Why Is Social Media So Addictive?

Do you ever feel like you can’t stop scrolling on your social media apps? Like you just have to watch the next video, scroll through more photos, read the next post? That’s not a coincidence. Social media companies intentionally design their apps to be addictive. And no one is more vulnerable to those addictive tendencies than children and young people.

According to the American Psychological Association, children’s brains go through a fundamental shift when they are around 10-years-old that causes them to seek social rewards such as attention and approval from their peers. At the same time, children have less of an established sense of self than adults and they don’t have the same level of emotional maturity. This makes it easy for children to fall victim to the addictive and harmful qualities of social media.

Social media algorithms are one of the tools that companies use to maximize engagement on their platforms. The algorithms collect information on the user and then use that information to present them with content that the algorithm has determined they will like. That makes it all the harder for young people to put down their phones, something that we know has adverse physical and mental health consequences. It also means they might fall into a loop of negative content that feels overwhelming and impossible to escape. 

What can we do? Parents and teachers can communicate with kids, explaining to young people what algorithms are and why they are dangerous. We can encourage children to come to us if they feel overwhelmed by what they’re seeing online. Taking advantage of safety features on some social media platforms, such as Instagram, and setting screen time limits is also helpful. 

Do you have other tips for how to help young people navigate the world of social media algorithms? Let us know in the comments! Our thanks to Prime Time Palm Beach County and the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County for supporting our work.