical answer behind media addiction, and tried to understand why so many use social media, I want to turn my focus on weather social media addiction is good or bad and what it means for future generations.
Is all of this social media exposure to much for anyone to handle?
Seth Barnes expresses in his blog that "the media is a neutral thing, neither good nor bad - it's just raw technology". I believe that media is good until it becomes addictive. The Barna Group concluded that media exposure has become America's most widespread and serious addiction. George Barna who is in partnership with the Barna Group uses statistics and fasts to determine the positives and negatives of media exposure. He explains some benefits provided by tools and the media. It can stimulate thinking and conversation, increase memory, capture people's attention on important issues and it's a way to decompress and relax. The only way media exposure becomes negative is when it distracts one from important matters, and ultimately becomes a debilitating obsession for individuals.
An experiment called 24 Hours: Unplugged had 200 students from University of Maryland agree to go without social media for 24 hours. They could not use their computers, phones or any form of technology. The majority of the responses to the experiment were that they felt anxious and they were having cravings and withdrawls. One response that caught my eye and was not surprising came from a student who stated that "texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort,”. When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life. Although I go to a school with thousands of students, the fact that I was not able to communicate with anyone via technology was almost unbearable".
This brings me back to the Uses and Gratifications perspective that I read about in Media Now by Strabhaar, LaRose, and Davenport. The theory says that users actively seek out media that meets their needs for new knowledge, social interaction, and diversion. Her cell phone and computer help to satisfy her interpersonal communication needs. That is why sites like Facebook and Twitter are so popular, they help to satisfy a need and eventually lead to longer visits on the sites and repeat viewings. It may seem easy to pace yourself, but once you check once it becomes harder and harder to stop eat time you visit these sites. This is where behavioral addiction comes into play. As we become more addicted to social media, we may seek out or encounter new media that will satisfy new or different needs. When one site becomes boring or unpopular, the uses and gratifications diminishes and we turn to other sites liked LinkedIn or Twitter or stumble-upon new websites that will satisfy the same or different needs. It's a long continuous cycle that will keep on spinning as long as social media is still impacting it's audience.
Large amounts of media exposure is released everyday and this is one way social media addiction is being negatively affected. In a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics it is noted that those who expose themselves to more media outlets get fewer hours of restful sleep which leads to worse performance in school. These individuals are also more likely to become obese, aggressive, violent and can cause anxiety due to information overload. As individuals get more sucked into SM sites, their participation in normal social, occupational, and recreational relationships weaken.
Will we soon see a decrease in the use of technology and social media?
Social media addiction is on the up-rise and we are seeing a steady increase of media exposure. One sign of social media addiction stated by George Barna, is that people are resisting to reduce their amount of media exposure. He says that if people were really serious about reducing their addictions, we would see a decrease in spending on personal media and technology and parents would set boundaries for their children and themselves. Instead were are seeing an increase in spending and an even larger market for future media purchases. Just the opposite is happening, media exposure is becoming larger than it already is.
What does this mean for future generations?
Baby boomers adapted to technology and will continue to use it to express themselves. They, like the Mosaics(22 and under) will seek out new technology to expand on their already evolving world of electronics. These electronics are the key to social media websites like Facebook and Twitter and the tools that feed the addiction. Mosaics grew up with technology and have known nothing else. During their generation, technology will continue to rapidly expand and become even more popular than it is today in 2012. Mosaics feel content with their technology and don't want to miss out on anything. They will find it harder to use self-control because they will be so accustomed to relieve negative feelings by using social media, resulting in media addictions, as stated by Straubhaar, LaRose, and Davenport.
Resources:
http://www.sethbarnes.com/?filename=media-addiction-is-killing-us-in-7-ways
http://www.georgebarna.com/2010/01/media-exposure-addiction/
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/research/social-media-addiction-study-w.html
Straubhaar, J., Larose, R., & Davenport, L. (2009). Media now, understanding media, culture, and technology. (6 ed.). Boston : Wadsworth Pub Co.
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