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The Social Media Addiction

  • Writer: Nidhi Shukla
    Nidhi Shukla
  • 7 hours ago
  • 3 min read

(Shutter Speed/Unsplash)
(Shutter Speed/Unsplash)

How Prevalent is Social Media?


As of late 2024, 60-70% of the world’s population is on some form of social media. Around 4.6% of users report feeling addicted. This number grew by approximately 4.8% last year, which means that there are 8 new users every second. The real question is why is social media so addicting? Is it because it's entertaining, relaxing, or maybe there’s a deeper hidden meaning? Could it be that social media is designed to keep us addicted?


Brain Chemistry


To understand the addictive nature of social media we first need to understand how our brain responds to dopamine, or the happy hormone. Dopamine is the main chemical involved in addiction and is usually secreted in the brain when we participate in rewarding activities such as shopping, eating, and scrolling. This evolutionary mechanism is meant to enhance our chances of survival during the stone age. But now that we have moved on to the modern world, our dopamine reward system has made us vulnerable to dopamine-mediated addiction. When you hear the sound of a notification or watch a reel or video, your brain releases dopamine, and you feel good, similar to when you get a good test grade. This is why you keep going back for it, you want more of that good feeling, which ultimately leads to addiction. A recent study shows that social media platforms are engineered to addict users.


Lawsuit


One such lawsuit in Los Angeles, California shows just how much this pathway is being abused. The plaintiff, KGM, is now twenty years old, and she began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at age nine, leading her to develop compulsive use patterns. KGM argues that the platforms’ design fueled her anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia. Her case argued that Meta and YouTube include deliberate designs to make their platform increasingly addictive, especially for young minds. They claim that these tech giants borrowed from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by tobacco and gambling industries. Mark Lanier, KGM’s lawyer states, “These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children, and they did it on purpose.” Lanier also cited an internal Meta study called “Project MYST” which was leaked through internal documents, and allegedly concluded that children who experience adverse effects were more likely to get addicted to Instagram, and that this addiction could not be stopped by parents. 



Verdict


The jury concluded that Meta and Yotubue were both at fault for punitive and compensatory damage and must pay the plaintiff $3 million each. The outcome of this case has been drawing comparisons to the litigation battle against Big Tobacco, which forced the industry to stop targeting minors with advertising, the same way social media targets children with algorithms. While it remains uncertain, the lawyers view the verdict as a promising sign that the tide is turning in favor of industry-wide changes. Joseph VanZandt, the co-lead lawyer for families said in a statement, “Today’s verdict is a referendum – from a jury, to an entire industry – that accountability has arrived,” Parents and affected teens, trapped in the dopamine driven cycle, hope that this seminal victory will pave the way to even more social media revelations, and that those responsible will face the adequate consequences. 




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