What the experts say I

  Why are we addicted to social media?  

Let's have a look at why. First of all people now rather communicate with each other behind screens. It is more comfortable, you can say more things than what you would in real life, it is just way easier. Second of all, we are hooked to the Likes on social media.

The Likes are addictive because they affect our brain. It is similar to taking chemical substances. These buttons symbolize a gain in reputation, making us constantly compare ourselves to others. We are also seeking out more likes to validate our self-worth. We like on something because we want to maintain relationships. But, we also create a reciprocity effect - we feel obliged to give back to people who have given to us. And that is how we get into this vicious circle. 

Polk (2017) emphasizes the role of dopamine (a chemical, which regulates feelings of pleasure). Dopamine is associated with craving and reward expectation. It can be very powerful and hard to resist if we encounter a trigger with a potential reward again and again.

Social media like Facebook or Twitter activate our rewarding systems in the brain (Ahmad, 2018). Over time the brain gets used to the substance intake and requires increasing stimulation. This may come in the form of seeking more likes, comments, shares, or spending an increasing amount of time using the internet and social media platforms.

https://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2018/07/why-are-we-addicted-to-social-media-infographic/

https://steverosephd.com/why-we-are-addicted-to-likes/