Cosmopolitan South Africa — January 2018

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COSMOPOLITAN.CO.ZA

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LUCILE LEBER/

THELICENSINGPROJECT.COM

56 COSMOPOLITAN | JANUARY 2018

Dopamine is also released
during the use of drugs
such as cocaine.’
Melandri Bridges,
also of Eden Recovery
Centre, says, ‘We defi ne
social media addiction
in terms that are similar
to substance addiction:
a mental obsession and
compulsive behaviour with
an inability to stop these
behaviours, even if they
have negative consequences.’
Booysen and Bridges
aren’t surprised to hear of
the extent to which social
media impacted Robyn’s
life. ‘If you’re addicted it
means you’re unable to stop,
regardless of the impact it’s
having,’ says Booysen.
One warning sign is
if you constantly reference
social media in conversation.
Others include changes
in sleep patterns; mood
swings, particularly after
getting new followers or a
fl urry of likes (or not getting
them, and feeling down);
not being as productive
as usual; not being able to
put your phone down; and
anxiety if you cannot access
your phone or social media.

AN ALLURING HIGH
‘As humans, we’re naturally
social, so social media taps
into this instinctive aspect,’
says Bridges. ‘It’s part of
why we feel compelled to
engage with content – for
example, liking or sharing
a post. This same instinct
can drive a compulsiveness,
leading to addiction.’
Booysen adds that ‘We’re
also competitive, so we’re
constantly comparing our
own progress to that of
others. Social media has
heightened this instinct.’
Social media can have
a direct effect on our
dopamine levels. Someone
suddenly likes your post;

you unexpectedly gain

100 followers... The resultant

high triggers the release

of dopamine. ‘Just like

a substance high, you

develop a tolerance,’ says

Bridges. ‘So each time you

try to reach that high, you

have to do more to get it.

So begins the addictive

cycle.’ And, as Booysen

adds, ‘Dopamine makes

you feel happy. Who

doesn’t want to feel

that?’ But when you

don’t get the reaction

you want, the letdown

can be crippling.

The effort to regain

that hit of dopamine

can be all-consuming.

2

4

3

13

10

GLOBAL PICTURE

Stats on social media

addiction are limited, but

you only have to look at the

growth in social media use

to conclude that it must be

on the rise. According to a

World Wide Worx study, in

South Africa Insta use shot

up by 32% in 2016, Facebook

hit 14-million users and

Twitter reached 7,7-million.

Other countries are

recognising social media

addiction as a serious issue;

it’s time we followed suit.

China, South Korea, Taiwan

and Japan are all rolling out

education programmes to

combat tech-based addiction.

But in South Africa, social

media addiction hasn’t been

added to the Diagnostic

And Statistical Manual

Of Mental Disorders.

GETTING HELP

At Eden Recovery Centre,

social media addiction is

viewed as a behavioural

addiction. Treatment follows

a 12-step programme, plus

group and individual therapy

and Cognitive Behavioural

Therapy. The fi rst four

weeks of treatment include

full-time admittance and

going cold turkey on tech.

‘There’s a growing need

for rehab facilities in South

Africa to tackle social media

addiction,’ says Bridges.

Robyn agrees: ‘Had my

social media addiction

been diagnosed the fi rst

time I went to rehab, I’d

have escaped a lot of pain,’

she says. ‘We can all learn

to moderate our behaviour.

Put your phone down. Look

up. Switch off. Do it daily.

Do it now.’ ■

* NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED

For more information on

social media addiction,

visit Edenrecovery.co.za.

REDUCE YOUR

SOCIAL MEDIA

DEPENDENCY

1

Buy an old-school

alarm clock

so that you don’t

see social media

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thing in the morning.

2

Limit your daily

social media

usage to a few hours

during set times.

Reward yourself

at the end of each

week when you’ve

stuck to this.

3

Delete apps that

trigger compulsive

behaviour – it’s often

easier to hit ‘delete’

than to scale back

on usage.

4

Turn of f

social media

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you have to physically

open platforms

to interact.

5

Find something

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time. Read a book,

go for a walk, spend

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a grown-up colouring-

in book – whatever

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6

Challenge yourself

to a week going

cold turkey – no

social media at

all. Note down

what you learnt

from the experience.

Were you more

productive? Happier?

More present? Use

these learnings to

inform how you set

rules about your

usage in future.