How to treat social media addiction. — What attracts you to social networks? Portrait of a regular social network user

Do you always keep your phone within sight of you so as not to accidentally miss an important message?

You can stick to VKontakte for hours just reading news feed? Then this article is for you.

What is the worldview? Find out about this from ours.

Psychology of online communication

We live in century of unprecedented development of IT technologies, science is moving forward by leaps and bounds, opening up more and more opportunities for humans every day.

Just recently, no one would have thought that communicating with people could be so simple.

After all, what could be easier than sending a Viber message to a friend who is abroad or to a mother living in the village and instantly receiving a response? But any medal, as usual, has two sides. Here's about the second one, called social dependence , we'll talk.

There is evidence that modern man Over the course of his life, he spends an average of 5 years and 4 months on social networks. For comparison: food costs 3 years and 5 months.

For example, how does a person with alcohol addiction see the world? As a rule, for him there is only one joy in life, for which he lives, works (he needs to earn money for alcohol), for which he happily goes home in the evening.

He does not notice all other things or they are secondary to him. And so with any addiction.

At first you log into your account once a day, after a week three, and after a month, perhaps several times an hour. Even to the detriment of your daily activities.

Where you can get away from your problems at least for a while and feel like you’re part of it bright successful society. Where you can fantasize a little yourself, show yourself better than you really are.

After all, a former classmate living, say, in Minsk or somewhere else far away will not be able to check whether this is really your Mercedes or you just took a photo in front of someone else’s car, and a former classmate who has not seen you for 15 years will not really understand do you look that good or is it photoshopped.

Unfortunately, the return from social life in real life this could make it even more painful. After all, not everyone here is so bright and interesting, and you yourself are not quite the same.

As a rule, a predisposition to dependence on social networks observed more often in people who are lonely, withdrawn, those who have problems communicating in real life, also for people who do not have any hobbies or interesting activities that can distract them from the Internet.

But they are most dependent.

Signs of addiction

What's interesting is that few people can admit that you have an addiction.

But in vain. First important step To solve any problem is the awareness of its existence.

Sound familiar? If you find at least two signs in yourself, it’s time to take charge of yourself and nip this rather harmful addiction in the bud.

What to do for this, you ask?

How to get rid of it?

How to stop surfing the Internet? How to stop being addicted to social networks:

If all of the above tips don’t help, then you might want to consider deleting your social media pages.

Even the word “network” itself suggests that it is a sink of free time, a net that pulls you into the abyss.

The method, of course, is radical, but, as they say, “in love and war...”. And here it is war, war for one's own free time and mental state.

What do psychologists say about this? Are there any psychological techniques that help in the fight against addiction?

So, to all of the above experts say it will help:

healthy 8-hour sleep;
a timer set to control your Internet presence;
confidence that addiction can be overcome beyond any doubt;
daily walks to fresh air And live communication at least 2-3 hours;
eating, sleeping, hygiene procedures at the same time every day;
Warm up every 15 minutes at the computer.

How to wean your neighbor?

You’ve sorted yourself out, but what to do if it’s not you, but someone close to you who is susceptible to this addiction? Husband, wife or even child?

The advice is similar. The child needs to be captivated by something, perhaps enroll him in some hobby group (after, of course, asking if he would be interested in it, otherwise the result could be even worse).

You should also keep an eye on social activity child and, if possible, limit it.

Well, in the end, maybe communicate more your baby just doesn't have enough attention. If absolutely nothing helps, you should consult a psychologist.

As for other loved ones, they also need to pay more attention, because, as we remember, people plunge into social networks in order to escape from problems in real life.

Maybe your husband is having problems at work?

Perhaps your mother is not feeling well, and you are completely don't care about her health?

In any case, the first stage in solving all sorts of problems is an honest, sincere conversation. The conversation is real.

Of course, social networks are not completely evil, but a great opportunity to establish contacts between people, an excellent way to meet people and then create (everyone among their acquaintances has at least one happy couple created through), for some, a good platform for developing their own business.

And I in no way urge you to completely abandon this type of communication. Just remember that everything is good in moderation.

