Social media addiction may be dragging you down, or it might just be making your already lousy day a little worse. Either way, you should know that social media can be used against you in cleverly unethical ways. This article explores how companies use our addiction against us by manipulating what we see and making money while they do it!
The Cause of dopamine Addiction
It is estimated that 1 in 10 people suffer from an addiction, with addiction defined as a persistent habit that leads to negative consequences. Addiction is caused by a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors.
The causes of addiction are complex, but corporations use them against us in two ways. First, they addict us to their products by creating an irresistible compulsion to keep using them. Second, they addict us to their services by exploiting our need for them.
For example, companies create addictive products by designing them with features that relieve cravings and make us feel good about ourselves. They do this by taking advantage of things like:
Positive reinforcement — When we use a product or service repeatedly, the company compliments us or gives us something we want in return (like freebies or credits). This makes us want to use the product or service even more.
.This makes us want to use the product or service even more. Scarcity — Products and services that are hard to obtain create an addictive feeling because we know there’s only one thing left and it’s so valuable.
Urgency — Making a product or service available quickly creates an addictive feeling because it feels like there
every like on your Facebook post gives you a dopamine hit.
How Technology Use Tends to Determine Habits
How Technology Use Tends to Determine Habits
Technology use can be a strong determinant of habits. For example, people who spend a lot of time on their smartphones or laptops are more likely to develop smartphone or laptop addiction, respectively. And people who use social media and messaging apps for prolonged periods of time are more likely to develop social media or messaging app addiction.
Extremely frequent technology users–those who usetechnology at least once per day–are also more likely to become addicted than those who use technology less frequently. Why? Because using technology repeatedly reinforces neuronal pathways in the brain that promote cue dependent behavior, which is the tendency to repeat behaviors that are rewarded (such as spending time on smartphones).
In short, it’s not just how much time we spend on our devices but how frequently we use them that matters when it comes to developing addictive behaviors. So if you’re struggling with cessive device use, try cutting down on your tech usage and see if that helps curb your compulsive smartphone or laptop browsing or social media chatting habits.
Studies and Other Evidence That Point Out Social Media Being Causing Mental Health Issues
Studies and Other Evidence That Point Out Social Media Being Causing Mental Health Issues
Since the dawn of social media, its users have been anxiously wondering whether or not it’s doing any harm to their mental health. And with disturbing studies surfacing that seem to back up that claim, we decided it was time to take a closer look at this issue.
Related: 10 Ways To Cope With Technology Addiction
Now, before you get all worked up about how your favorite platform is Ruining Your Life, keep in mind that social media isn’t unequivocally responsible for instilling anxiety and depression in its users. However, there is evidence to suggest that these platforms can have a negative impact on mental health – specifically when it comes to young people. For example…
1) Young People Are More Affected By Social Media These Days:
One of the biggest reasons experts believe social media has an adverse effect on mental health is because young people are using it more than ever before. According to a study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence in 2016, teenagers who used social media heavily were found to be more likely to experience anxiety and depression than those who did not use social media as much. Additionally…
The researchers suggested that this increase in mental health issues may be due to the fact that young people now spend more time online than ever before. In fact…
Companies’ Crippling Influence on Behavior Based on Technology with Things like ‘unfollow’ as a Tool
“Unfollow” is a tool that allows companies to manipulate and control behavior. The way it works is by lessening the number of followers a person has on their social media profile. This causes feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, which can then be used to influence a person’s opinions and actions. By decreasing the followers an individual has, they are more likely to conform to company policies and behaviors.
Future of Technology and Mental Health Awareness
People nowadays are more aware of their mental health than ever before. However, this awareness is not always reflected in the way businesses use mental healthawareness as a marketing ploy. In fact, there are many companies that use mental healthawareness to manipulate people and control them. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that these companies use mental healthawareness to benefit themselves, while harming the rest of us.
