Dependence on social networks

What are social networks?

Social networking sites (SNS) are virtual communities in which users can create individual public profiles, interact with friends of real life and meet other people on the basis of shared interests (Kuss & Griffiths, 2011).

According to Boyd and Ellison (2008), the SNS are Web -based services that allow individuals to:

1. build a public or semi -public profile within a limited system
2. articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection
3. view and scroll their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

The models of use of SNS – deriving from consumer research and empirical research – indicate that the regular and general use of SNS has increased considerably in recent years (Kuss & Griffiths, 2011).

The research also indicates that compared to the general population, teenagers and students They make the greatest use of SNS (Kuss & Griffiths, 2011).

SNS are mainly used for social purposes, mostly linked to the maintenance of social networks. However, recent tests suggest that it is possible to develop a excessive use of social networks Which sometimes assumes the connotation of “compulsive appeal”, typical of the phenomenon of behavioral dependence.

Evolution of the need for “interconnection”

Human beings, as social beings, have always lived in a community during evolution (that is, a small and closed community that offers security).

However, with the increase in migration rates to cities, these small traditional communities have decreased and in recent decades a completely new and more individualized lifestyle has been outlined.

However, the need for a safe and predictable community life has not changed! For this reason, human beings who have lost their small traditional communities make various attempts to compensate for this loss and among these (in addition to sports, hobbies and many other social activities) can be found social networking activities.

SNS are constituted as a safe and predictable common space, which is in many respects similar to the common spaces of traditional communities (such as the modern pubs or bars), where you can meet family faces with which there is also the possibility of sharing experiences.

Can the use of social networks become dependence?

In the pathological dependence sector, a lot has been discussed that some excessive behaviors can assume the connotations of behavioral dependence (for example the use of video games, the internet, the sex, exercise …). The same debate also applies to the dependence on social networks. Griffiths (2005) maintains that any behavior meets the following six criteria can be defined as a dependence.

1. Salience: occurs when social networking becomes the most important activity in a person’s life and dominates his thoughts, his feelings (cravings, desires …) and conditions behavior (deterioration of personal functioning). For example, even if a person is not actually engaged in social networking, he constantly thinks about the next time he is, even if he is committed to doing anything else, or feels the call to get involved in the social networking.
2. Change of mood: refers to the subjective experiences that people report as a consequence of social networking and can be seen as a coping strategy (for example some people experience an increase in excitement or a calm feeling of “escape” or “numb” that relieves stress or concerns).
3. Tolerance: this is the process on the basis of which increasing quantities of social networking activities are needed to obtain the previous mood modification effects. This means that people tend to gradually accumulate the amount of time spent every day in social networks.
4. Symptoms of abstinence: these correspond to unpleasant sensations and/or physical effects (for example, tremors, discontent, irritability …) that occur when people are unable to access social networks (for example because they are sick, on vacation, at work, with children etc.).
5. Conflict: refers to the conflicts between a person and those who surround it (interpersonal conflict), conflicts with other activities (social life, hobby and interests) or within the individual himself (intrapsychic conflict and/or subjective feelings of loss of control or concern for the fact of spending too much time on social networks).
6. Fell: This is the tendency to return to previous patterns of excessive use of social networks, after periods of controlled/moderate or abstinence use.

The researchers suggested that the excessive use of new technologies (and in particular of social networks) could be particularly problematic for young people (Echeburua & De Corral, 2010).

In accordance with the biopsicosocial framework for theetiology of addictions (Griffiths, 2005) and the model of addiction syndrome (Shaffer, et al., 2004), it is stated that people dependent on the use of SNS experience symptoms similar to those experienced by people suffering from dependence on substances (Echeburua & De Corral, 2010).

This has significant implications for clinical practice because, unlike the treatment for other addictions, the objective of the treatment of dependence on SNS cannot be the total abstinence on the use of the Internet in itself, since it is an integral element of today’s culture and free time (Kuss & Griffiths, 2011).

Instead, the ultimate goal of therapy is thecontrolled internet use and its respective functions, in particular of social networking applications, and the prevention of relapses using strategies developed in the field of cognitive-behavioral therapies (Echeburua & De Corral, 2010).

Etiology of dependence on social networks

To explain the formation of addiction to SNS, Turel and Serenko (2012) summarized three general theoretical models that may not exclude each other:

1. Cognitive-behavioral: This model underlines that the “abnormal” social networking arises from misunderstanding cognitions and is amplified by various environmental factors, and in the end leads to compulsive and/or dependence social networking.
2. Of social skills: This model underlines that “abnormal” social networking occurs because people do not have adequate social skills and prefer virtual communication to face -to -face interactions, up to compulsive use and/or that creates dependence.
3. Socio-cognitive: This model underlines that the “abnormal” social networking stands due to the expectation of positive results, combined with a poor ability to self -regulate the use of the internet, and in the end leads to compulsive and/or dependence behavior.

On the basis of these three models, Xu and Tan (2012) suggest that the transition from normal to the problematic use of social networks occurs when the social networking is seen by the person as an important (or even exclusive) mechanism to relieve stress, loneliness or depression. For these authors, the use of social networks provides continuous rewards (e.g. in terms of self -efficacy, satisfaction, personal image …) ensuring an increasing involvement in increasing activity, bringing, in some cases, to the condition of dependence.

How to prevent and treat dependence on social networks?

To date, no documents have been published on the Treatment of dependence on social networkingalthough the studies on the treatment relating to internet addiction would seem successful also to this condition.

Echeburua and De Corral (2010) noted that in relation to social networking, prevention strategies in the domestic and school field should be implemented on the basis of behavioral risk factors and demographic characteristics.

They also noticed that the goal of Treatment for this type of dependence (unlike other addictions) it should be controlled use rather than total abstinence because it is not feasible to prevent people from accessing devices that have access to the Internet (for example, their computer or mobile phone) in today’s culture.

The elective psychological treatment would seem to be controlling stimuli and the gradual exposure to the Internet, followed by a cognitive-behavioral intervention of preventing repercussions. GUPTA, ARORA and GUPTA (2013) present these Strategies to manage and treat dependence on social networks:

1. Recognize the signs of a social addiction.
2. Start questioning what you are doing on social media.
3. He notes exactly how long you spend on every social network.
4. Decide what has value on social media.
5. Give yourself a fixed time of the day to visit social media.
6. Try to give up social media for a specific event to see how you get away with it.
7. Deactivate notifications by e -mail.
8. Targeted solutions to allow more intelligent use of social networks in the future.
9. Pay attention to the race to have as many friends/likes as possible.
10. Medita as soon as you think of using a social network.

Short bibliography

• GUPTA, VK, ARORA, S., & GUPTA, M. (2013). Computer-Related Illness and Facebook Syndrome: What are they and how do we tackle them? Update medicines, 23676–679.
• Griffiths, MD (2012B). Facebook Addiction: Concens, Criticisms and Recommendactions. Psychological Reports, 110(2), 518–520.
• Kuss, DJ, & Griffiths, MD (2011) .Addiction to Social Networks on the Internet: A Literature Review of Empirical Research. International Journal of Environment and Public Health, 83528–3552.
• Turel, O., & Serenko, A. (2012) .The benefits and dangers of enjoyment with social networking websites. European Journal of Information Systems, 21512–528.