HOW TO GET RID OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE ON SOCIAL NETWORKS

How to overcome social media addiction

Social networks, no matter what, are very dangerous to abuse.
You cannot “move” to the other side of the monitor and be confident that your life remains the same. Most people don't believe that addiction can have a destructive effect on them, but excessive use of the Internet can actually cause irreparable harm to both physical and mental health. Among the most common consequences of Internet addiction, psychologists identify the following:

• Memory impairment and brain degradation. Aimless use of the Internet and a large amount of useless information do not contribute to the development of thinking, but rather clog the brain. Even useful information viewed in the news feed does not have time to be absorbed, since the brain spends all its resources processing huge layers of incoming information garbage that cannot be remembered. As a result, concentration is noticeably reduced and memory does not work at full capacity.
• Mental disorders and chronic fatigue. News posted online essentially has the same type of presentation, which sooner or later begins to cause fatigue in the reader, but you still can’t stop monitoring the news, because the habit of checking the news feed has already been firmly established. If it is impossible to log into a social network at first, the user begins to experience difficulty controlling emotions, which sooner or later will result in a nervous breakdown.
• Antisocial behavior. Addiction to social networks leads to a person having difficulties communicating with family and friends. He is not eager to lead an active life in the real world, since the virtual world fully satisfies his communication needs. Sooner or later, friends and acquaintances notice that the gadget is receiving more attention than them and simply begin to move away.

Important

The ability to refrain from aimlessly using the Internet is a very important quality for a modern person. If you have poorly developed willpower, then it will be much more difficult for you to fight the temptations of the Internet. Before looking for ways to treat social network addiction, a person must admit that he has this problem.

It’s the same as in the case of drug addicts and alcoholics, until they admit that they are sick and don’t want to fight the addiction themselves, you can even dance on your head, it still won’t do any good.

Before seeking treatment for social media addiction, a person must acknowledge that they have a problem. This is the same as in the case of drug addicts and alcoholics, until they admit that they are sick and don’t want to fight the addiction themselves, you can even dance on your head, it still won’t do any good.

After the user has admitted that he has an addiction, it is worth taking into account recommendations that can help him cope with his problem:

• Reducing time spent online. Try to gradually reduce the time you spend on the Internet and social networks every day. Remember that the network is needed solely for the purpose of finding useful information and communicating with people who are far from you. If you are firm in your intention, then after a short time you will be able to see noticeable changes.
• Leisure. Get into the habit of spending as much time outdoors as possible. You shouldn’t disappear online in the evenings if the weather is beautiful outside. A walk before bed is a very useful way of relaxation, which will relieve you of accumulated internal tension and solve possible problems with insomnia.
• Communication with friends should not be replaced by virtual chats. If you have the opportunity to spend a day off surrounded by family and friends, then it is better to organize a meeting and enjoy live communication.
• Interests and hobbies. You like to get acquainted with new information in various thematic communities, but they cannot replace hobbies in the real world. Sign up for a cooking or scrapbooking course, it will be much more useful than watching recipes online 24/7.
• Planning. Start planning your weekday, leaving strictly allocated time in your routine for being on the Internet. This way, you will not only keep your social media addiction under control, but you will also be able to get more done during the day.

The essence of the problem

Addiction to social networks is comparable to drug addiction and today occupies one of the first places. People who are lonely, shy, insecure, or suffer from serious nervous disorders are susceptible to addiction. Most Internet addiction occurs among teenagers. During adolescence, serious changes in the body begin, and a certain line of behavior is formed.

The bonus of the social network is anonymity. A modest, shy person in real life can be anyone on the Internet. He can freely communicate with any Internet user. Many are trying to increase their self-esteem through the social network, leaving offensive comments under photographs of unknown people, and harshly condemning films and books. As a result, a person begins to feel like a completely different person - significant and significant. Over time, he loses the desire to appear in public, to communicate with them live, so as not to destroy his mythological image created on the Internet.

This addiction is called Internet addiction. And such behavior primarily harms the human psyche, impairs memory and significantly reduces intelligence.