I wish you all an interesting life and a useful, fruitful time on the Internet!

Will a clinical psychologist tell you the reasons why a person cannot part with the Internet? and ways to solve them:

IN modern society A major epidemic is growing - social networks. She's the most dangerous this moment, even the plague in the Middle Ages or the flu epidemic cannot compare with its contagiousness.

The fact is that the disease proceeds unnoticed, capturing more territories. Humanity turns a blind eye to problems with it. Even schoolchildren have accounts on VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, and Instagram, which adults infected them with. Only a few pay attention to this and begin to act.

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How to get rid of cravings?

Anyone who realizes that they have become infected has already taken the first step towards a cure. This shows that the problem is now recognized.

And the beginning of the treatment of any psychological disease is awareness of what is happening in the head, and an understanding of the sources of motivation that force one to perform one or another unpleasant action.

The second step is reading this article.

The third is to choose one of the methods and strictly adhere to it.

1. Turn off the Internet. Perhaps the most radical method is if, after constantly abandoning one social network, there is a slow transition to another. This option suitable for those those who don't have the best willpower strong point. This idea is good for those who are strong in spirit, just to see how life will change without virtual world. The changes will be for the better in any case. Many people often develop an interest in old hobbies or new interests arise in the real world, which fill their free minutes, and there is no time for updating VKontakte, Odnoklassniki and Instagram.

2. Delete accounts. Also one of the tough options for dealing with attraction. If only social networks are drawn into the World Wide Web, and other resources are not addictive, then it is enough to get rid of pages on networks that are constantly used. This may cause criticism of the “friends” that are added to the resource, but real friends will understand and there is a connection with them, at least telephone numbers. This is quite enough

3. Remove unnecessary people, unnecessary groups. If you don’t want to delete, you need an online account for some reason (earning money, communicating with distant relatives, downloading music, etc.), it’s worth removing the unnecessary things. Everything that can distract and unconsciously drag you into surfing the pages of users, groups, comments, etc. The main thing is to enter with an awareness of the purpose, why the site was opened, and as soon as the task is completed, immediately leave.

4. Programs that restrict access to the network. Another way not to lose custom page and don't turn off the Internet. There are programs that control the time you visit resources. There you can indicate links and allowed times. As soon as the time is exceeded, the program will block access until the next day, week, depending on the settings.

5. Limit yourself at your own request. The method is suitable for strong-willed people, but who have managed to become dependent. You just need to set yourself, for example, to use social networks from 21:00–22:00. Everyone can choose the appropriate minutes for themselves. A sticker on your monitor will help you remember this.

Important to remember

Removing applications from smartphones helps. Most people are addicted to social media out of boredom. And often, when the brain feels that it has nothing to do, it automatically turns to familiar resources, which sometimes save you from idleness. It's just a habit, visiting daily pages, so it's important Full time job consciousness. So that you don’t “accidentally” open and “kill” half an hour of time in Odnoklassniki. It's good to find something to do that will keep you occupied and entertained during your free hours. Since after deprivation of addiction there will be a lot of time and if you do not find a replacement activity (preferably developmental and useful), you can return to a degrading lifestyle.

The best replacement is reading books. Buying a “reader” without access to the Internet and loading books into it is priceless!

Just ten years ago, the term “social network” did not evoke any associations in us. And the Internet was not so firmly included in daily life person. Behind necessary information we went to the library, and communicated with friends and family either in person or by phone (home phone, with a wheel). Remember this time? In fact, it is very difficult to imagine that communication was once so “alive”.

Today you won’t surprise anyone with the names “Vkontakte”, “Odnoklassniki”, “Facebook”, “Twitter” or “Instagram”. Surely, everyone is registered in at least one of these social networks, and maybe in all of them at once. But everyone’s time and purpose for being on social networks are different. Someone goes to their page solely to chat with friends, someone to listen to music, and someone strives to learn as much as possible about their friends and acquaintances by looking at photos and news (“news feed”).

