An addiction is defined as a behavior that one cannot stop even though it is causing them harm.
Addiction is defined as not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you.
You reach for your phone the moment you‘re alone or bored. You wake up multiple times at night to check your phone. You feel anxious, upset, or short-tempered when you can‘t get to your phone. Your phone use has caused you to have an accident or injury.
Due to the effect that it has on the brain, social media is addictive both physically and psychologically. According to a new study by Harvard University, self-disclosure on social networking sites lights up the same part of the brain that also ignites when taking an addictive substance.
Addictive social media use will look much like that of any other substance use disorder, including mood modification (i.e., engagement in social media leads to a favorable change in emotional states), salience (i.e., behavioral, cognitive, and emotional preoccupation with social media), tolerance (i.e., ever increasing use of social media over time), withdrawal symptoms (i.e., experiencing unpleasant physical and emotional symptoms when social media use is restricted or stopped), conflict (i.e., interpersonal problems ensue because of social media usage), and relapse (i.e., addicted individuals quickly revert back to their excessive social media usage after an abstinence period).
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/social-media-addiction/
https://ledger.humanetech.com/
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/cognitive-bias-infographic.html