Growth trend

The global network was created so that people could quickly get the information they need. On the Internet you can find any film or book, rare publications that are difficult to find in the public domain, find out the latest news and find work in any city in the world. And also, the creators of social networks pursued good goals - establishing lost connections with family, friends, classmates, and the ability to quickly contact them. It was predicted that a person using the Internet would be able to quickly find the necessary information, significantly saving time. According to scientists, with the help of the Internet, humanity can reach a new level of knowledge.

1. Sweden – 64%.
2. Denmark – 54%.
3. Norway, Switzerland, South Korea – 47%.
4. Australia – 44%.
5. Israel – 38%, France – 30%.
6. UK, Italy – 25%.
7. Spain – 20%.
8. Argentina, Brazil, Russia – 9%.
9. Mexico, South Africa – 6%.
10. India – 1%.

Social surveys have also been conducted that show what people can give up for the opportunity to visit social networks. About 70% of men and 40% of women are ready to give up hot water in favor of the Internet. 45% of men and more than 50% of women are ready to limit themselves in food. 20% of men and 25% of girls are ready to give up sex life completely for 3 weeks. From 80 to 90% of people prefer the Internet to TV and radio. These statistics are terrifying.

Who is on social networks?

Theoretically, all “fans” of social networks can be divided into three main groups:

Independent people. Representatives of this group appear on social networks very rarely – once a day, a week or even a month. At the same time, they do not post much information about themselves on their pages, and sometimes even hide it from view.

They go online only out of urgent need - to find someone’s address or phone number, to respond to an important message. If there is no need to go to your page, such people do not appear there;

Transitional type

This group of “users” are starting to visit their accounts more often – more than once a day. At the same time, they do not need any visible reasons - just the desire to “look through” the pages of friends or groups is enough and thus dispel boredom. At the transition stage, people usually “hold on” for about two to three months, and then “jump” into the third type (we will talk about it below). In very rare cases there is a return from this stage to “independent”;

Dependent people. Unfortunately, this type of social network user is the most common. Such people do not forget to update their page every 10-20 minutes - what if someone writes? The resulting correspondence “about nothing” can last for an hour and completely separate the “owner” from reality. And, if there are no messages, there is a feeling of being useless and unclaimed - why, no one writes to me! Representatives of this type most likely have “facebook”, “vkontakte”, “twitter”, etc. applications on their smartphone, which work at least 6-8 hours a day - thus, the person is almost constantly “online”. And it’s very difficult for him to survive a day or two without his favorite social network.

More often than others, lonely people become dependent on social networks - in this way they create a “surrogate” of communication for themselves. But often this loneliness is false and invented - that is, a person physically lives in society, but in fact does not communicate with those around him. People with a lot of complexes become frequent guests of social networks; teenagers who cannot build relationships with peers; young mothers - “while the baby is sleeping”; and also very sociable people - just give them a reason to communicate. Over time, the line between the real and the virtual blurs in the head, and a person forgets that you can just go to a friend’s house for his birthday, and not send him emoticons with a cake and flowers. Virtual communication becomes the only means of communication for addicts, and only a global reason such as a temporary lack of Internet can tear them away from their favorite activity. But it is precisely at this time that such interesting, lively, real life is happening around! However, addicted people no longer notice it.

If you notice that your loved one begins to live on social networks, confusing virtual and real friends, you need to sound the alarm! After all, the distance from reality only gets worse in the future. According to some data, every fifth or sixth family breaks up due to social networks. Aren't these terrifying numbers? Sometimes the starting point of the breakup is that one of the spouses devotes many times more time to the Internet than to the family. Or your significant other suddenly starts flirting on a social network. It’s rare for anyone to be pleased to see their spouse’s love correspondence with other network users. Thus, loneliness also turns from far-fetched to real.

“Getting out” of social networks alone is very difficult. The name speaks for itself - networks! There are too many seemingly accessible opportunities and temptations. Therefore, the sooner the relatives of the “victim” begin to act, the greater the likelihood of returning him to the real world as effectively and quickly as possible. And here you often cannot do without the help of an experienced psychologist.

Who is susceptible to CVD?

As Internet addiction statistics show, being on social networks takes up almost 16% of the total use of the World Wide Web. This is second only to visiting porn sites.