Today, psychologists, along with alcoholism and drug addiction, increasingly mention addiction to social networks. Indeed, with the advent of such “benefits” as the Internet and social networks, those who began to abuse these “benefits” immediately appeared. Moreover, every day they began to become more and more numerous. Why is it that so many people, once “caught in the net,” can no longer get out of them?

Causes of addiction to social networks

The first reason why social networks are so attractive to humans is that when we “wander through the open spaces” of social networks, the pleasure centers in our brain are activated. This is greatly facilitated by positive ratings (“likes”) and pleasant comments on our photos. What do we do when we receive a pleasant emotion? Right. We return to the network to get it again. So it turns out that what more than a person approved on a social network, the more time he spends there.

The second reason is related to the peculiarities of a person’s perception of information posted on social networks. We get it quickly and little by little. Moreover, this information is extremely diverse and heterogeneous. For example, when visiting the VKontakte website, we can immediately turn on the music, while simultaneously viewing brief news, small notes and articles, comments, and at the same time still have time to respond to messages from friends. Our brain begins to quickly adapt and get used to this pace. It's like a quick and easy process of "clicking" seeds.

Here it is also worth emphasizing the heterogeneity of the information received. This distinguishes it from information in search engines. To find something in search engine, for example, “Google” or “Yandex” you need, at a minimum, to know exactly what to look for. Moreover, you still need to formulate a fairly clear request. And this, of course, requires some time and effort. In turn, to find something interesting on a social network, no such effort is required - you just need to open the news feed. Thus, social networks attract people mainly due to their accessibility, simplicity and diversity.

The third reason is people who are unsure of themselves, suffering from complexes, such as, for example, an “inferiority complex” with their appearance, or they lack attention in real life. And on social networks, few people know who we really are, because if we have a rich imagination, you can present yourself as a hero-lover, a macho, or just a super-smart genius.

Negative consequences of social media addiction

So, we found out why social networks are so attractive to people. Now let's figure out what, in fact, is the danger of being too active use social networks? Why, in this case, do scientists increasingly use such a harsh word - “dependence”? This is due to the fact that addiction to social networks causes a whole fan negative consequences, both for the person himself and for his loved ones. Let's look at them in more detail.

Firstly, very frequent and prolonged stay on social networks leads to the so-called attention deficit disorder. This means that a person loses the ability to concentrate on one thing for a long time. To explain this, it’s enough to remember how we receive information on a social network - quickly and in small portions. People dependent on it become so accustomed to this “portioned” mode of receiving information that after a while they can no longer, for example, spend a long time solving any given task. After all, on the Internet we often have to switch our attention from one thing to another: here we are listening to music, then reading a short article, and now writing a message. Over time, even reading your favorite book can become difficult because the brain, out of habit, begins to constantly “look” for reasons to switch to something else.

Of particular concern in this sense are the younger generations, who have been “involved” with the Internet and social networks almost since childhood. Their thinking is very flexible and very easily influenced. Therefore, dependence on networks poses a particular danger for children and adolescents, which should be avoided in modern world it becomes extremely difficult.

Thirdly, very often “abuse” of social networks causes constant fatigue syndrome, as well as stress. Although scientists say that the possibilities human brain are practically limitless, he still needs some rest. At a minimum, in order to process and structure the information received. When a person is constantly online, information flow to the brain practically does not stop. This causes the brain to become overloaded. Therefore, a person begins to feel constant fatigue and is in a stressful state.

Fourthly, too much active communication on social networks often leads to the loss of “live” communication skills. This is perhaps the most obvious negative consequence of this addiction. Constantly communicating on social networks, we very often lose the emotional component of our communication with friends and loved ones. There is simply no time for emotions online. Music, comments, “likes”, news, and only in between – a message written by touch.

And finally, fifthly, as a result of all the above consequences, a person receives a general decrease in intelligence. Here, of course, the same features of “network” information play a decisive role. A person loses the ability to concentrate on one thing or find a solution important problem or seriously think about the task at hand. His brain can no longer work effectively. He gets used to simply receiving an endless stream of information without analyzing it in any way. It turns out that a lot of information is received, but it is not absorbed and as a result the person knows nothing.

