Using social media can be just as addictive as video games. Those most affected are children and adolescents who have difficulty regulating their emotions, say researchers at the University of Georgia . Almost 80 percent of the 350 respondents between the ages of twelve and 17 used social media daily, with TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat being the most popular platforms.
Already compulsive for some
While many teens use social media or gaming without problems, for others it can become compulsive.
“Around the world, a small subset of children and teens who use and gamble on social media are losing control of it. This is what happens when social media and gaming become primary means of regulating emotions.”
Education scientist Amanda Giordano
Girls are more likely to be addicted to social media and boys to games.
“Emotion regulation skills typically develop in the first few years of life when an infant learns to regulate their emotions with an attuned caregiver. But for whatever reason, this doesn't work for all children. And so they go through life not knowing how to react in certain situations. When they come across social media or gaming, they realize it is a quick and easy way to change their emotional state, and over time they may become addicted to it.”
Education scientist Amanda Giordano
Psychiatrists help in time
According to the expert, games are a way to enter a trance-like state and forget the problems of the offline world. For some, this is the only way to deal with their feelings. Before this happens, psychiatrists could take preventive measures at home or at school. These may include experiences to improve emotion regulation for children, as well as psychoeducation and training for caregivers that focus on emotional support. For example, they might learn to identify and label their emotional experiences.
Source:
Press release
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