What is male jealousy - how does it manifest itself and how to deal with it

We can distinguish the following categories of citizens who may be predisposed to this mental problem:

• children from 5 to 9 years old and teenage schoolchildren;
• housewives, especially young mothers on maternity leave;
• adults who have nothing to do in their free time;
• people who are unsure of themselves and feel a lack of attention in real life.

Important! A user visiting his account more than once every 25 minutes (to check messages) and corresponding there for several hours is already an addiction.

Children and networks

Finding yourself in a selfie

The writer suggests using the example of two friends from the Louvre to consider the reason for this behavior. Imagine the dialogue going on in their heads:

“Daniela (let’s call her that) takes a photo, then puts her phone away and goes into the museum to look at the exhibits,” comments Brewer. “Not even ten minutes pass before she feels a strong desire to check her page. While her friends aren't looking, she secretly goes on social media to see if anyone has liked her photo. She may feel some guilt, so she immediately puts her phone away before her friends notice. A few minutes later she again has a strong urge to look at her phone. And then again and again. She spends the rest of the day wandering around the Louvre, and where is she looking? Not on world-famous art objects, but on her Facebook feed, tracking how many likes and comments her photo received.”

How to deal with social media addiction

Social media addiction is not on the list of diseases. However, it can seriously ruin the life of a modern person. So, if you are determined to get rid of this addiction and become a truly “living” person again, listen to simple advice:

1. Set restrictions on being online using special programs. Such programs simply block the site after a certain time. Try to limit yourself to a maximum of one hour per day;
2. To experience withdrawal pain less painfully, keep your hands busy with something useful. Monotonous work is good: modeling, knitting, weaving, designing, drawing, etc. Such activities are a kind of meditation - they calm you down, focus your brain on fine motor skills of your hands;
3. Unsubscribe from various entertainment groups. Remember – there shouldn’t be hundreds or thousands of them! It’s better to join educational, developmental groups. Such information will save your brain from gradual “dullness”;
4. “Clean up” your friends list - remove those who constantly bother you with stupid statuses and messages. Or even just “listed”;
5. Hide news that is not interesting to you. It is unlikely that it is vital for you to read all these pretentious statuses;
6. It may not be easy at first. But over time, you will be happy to notice that you feel good without social networks, and if you get there, you spend time usefully. And that means you are living real life again!
7. And finally, if you can’t cope alone, seek help from a specialist.

“Live today, enjoy communication in real life and always be happy!” Anna Kutyavina

How to painlessly wean yourself off social networks

Well-known Moscow psychologist and psychotherapist Olesya Fominykh offers a plan for “regaining independence” that will help you reduce the time you spend on social resources to a minimum and live a real life

The Internet not only burst into our lives, it filled it, conquered it, and social networks have become an integral part of the life of a modern person. Twitter, Facebook, Odnoklassniki, VKontakte and Instagram have become a kind of drug. Psychologists around the world are sounding the alarm: virtual communication is replacing live communication. And ardent “selfie” lovers have even been diagnosed with a mental disorder called “selfitis.”

American researchers revealed the following picture: about 85% of respondents reported that it is easier for them to give up their favorite food than to communicate on social networks. The long-standing sin of gluttony is being overcome by a new scourge of the modern world. Did you know that the Vkontakte audience has more than 45 million users and this figure is constantly growing. Today, Internet addiction ranks second in the world after drug addiction. Have you noticed that first you come online to talk, then you start looking there just like that, hoping to see approval for your words, posts, photographs. And finally, you can’t imagine life without all these likes, emoticons and “good wishes” on duty. What should I do? How to get rid of this addiction that eats up almost all your time and still does not give satisfaction?

RECOGNIZING SIGNS OF DEPENDENCE

The phrase “social networks” very accurately reflects reality - these are networks that entangle you like a cobweb, eat up your personal time and can even lead to disaster. Let's determine if you are addicted to social networks. Answer the following questions: do you go to social networks several times a day for business or not? Is a smartphone forgotten at home a disaster for you? Have you started communicating with friends less often? Do you find yourself spending much more time on routine tasks than before? And the worst thing is, can the presence or absence of likes on your posts ruin your mood? If the answers to these questions are positive, then all the signs of addiction are present. Of course, the best option is to consult a psychologist, or try to fight it yourself.

