Blame Society Not The Screen Time Analysis

This is an argumentative essay to contradict the argument found in “Blame Society, Not the Screen Time” written by Danah Boyd. In that article social media is consider just a medium of communication and does not have any real serious consequences in users life. However, there is evidence that supports that new technologies because, in short, can create addiction in users if is used irresponsibly.

Social media have the potential to be as addictive as a drug

Social media can create feeling good sensations that stimulate specific part of the brain that can create dependency.

Internet habits like social media or online rewards can affect the brain structure causing addiction in the user. When an activity produces a “feeling good” sensation in the body specific neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin) are released, process and storage in the brain. Once these moments are a constant in the habits of the people, the level of dopamine and serotonin tend to by higher. Therefore, if there were an interruption of the habit the level of this neurotransmitter would be bellow the usual and even is suggest that bellow the normal standards for non-user.

According to The American Physiological Association (2014) “When these individuals are engrossed in Internet games, certain pathways in their brains are triggered in the same direct and intense way that a drug addict’s brain is affected by a particular substance.”
Abstinence can create distress, anxiety and depression.
In many cases, social networking has gone from being a source of distraction and social contact to a source of stress and social control. Sometimes because users have upload to the network too much personal information that puts them in trouble. Is becoming departmental standard for managers in large companies to know what their workers made during the weekend, since the workers themselves have hanged that information freely. For example, Bob’s supervisor checked his personal Facebook and saw a picture of the B.B.Q that Bob made on Sunday with his family. On the other hand there is the profile more anxious and controlling person who is "addicted" to know what their acquaintances, and in particular the couple, who speaks? To who was tweeted, why said this or that? People entering the couple's account to "monitor" the use of the social network what are they doing, or to know what friends have. A clear example can be found in couple ruptures, which social networks become a tool to harm the other. Also, there can be found the impulsive user profile in social networks, which in a fit of anger, anguish or anger simply tweet a comment or a personal opinion that can expand in the net like wildfire, especially if is a public character, in these cases a poor performance can create many problems for the person. All these situations are directly related to the irrational use of social media, this is why is important to understand how can be affected the live of the users.
In addition the Prof.

Moeller who is the Director of the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda (ICMPA) and Professor of Media and International Affairs at the Merrill College and the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2010 examined the effects of 24 hours abstinence of all media in students all around the world in a study called “The World Unplugged.” One of the result from this study revealed that “Students’ ‘addiction’ to media may not be clinically diagnosed, but the cravings sure seem real – as does the anxiety and the depression”. (This symptoms where found after 24 hours of all media abstinence). These indicators could be related to a lack of dopamine and serotonin in the students as consequence of not obtaining instant “feeling good” sensation from the social

media.
Idealization and social comparison can lead to negative emotions.
Self-esteem problems or mental illnesses such as depression can be worst if is added the permanent visit to sites like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Facebook provides a distorted view of what really is happening, there is no way to see facial expressions and read body language that provides context. In social networks people tend to project only the positive: what a great time going horseback riding on the beach, the picture of a good seafood ... One does not perceive the true social reality of people because misfortunes are not counted. Therefore, social networks could cause more pain everyday. Feelings such as envy, jealousy or frustration can be enhanced in adolescents who abuse social networks. This, involve personal recognition. Human beings, by nature, longs to feel wanted, interesting to look at and see. That feeling in social networks gets multiplied by infinity. If someone had a bad day and is feeling low, he or she may connect to networks and feel more frustration.
In brief social media can become an addiction if is not use rationally. The technology has created outlets where people can obtain instant rewards or “feeling good” sensations that triggers mechanisms in the brain that can lead to psychological dependency. Also, social networks can cause depression, anxiety initiated by the constant social connection as well as the lack of real human expressions on text. Internet addiction decreases life satisfaction and happiness. Also, Social media membership increases both Internet addiction and life satisfaction and happiness.” (Eylem, 2014).