These ads are blatantly misleading and stigmatize mental illness by making it seem like depression and anxiety are normal conditions that can be fixed with medication. In reality, only about one third of people who suffer from depression or anxiety require medication to feel better. For the majority of people with these disorders, therapy and lifestyle changes are enough to get them back on track.
one of the top company,s campaign also puts pressure on people who do need medication to hide it from their family and friends. Many people with mental illnesses don’t want others worrying about them or judging them, so they keep their diagnosis hidden from most people. This tension between wanting to disclose your diagnosis and wanting society to accept you is common for those with serious mental illnesses.
Another way these companies use mental healthawareness is to make it seem like there is something wrong with you if you don’t want to be medicated or if you don’t want to engage in therapy. This is a dangerous message because it tells people that they are flawed for not wanting the help that these treatments offer. It also tells people that there is something wrong with them, which can cause them to feel scared and discouraged about their situation.
These campaigns also give the false impression that everyone who needs help with mental health issues is going to need medication or therapy. In reality, only a small percentage of people who suffer from mental illnesses require these types of treatments to get better. For the majority of people, lifestyle changes, support groups, and counseling are enough to help them cope and recover.
Although the use of mental health awareness as a marketing ploy has consequences for both mentally healthy individuals and those with serious mental illnesses, it appears to be on the rise. If we want to fight against this exploitation of mental health awareness, we need to be more aware of what is happening and speak out against it when we see it.
social media and dopamine hijack
Social media platforms are amazing sources of dopamine for users, but what many people don’t realize is that companies use social media to manipulate users’ dopamine levels. By hijacking dopamine, companies can control our actions and even lead to addiction.
Dopamine is a notoriously addictive molecule. In short, it’s responsible for the pleasure we experience when engaging in activities like eating, drinking, sex, or shopping. When companies take advantage of this by manipulating dopamine levels in their users, they can have a significant impact on how those users behave.
For example, Facebook pays careful attention to which posts show up in a user’s newsfeed. This algorithm determines which posts are shown based on the user’s relationship status and activity level within the site. The more likes and comments a post has, the more likely it is to appear in your feed. This clearly manipulates dopamine levels in those who tend to react positively to positive reinforcement (i.e., likes and comments).
Similarly, Instagram pays attention to what you’re following and commenting on so it can target ads specifically at you. Once again, this manipulation of dopamine keeps users coming back for more by rewarding them with attention and rewards (like free products or services).
All of these examples illustrate how businesses use social media as an opportunity to control user behavior through manipulation of their natural dopamine response. While some may see this as benign fun/entertainment, for many people it becomes deeply addictive—leading to undesirable changes
how to do dopamine detox
In today’s world, it seems like anything and everything is potentially addictive. Heck, even something as seemingly benign as dopamine has been shown to have addictive qualities. This may come as a surprise to many, but dopamine is actually responsible for making us feel good about ourselves and motivates us to do things that are beneficial for our short- and long-term goals.
Unfortunately, this all-encompassing driving force can be incredibly addicting. As we increasingly rely on dopamine to keep us going, companies begin to take advantage of this by marketing products and services that address just what it is that makes dopamine so darn tantalizing: its ability to energize us and make us feel good about ourselves. And since we’re often automatically drawn in by these stimuli, we wind up falling victim to the same sorts of addictions over and over again.
Fortunately, there’s a way out…assuming you want to get out. The first step is recognizing that you’ve got a problem…and then doing everything possible to address it head on. Once you’re aware of how your dopamine addiction is impacting your life (and more importantly, how others are using it against you), it’ll be much easier to start making changes and breaking free from its grasp.
Meditation and how it decreases addiction.
The science of addiction is complex and constantly evolving. However, one key finding remains constant: most addictions are caused by changes in the brain.
Rather than trying to extract dopamine from social media sites which use it for their advantage, try meditation which has been proven in many scientific studies to generate dopamine just by sitting with closed eyes.numerous studies have proven the effectiveness of meditation on reducing addiction.world-renowned author Yuval Noah harari never uses social media platform on his phone. he rather uses a dumb phone just for receiving and making calls.so choose wisely before handing over your dopamine control to big tech.