GET RID OF SPAMERS

Feel free to get rid of unfamiliar friends and spammers who constantly update statuses and write messages to you, distracting you from work in every possible way. Set up your account so that notifications bother you less often. Don’t forget that in real life real friends, meetings and joys await you.

FILTER COMMUNITIES AND GROUPS Review which groups and communities you are in. Surely most of them are absolutely unnecessary - ruthlessly delete subscriptions to these groups or communities. You will get rid of a huge amount of unnecessary information that only eats up your time without bringing any tangible benefit.

CLEAN YOUR FRIEND FEED

Form a friendline of a limited number of people whose opinions or news really excite and interest you. Believe me, it doesn’t matter at all whether Alice from Naberezhnye Chelny thinks your heel is perfect or whether Yaroslav from Magnitogorsk thinks your hairstyle is creative. Their likes won't change anything. It is better to increase your self-esteem with the help of the opinions of people who are really important to you.

SET A LIMIT ON SOCIAL NETWORK VISITS

Make a schedule for visiting social networks: for example, no earlier than 11:00 and no later than 23:00. Gradually introduce “taboo” at other periods of time. This technique is reminiscent of consciously giving up junk food or smoking cigarettes. It is important to remember that it is difficult to quit right away, since the psychological state will be unstable due to the change in the usual rhythm of existence.

COME UP WITH A USEFUL ALTERNATIVE

Gradually replace sitting on social networks with live communication, going to the cinema, to the beach, etc. Use social networks as a resource of useful information: find someone’s number, address, reply to an important message, arrange a meeting with friends in real life. Don’t start long conversations, they can be postponed for live communication, this will be much more useful.

ARGUMENT WITH A FRIEND

Bet with your friends that you can live without social media for a while. It is best if the argument is with an equally dependent girlfriend or friend. Make as many people as possible witnesses to your dispute. Then it will be harder to retreat back.

DO NOT EAT IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER

By refusing to eat in front of the computer, you can kill two birds with one stone: you will take your mind off the monitor and lose weight. Looking at the screen, you eat much more and don’t notice it. And the body does not understand what to do - direct energy to digesting food or to brain activity. As a result, not a single function is really performed.

FORGET YOUR GADGET AT HOME

And one more effective piece of advice: try not to take your smartphone on walks, to the cinema, or to restaurants. This will prevent you from being tempted to constantly check incoming messages or statuses in your friend feed. Of course, all these tips are good for those who have not yet completely fallen into the whirlpool of social networks. If you can’t overcome your addiction to social networks on your own, then don’t torture yourself and consult a psychologist. It’s easier to solve the problem together! Love real life. Find the positives in it, because the implementation of your plans is only possible in reality; social networks will not replace your family and friends. ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGIST Olesya Fominykh is a practicing psychologist-psychotherapist, hypnologist. In her work she uses hypnosis as a safe and effective tool for solving problems and achieving success. She is a specialist in weight loss and sustainable lifestyle changes. Uses suggestive psychotherapy, psychology and well-known hypnotic techniques: classical and Ericksonian hypnosis. She works every day with patients who come to her with completely different psychological problems. He applies an individual approach to each of them, using effective techniques in his “arsenal”.

Simple tricks to get started

First, I’ll tell you about a few simple tactics that I did. If this problem is also relevant for you, try it, surely something will suit you too.

• I gave three key work contacts a backup connection with me and turned off instant notifications for all messengers except one (I probably need to turn everything off, but I can’t do that yet),
• I set a digital password to access the phone (it helped for the first week),
• I removed the Instagram icon from an easily accessible panel on my phone and hid the application somewhere far away (it helped so much that I abandoned Instagram a long time ago!),
• I started putting my phone in the far pocket of my bag and making sure to fasten it,
• Now I make sure to put my phone out of sight when I'm working on the computer (it helps a lot!)
• Every time I log out from all networks and mail on the computer and keep no more than 4 tabs open at the same time,
• I wrote a list of pleasant and useful things that I can do instead of surfing the Internet,
• When I need to concentrate, I turn on completely silent mode on my phone.

All this is good, of course, but it’s too easy to lose control of yourself and return to telephone and social network slavery.

