Facebook, Instagram, TikTok... Why are we addicted to social media?

I asked my friends one question: why are they using social media? Their answers were definitely similar. Some of them are afraid that they can miss something out. For example, they sometimes see their friends uploading pictures of them while having dinner in fancy restaurants, or another funny activities and impressive things. They compare themselves and it can makes them feeling unwell. 

They also use social media to hide their stress, sadness, depression or avoid being bored. Social media make them isolated and disconnected from their friends and family, while it should help to connect more with them. In addition, they use a lot of applications in order to have more followers, to make them feel more confident, which gives them the feeling that they are wonderful and famous. But in the same time, if they don't have as many appreciation as they want, it make them feeling bad.  

But what they don't know, is that how do they feel about social media is normal. It's because they are made to make us feel like that. Social media like Facebook or Instagram affect directly our brain and we can't control ourselves from using them.

How comes? Social media affect human psychology in an easy way by activating rewarding system - and our motivation - in the brain by spreading what we call dopamine. "Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter. Our body makes it, and our nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells. That's why it's sometimes called a chemical messenger. Dopamine plays a role in how we feel pleasure", according to WebMD. Being on social networks increases the secretion of dopamine that make us become addicted. The shoot of dopamine released because of social media could make us more addicted than cigarette and alcohol!

Here's a video to go deeper and understand how it works.

• Turn off notifications
• Delete social media account you don't use
• Do something productive you like (yoga, meditation, running, reading books, cooking…)
• Putting your phone away from you when it's time to sleep, study or putting it on silent when you’re socializing with your friends and family
• Limit yourself and your screen time on your smartphones

And you, do you have other tips? Do you also feel addicted to social media?  Let us know in the comment section!