These negative consequences are enough to imagine and slightly appreciate the seriousness of the situation.

I would also like to note that most people suffering from addiction to social networks also have alcohol or at least nicotine addiction, and those who have not yet encountered this are on a direct path to alcoholism or drug addiction, taking into account the fact that social networks are now not only a mass media, but also trading platform for alcohol and drug dealers, the latter, in turn, are actively promoting goods on the Internet, which can already be purchased for a long time practically without leaving home. And the majority of well-known and famous people, whom modern youth are now so accustomed to looking up to, in their creativity make alcohol and drugs an integral part of life, leading to “success”, which, with one click, immediately ends up on social networks, and therefore in mass access. Then it may happen that we will have to face more than just one bad habit.

“Symptoms” of social media addiction

It is well known that any addiction is also a kind of disease that has its own symptoms. Social media addiction will be no exception here. It also has certain “symptoms”, although not as categorical as, for example, the flu. So, how can we “diagnose” this disease in ourselves?

The first and most obvious symptom is that you spend a lot of time on social networks. In a good way, longer than an hour It's not worth staying there every day. Although this is a very relative figure. If you work tirelessly from early morning until late at night, and before bed you only have an hour of free time, which you spend on the Internet, this is something worth thinking about. This symptom also suggests that a person constantly wants to be “in touch” (“online”). He can’t shake the feeling that while he’s not online, something extremely interesting will happen there: unique news will appear, someone will comment on his photo, or one of his friends will post their photos from a recent trip.

The second symptom is the appearance in your colloquial speech the most typical jokes and expressions for the network. For example, expressions like “thank you” instead of “thank you”, “preved” instead of “hello”, and other popular jokes on social networks can serve as an alarm bell.

Symptom number three is an overgrown photo album. If you daily publish photos of your loved one (“selfies”) in absolutely ordinary life situations, or photos of food, legs, hands, nails, eyebrows - in a word, everything you see around you - this is also a cause for concern.

The fourth symptom is to “sit” all day on some social network without communicating with anyone. Remember why they were originally created? For communication.

And finally, the fifth symptom is that turning off the Internet causes you to panic, feel isolated, lonely, cut off from the world, and even feel depressed. Although in fact, only when the Internet is turned off and there is no access to social networks do we truly live and communicate. We must try not to forget about this.

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, it is very likely that you have some form of social media addiction. In this case, you should immediately contact specialists.

In the modern world, a child with early childhood knows how to use a computer, and therefore masters the Internet very quickly. People have long mastered the most hidden corners of the World Wide Web. And this creates addiction to social networks. As you know, there are currently many sites designed to search and communicate with people who know each other in real life, or aimed at virtual dating men and women. Such sites are extremely popular and have millions of users.

Addiction develops gradually, and often a person will not even be able to recognize its first signs. Each user has his own reasons why he gets used to it. But, as a rule, the main impetus is still loneliness. At the same time, development world wide web and its ubiquity makes it even more lonely. After all, many entertainments can be replaced with people you like, and the value of live communication has long faded into the background. This is no wonder, because in local network you can be anyone, create any image, close to a person, that is, anyone can become what they have long wanted, but for some reason could not.

Unfortunately, people do not understand that addiction to social media. networks pose a huge danger to society as a whole. After all, interest in a particular site or even several subsequently develops into a pathological need to follow all its new products, that is, to be constantly online. You can expect that people will become so interested in life on the Internet that they will hardly talk in real life. In addition, many sites designed for communication become a good place to make money, as they host various toys and services that are provided for an additional fee.

Some scientists compare addiction to social networks with diseases such as alcoholism or drug addiction. That is, it is almost impossible to control it and recognizing the presence of the disease on your own is extremely difficult. That is why this kind of addiction can be conventionally called a disease, because the desire to use the Internet never disappears. And if suddenly access to the local the network will disappear, then a person may experience despair.

Internet addiction: treatment

In order to get rid of a bad habit, you need to gradually wean yourself from spending most of your free time at the computer. The best cure would be to replace the local network; for example, you can entice yourself with walks with friends in the fresh air. Who knows, maybe in this way you will wean not only yourself, but also help someone you know. In addition, every person in life has things or desires for which there is never enough time, and now there is a great reason to complete it all.