Signs of social network addiction

_____________

1) an obsessive, irresistible desire to go to your page on a social network, view the latest news, look through photos, or be active in some way;

3) significant financial expenses, unnecessary purchases “via the Internet”;

4) the inability to say in advance how much time a given person will devote to a social network, loss of temporal control during a computer session;

5) a feeling of irritation if at the moment it is not possible to log into your profile (there is no Wi-Fi in this area, you need to urgently complete some task);

6) as addiction progresses, problems may arise with school, in the family, at work, when the addicted person ceases to pay due attention to them, and spends more and more time online;

7) he can eat in front of a computer monitor, spend less time sleeping, just so as not to miss anything new.

____________

Causes and consequences of social dependence

A dependent person cannot be called happy. Any such problem arises due to human weakness. It includes laziness, fears, inability to take responsibility for one’s life into one’s own hands, etc. Social addiction is no exception. Let's look at a number of reasons why people get stuck in the virtual world:

• Laziness. Social networks look colorful and are fun to be on to pass the time. Why look for something to do, come up with something and put in the effort, when you can just sit comfortably, pick up your smartphone, and scroll through the feed where the most popular and attention-grabbing information is collected?
• “Likes.” Approval in the form of “likes” and comments, increased attention from strangers – all this activates the pleasure centers in the brain, forcing you to come back again and again for a new “dose”.
• Habit. Information from social networks enters the brain in small portions and quickly. Moreover, it is extremely diverse and entertaining: music, photos, comments, notes, messages. All this can be done at the same time. A person gets used to such a rhythm, and it becomes uncomfortable for him to live without it.

To better understand the scope of the problem, one must realize that this is indeed a serious psychological addiction. Here's what it can lead to:

• The virtual world, unlike the real one, obeys your laws - communicate only with those you want, post only good photos, have fun and relax. As a result, this can lead to a deterioration in relationships with family and friends, and a loss of hobbies and interest in life.
• Loss of concentration and attentiveness. It is the habit of receiving quick and short information that leads to the inability to concentrate on something long-term. This will inevitably lead to problems at work, in school, or even in everyday life, when you need to do routine work or even just read a book.
• Stress and depression. The incessant huge flow of information entering the brain every day does not allow it to relax. As a result, overwork and stress are obvious. And depression can easily arise from a feeling of emptiness, since every addict understands that he has problems, as well as from a lack of attention and “likes.”
• Personality degradation. For the most part, social networks contain only entertaining content that does not carry any semantic meaning. A person stops analyzing and thinking. He receives a lot of useless information, most of which is not even remembered.

How to get rid of addiction to social networks

Give up networks? Of course not. For some they actually form an addiction, but for others they are certainly useful. “Virtual” is an excellent tool for obtaining and posting information. It develops search activity, communication skills and writing. And also - everything that can be developed with the help of textual information or video: intelligence, memory, healthy lifestyle skills... There is a lot of knowledge, professionals are represented in an impressive number, the answer to any question, if desired, is at your service. Who is at risk in this case? People who are generally prone to addiction. Those who have no other leisure time or who do not know how to organize it

Hungry for attention. Introverts

And... all of us. Teenagers, of course, are especially susceptible to this addiction. One of my clients at some point realized that he was literally losing his child. The thirteen-year-old teenager did not get out of the network. The father’s first desire was to simply take away all the gadgets from his son. The second and more reasonable thing is to somehow find a balance. But to do this, the gadgets needed to be opposed to something impressive. It became a “male” trip to an exotic place where the Internet simply “didn’t work.” Physical activity, unusual realities, conversations with my father did their job: living life took its allotted place. And upon returning, the family introduced a “gadget-free day,” for everyone.

Prevention

For prevention purposes, you need to follow these rules:

1. Communicate more in person or over the phone. In your free time from socializing and studying, walk outside and visit friends.
2. Set a limit counter for your stay on the Internet. This will help over time to overcome the urge to constantly look at the news feed and incoming applications.
3. Install a utility that reminds you of the time spent on a social network. Upon completion of the time set in the program, the user automatically exits his page.
4. A radical way to overcome Internet addiction is to delete your social network account. This method is the most effective on the path to a fulfilling life and real communication.

Online addiction is a bad habit that needs to be eliminated. After all, real real communication and physical activity are more interesting and varied, and will also bring more pleasure and benefit.

How to be treated

One of the most common pieces of advice is to limit your use of social media.

