Social media sites are a recent but impactful phenomenon in our lives. They emerged shortly after the internet became available to the public. At first, the internet was only used for the exchange of information, but the internet’s potential for sociability became quickly known. The first major social media site that everyone of the era remembers is MySpace. Several years after, this was replaced with Facebook and Twitter. Sites like Instagram and Pinterest found themselves a unique niche in social media and flourished. All of these sites, even MySpace, are operational today. Their popularity has become so unprecedented that they are literally universal, and their creators are multimillionaires and billionaires. Below is more information on each individual social media site.

• MySpace emerged in the 1990’s as the first personal profile social media site to go global. Its concept, complete with space for pictures, personal information and even a theme song, struck mass appeal with many age groups. It quickly became the most popular form of self-expression on the internet. It has since become outdated for mass social media, but is still popular among some musician circles.
• Facebook is the most well known and widely used social media site to date. Creator Mark Zuckerberg struck gold when he launched Facebook and it made him one of the wealthiest people on earth. There is no social media site in history that has garnered as many personal accounts as Facebook. The success of Facebook as a social media site can be attributed to its adaptability, intuition and intelligence in its programming.
• Twitter is not far behind Facebook in popularity, and is actually preferred to Facebook by many people. Twitter is known for the concise sharing that members do socially. Rather than a complex profile with a great deal of information and images about a person, Twitter is enjoyed for its minimalism in how people engage socially.
• Instagram is a social media site devoted to images. There is little text on this site and a great deal of personal image sharing, largely of personal photos that represent positive times in a person’s life.
• Pinterest is a niche site devoted to creative expression and ideas. This site is a network for the sharing of creative ideas and do-it-yourself projects.

We use the term “addiction” lightly when referring to something that is seemingly more trivial, such as gummy worms or Facebook. Upon a closer examination, however, the idea of an entire faction of society being addicted to Facebook, Myspace, Twitter or any other social media site has detrimental ramifications. Think of the long term effects of a societal shift toward more removed personal relationships, in a society that already has problems with anti-social behavior and narcissism. The trend holds the possibility of weakening social bonds, furthering mental disorders and doing damage to the lives of individuals.

First we must consider whether or not the term addiction can even apply to something like a social media site. The answer is yes. Addiction may refer to any particular focus that goes to the extreme of altering an individual’s behavior and affecting the individual’s life for the worst. If someone is spending excessive hours in front of the computer to be on Facebook, ignoring life obligations, relationships or activities that are better for bodily health, they are addicted. Any behavior or substance can be addictive, but the level of severity and immediate threat varies.

Someone would have to have a very severe addiction to a social media site in order for it to qualify as an immediate threat. The long term duration of this type of addiction can, however, have unhealthy effects on the life of the addict and society at large. Someone may not even realize their ability to socialize in person gradually slipping away from them as they become more and more immersed in their social media relationships. Because social media relationships are less complicated than in person relationships, the objectification of people can begin to take hold. Before the person realizes it, they are dependent on technology to form relationships. Their inability to connect with people in person is lost. This furthers an anti-social mentality and makes the person more self-focused, or can lead to an identity crisis.

It is wise to examine yourself for signs of social media addiction. Historically speaking it is a brand new trend, and a large number of people are susceptible to it. Place rules and boundaries on yours and your dependent’s social media use. Focus on your in-person relationships rather than your social media ones. Consider counseling for addiction if you cannot control your social media time. Refuse to succumb to an internet addiction!

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