Show your friends your interest in communicating with them, try to call more often, find out about their affairs in real life. You can make plans for the evening together, for example, visit different unfamiliar places every day. If, nevertheless, without your favorite social network. network cannot be used, then you should set a limit for an hour or two. And once a week you can spend time in the fresh air and surrounded by your loved ones, completely excluding the World Wide Web from your life. In addition, addiction to social networks can be easily cured by a new hobby, for example, reading books with an exciting plot. These simple rules will help you get rid of your bad habit without much difficulty, and you will be able to fully experience the beauty of live communication.

Social network - universal remedy for communication. But such resources cause addiction to social networks, although they allow you to find friends around the world. Being completely dependent on social networks, a person cannot live a day without looking at his page or the pages of people he knows.

Teenagers' addiction to social networks

Addiction to social networks forces people to constantly be in online communication, forgetting about real people And real time. Finding themselves in such a state, some individuals begin to rapidly spend all their savings on paid mailings of information, reaching the point of complete fanaticism. Over time, such individuals, without realizing it, constantly check email, pages on social networks.

The longer a person spends time communicating virtually, the more difficult it will be for him to cope without Internet capabilities. Social media addiction is similar to drug addiction or alcoholism. A social network and craving for virtual interlocutors is a kind of psychological disease that arises due to a lack of attention from people around us or one’s own internal complexes.

Signs of addiction

Among the common signs is addiction to social media. networks are characterized by the following indicators:

All of the above signs directly indicate that a person has a strong dependence on social media. networks on the Internet, and it will be difficult to get rid of this condition without the help of a psychologist. If a person feels this craving for social networks at an early stage of online communication, there are chances to correct the situation on their own.

Causes

Those most susceptible to dependent conditions are those who do not lead an active lifestyle or social activities. Thus, they try to keep abreast of what is happening through communication with virtual friends. With the help of networks, they present the desired image as real, living an illusory life. Among the main reasons that form dependence on a social network are:

Minimum communication among friends or with family. Social structures provide an opportunity to replace live communication.
Dissatisfaction with the environment. If there are problems in the family or school, at work, then virtual life has the power to change the concept of yourself and others.
Problems of social adaptation. Teenage addiction to social networks leads to the fact that a person behaves insecurely, and a second life on the Internet helps him integrate into society.
Lack of self-realization. This happens due to loss of self, inability to express oneself, loss of interest in different types activities.
Social lack of demand. With the social web services provided, such individuals have the opportunity to feel in demand.

For your information:

Almost all people with pathologies of appearance or serious disabilities use social networks to replace communication with real people.

Consequences of addiction

Social media addiction is a disorder of an individual’s mental health, and physical changes are a consequence. These include vision problems, headaches, digestive dysfunction, spinal pain, sleep disorders, etc. Like any addictions inherent to humanity, social. network addiction has its consequences in the form of a constant desire to receive new information, viewing a varied number of photographs, which leads to loss of perception of real information with the development of inattention, loss of concentration.

A person will not be able to concentrate on extraneous things, as the brain will return to other people's problems and information. Adults will need to more carefully monitor the child’s time online, since the child’s psyche is more susceptible to susceptibility when Internet addiction to a social network develops.

Prevention

For prevention purposes, you need to follow these rules:

Communicate more in person or over the phone. In your free time from socializing and studying, walk outside and visit friends.
Set a limit counter for your stay on the Internet. This will help over time to overcome the urge to constantly look at the news feed and incoming applications.
Install a utility that reminds you of the time spent on a social network. Upon completion of the time set in the program, the user automatically exits his page.
A radical way to overcome Internet addiction is to delete your social network account. This method is the most effective on the path to a fulfilling life and real communication.

Network addiction is a bad habit that needs to be eliminated. After all, the real real communication and physical activity is more interesting and varied, and will also bring more pleasure and benefit.

Attention!

The information in the article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute instructions for use. Consult your healthcare provider.