At the beginning of the 2000s, at the dawn of the fight against digital addiction, they used programs that turned off the Internet at certain times. Plus, the person was asked to make a list of things that he can do outside the computer and the Internet.

“Today all mobile phones have the ability to track how much time you spend on a social network

When you see permanent growth, you should pay attention to it,” Mikhail Gurevich is sure

Another popular trick is to regularly do an online detox.

“You need to set aside one day at a certain period of time when you will be without social networks and check what is happening to you at this moment,” says Gurevich.

Image caption

Forget about “likes” for several hours a day, expert advises

However, many psychologists are confident that such measures relieve symptoms, but do not eliminate the very causes of problematic use.

“To eliminate the causes, you need to work with a person’s self-esteem, with his emotions and view of the world. It is necessary to form a more positive attitude towards the real world in a person. This helps to build offline relationships and begin to treat yourself differently,” says Olga Gulevich, Doctor of Psychology, Professor at the Higher School of Economics.

In 2020, Candidate of Psychological Sciences Denis Moskovchenko, together with colleagues from the Department of Clinical Psychology at the Evdokimova Moscow Medical and Dental University, conducted a study of the problematic use of social networks using the example of the Russian-language version of Facebook. The study involved 900 people, with an average age of 28 to 35 years.

“Our surveys of these respondents showed that people who have problems using Facebook have higher levels of anxiety and use negative emotions more often than others. In particular, they have a higher level of catastrophizing, are more likely to self-blame and get stuck on some uncomfortable thoughts,” says Moskovchenko.

According to him, restricting the use of social networks cannot change anything in this situation.

“If I were a person, I would not limit the consumption of social networks, but would think about what lies deep down. There are a ton of emotional issues behind problematic social media use. The problem is not how to limit it, but why you want to limit it,” says the scientist.

Signs of abnormalities

Addiction to social networks has its own symptoms and manifestations:

• obsessive urge to log into your account and view messages or news;
• time spent visiting social networks takes up most of your life;
• an obsessive desire to update your statuses, write in detail about your life, post photos of food, places you’ve visited, and selfies for everyone to see;
• all communication comes down to correspondence on social networks, neglect of communication by phone or in person;
• all kinds of games on your account can last for 3–5 hours: every time you want to go through even more levels to increase your ratings;
• when the Internet does not work, the addicted person experiences anxiety, irritation, and feels cut off from the outside world.

Communication on social networks becomes so addictive that an individual stops going about his daily activities, does not pay attention to family and friends, and breaks off all ties with society.

They are terribly far from the people

Lenin once sealed the Decembrists with such a dismissive verdict. Well, every revolution is usually preceded by an attempt to confront a small circle of the elite. It’s the same story with social networks. About 20 years ago, a computer was an inaccessible miracle, and people who knew how to handle this wonder seemed like aliens. But even then there was a network for the elite - Fido.

A little later, the Internet appeared with the first forums - an epoch-making phenomenon to which more and more people became involved. Many people got computers, and many of them discovered blogging platforms—primarily LiveJournal (LJ). It was at this stage that life on the Internet ceased to be the lot of initiates. Anyone could write whatever they wanted. Everyone could comment. Discussions, advice, scandals, frank confessions, communities of interests, exchange of information... Neither time, nor space, nor age, nor social status mattered anymore, virtual life was excitingly interesting and gave birth to its own stars. Moreover, it turned out that anyone can become a star, the main thing is to generate interesting content. Here's a simple example. Almost all popular writers today come from LiveJournal.

Causes of nomophobia

Addiction in children and adults occurs when the phone becomes the main source of information, the main source of communication, the main activity, the main means of navigation, knowledge, entertainment and other things. The subconscious begins to take him seriously. When faced with the threat of being left without a phone, you begin to feel like a person whose car has broken down on a deserted highway in an unfamiliar area a hundred kilometers from home. Feelings of helplessness and even inferiority compared to others. But this does not happen in every case and not with everyone, because you must become very strongly attached to your gadget for it to occupy such a place in your life.

Treatment methods

Social media addiction is a serious problem worldwide. The main problem is incorrect behavior on social networks, which destroys the psyche of adults and children.

