Why Do Young Adults Become Addicted To Social Media?

Through addiction to social media, young adults are more susceptible to become addicted to other substances, such as drugs and alcohol. Not all addictions are the same, but those that are easily addicted to one thing are more predisposed towards multiple addictions. Kids these days are rarely disconnected from social media. They go to bed using it and it’s the first thing they check in the morning. This is clearly an addiction. Studies suggest that young adults are becoming addicted to social networks in a similar way to those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol (“Experts Say Information…”). The comparison made in this research shows that social media is getting to the same level as drugs and alcohol when it comes to addiction. Social media

Whereas traditional bullying can only be done during a limited time window and face-to-face, cyberbullying can be conducted anonymously and anytime of the day. There are no physical limitations to cyberbullying; the bully can be large, small, black, white, an adult, or a kid. Research has found that in one year, 2011, cyberbullying on Facebook alone affected at least one million children (White). This study shows that cyberbullying is not a small issue. If on one social media platform it can affect one million children, extrapolate that to the many social media platforms that exist now, and the numbers become staggering. Also, this research was conducted five years ago when Facebook was really the only social media platform that was popular. Today, there are many more platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, and YouTube. With all these further options, cyberbullying is now more accessible than ever. According to research, more teens are on social networks, are using them for longer periods of time, and are posting more often than usual which leads to higher rates of cyberbullying (White). These factors show that there are various facets of social media that contribute to the drastic increase in cyberbullying. First off, more teens being on social media means that it is more likely for both bullies and victims to have easy access to each other. Secondly, teens being on social media for longer periods of time will lead to boredom which will subsequently lead them to bully out of boredom. Thirdly, young adults posting more often raises the chances that at least a few of their posts could be cyberbullying. A study indicates “more than 70 percent of those who used the Internet and other communication technology regularly” have been cyberbullied via some form of communication (“Introduction to Cyberbullying…”). This shows that significant