1. The first thing you should do is limit your time on social networks and try to communicate more in person. Make a schedule of your activities and include a visit to a social network as a separate item. Turn off notifications that come to your email or phone.
2. Spend more time outdoors and focus on the world around you. Read an interesting book instead of a news feed that has nothing to do with the real situation. It is important that the individual understands what reality is and what the virtual world is. In case of serious addiction, it is better to consult a psychologist, especially if the Internet addict is still a child.
3. In addition, it is very important to prevent addiction to social networks among young people at the state level. The government should monitor and verify information on social media. The programs of many educational institutions have already introduced various seminars on rationalizing the use of social networks and correct behavior on the Internet. It is important to understand that addictive behavior directly threatens a person’s safety and health.
4. Adjust your diet and sleep patterns. Stop thinking of yourself as a flawed, useless person. There are millions of people around you who also feel lonely. You just need to find the strength to communicate live. There are special psychological courses that help raise self-esteem and learn how to present yourself correctly in society. Unfortunately, if a person does not want to admit the problem, then treatment will not be successful.
5. In severe cases, when serious mental disorders develop, such as multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, aggression, patients require inpatient treatment. Patients are isolated because they can already harm not only themselves, but also those around them. They are prescribed tranquilizers and undergo psychocorrectional treatment.

Getting rid of addiction: deep motivation

Then I began to look for the most convincing arguments that would really help me deal with this addiction. The crystal clear “social networks are eating up your time and concentration” has not been impressive for a long time. We need something more emotional. This is what I ended up with (and yes, I know, you can argue with all this :))

Truly cool people aren't on Facebook.

Directors of large companies, experienced surgeons, successful salesmen and negotiators, talented scientists or violinists - they all have their own, focused and rich lives. There is no time to prove something or build relationships with a bunch of strangers.

We forget about the depth

Smooth phone surface and easy, effortless glide. People seriously and willingly review bright, colorful books like “Encyclopedia for Women” and are pleased to note that it has everything - how to take out a loan, how to throw a child’s birthday party and how to make a great presentation for a company. A video of unboxing small items from China is gaining millions of views. During work hours, people eagerly share “7 things every manager should know” and “5 tips to advance your career.”

We believe in TV stars and pop singers, paying almost no attention to brilliant scientists, doctors, and teachers.

I was horrified to discover that I began to read less. At the same time, she lived quietly in the illusion that everything was the other way around. Well, yes, of course - I see maybe the same number of letters and words, but it’s hard to call it the word “read”.

They're watching us

Just think about it - what can we learn about you by looking at your search queries over, say, the last year? What about carefully analyzing your friends’ lists? Do you know that Facebook permanently saves not only deleted posts and comments, but also editions of unpublished texts? Often we see what they want to show us and form the opinion that they want from us

In the noise of voices, thoughts and events, it becomes even more difficult to hear yourself and figure out what is really important

I don’t want to exaggerate, just as I don’t plan to give up Google or Facebook, but what I really recommend is watching the short series “Black Mirror” - in each episode we see a new forecast for the development of our digital future.

Concentration? No, you haven't heard!

Imagine: 10 years ago we could work on one task or study for 3-4 hours straight and didn’t even think about checking Facebook!

Now we have been defeated by Mrs. Imaginary Busyness. Here she is - plump, with large red beads on her neck and cunning in her eyes. She laughs because of your insomnia and purrs joyfully when she hears the next “I don’t have time to do anything.” Next to her are always her faithful assistants - Multiple Choices. They fly around like black flies and poke themselves right into your face - look at me! - choose me! - I'm the most beautiful! - with me you will earn a lot of money!

Have you ever just looked at your Instagram feed on the way to work and already feel kind of tired? Here it is - constant switching from patch to patch in action.

Enough. I want to have the luxury of single-tasking. Make eye contact throughout the meeting and never look at the screen, carefully finish reading a long useful article, look at people in transport and try to guess their stories, without being distracted by working on articles... Work when you need to work and rest when it’s time to rest.

Leave in English

The husband of one of my clients is constantly traveling. In “pre-gadget” times, such a lifestyle inevitably affected relationships. How could they be supported? Short long-distance calls, telegrams in urgent need, postcards with a few words on the back. Time and distance literally drove people apart. And today my client and her husband constantly keep in touch: SMS, photographs, correspondence in instant messengers, calls and, most importantly, the opportunity to see on social networks what is happening in everyone’s life. This creates a pleasant and reliable feeling of “we are nearby.” You may not be able to physically touch your loved one, but you can feel their presence. It would seem that there are continuous advantages! But why then, in response to the massive presence on social networks, is a new trend born - a demonstrative departure from there? Someone declares that they are tired and deletes the profile. Someone purses their lips in disgust - they say, what is this wild desire to be frank with strangers?

How to overcome Internet addiction: useful tips

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1) Recognize the problem and understand the reasons. Until we believe in a problem, it does not exist.

Therefore, the most important thing in resolving any difficult situation is to admit to yourself that there is a problem. Once you tell yourself “yes, this is true,” you have taken the first step towards success.

2) Set priorities. Think about what exactly you use social networks for.

To exchange information, to communicate, to receive the latest news, watch movies or listen to music? Determine what is most important to you

3) Use live information. If you use a tablet to read books, which also has games and other applications installed, replace it with a regular paper book. Let nothing distract you while reading, then you will be able to immerse yourself in literary worlds entirely, without reacting to external stimuli.

4) Set rules. Set some restrictions for yourself. For example, always mute your phone during events and cultural sites. During meetings and dates, turn off the phone itself or at least access to the Internet - those who really need you at the moment are now nearby. Make a rule in your company: the first person to take out a smartphone without calling pays the bill for everyone. If someone needs you urgently, he will call.

Don't waste your attention. Believe me, if you don't visit social networks, you won't miss anything.

But in real life, you have a chance to skip it entirely while you click on the lifeless heart on the screen.

You may also be interested in an article on how to overcome gambling addiction.

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Degrees of dependence

The degree of addiction varies from person to person, and it is not difficult to determine. Psychologists distinguish three groups of social network users:

1. Independent or slightly dependent. These people live full lives, visiting their pages on social networks no more than once or twice a week. They do this to respond to messages or share important information with friends. Social networks do not play a major role in their lives.
2. Transitional type. People in this category do not yet have an addiction, but at the same time they check their social network page every day, read their feed, and look at friends’ photos. They usually do this out of boredom and not knowing what to do with themselves. Some of this audience becomes addicted over time.
3. Dependents . These people have a developed addiction to social networks. They spend every free minute looking at their page once again, scrolling through their feed, or visiting the pages of friends. It is very difficult for them to fight this desire. Without access to the Internet, such people become restless and their mood deteriorates. They spend most of the day hanging out on social networks, neglecting other matters.

The following categories of people are at risk:

• teenagers who have difficulties with socialization;
• single pensioners who know how to use the Internet;
• shy people who do not know how to make acquaintances in reality;
• women on maternity leave who lack communication.

How it works

According to the scientist, each of us has “buttons” that when pressed cause stress. We, like other living organisms, learn to take actions that lead to positive consequences and avoid those that lead to negative ones. If a specific action is tied to a reward, the more often it is reinforced. Thus, it can be called an evolutionary trap (Mother Nature had no idea that we would have the Internet).

Every time you feel the urge to post another photo on your Instagram account (trigger), you upload it (behavior) and then get a whole bunch of likes (reward), which reinforces the process. Unknowingly, you are making your habit worse. Instead of enjoying life, you think about how to take a beautiful picture and post it on the Internet.

"What is the problem? The same learning process occurs, only with a different trigger: the girl is dealing with negative reinforcement. She'll soon realize that posting photos on social media not only lifts her mood, but also helps her forget about unpleasant feelings (like sadness) - at least temporarily. The more often she does this, the more the behavior is reinforced until it becomes automatic, habitual, and ultimately becomes addictive,” writes the neuroscientist.

Signs of addiction

10. Someone tells you a funny joke and instead of laughing, you say “lol” or “lol.” That is, instead of the usual human reaction, you say “lol” and then laugh at your originality.

11. You use the word "hashtag" (#) during normal conversation. It’s completely normal for you to say “#beauty” to someone, or more accurately, “hashtag beauty.”

12. You have heard several times that looking at a monitor at night before going to bed is harmful to your eyes, and you tried not to do it. But now every evening you lie on your bed with your phone in your hands.