Social Media Disorder Scale

We were asked to measure our own social media use according to the DSM’s criteria for disordered social media use. There are 9 questions and if 5 of them are met you can qualify for a social media disorder diagnosis. Currently, I meet 3 of the 9 criteria. I often neglect an activity I should be doing to use social media, I feel dissatisfaction when I can’t use it and I’ve tried to spend less time on it and failed. It makes sense that these are criteria for this disorder because they all point to a dependence on social media. Other questions that the DSM asks point to social and interpersonal confrontation. These questions make sense because typically, behavioral disorders are, in part, defined by how they inhibit someone’s ability to live a normal, functional life. If you’re having relationship problems because you can’t stop using social media, then it makes sense that it would be considered a use disorder like alcohol or drugs.

Why do social media use patterns differ around the world?

There are a variety of reasons for different behavioral patterns being found around the world. Cultures differ greatly, which can impact how people interact with technology. A nation with more wealth will have more people online and a nation with an atypically older population may have less people online. There can also be legal differences between nations that dictate social media usage. Another reason for different patterns being found could be due to the methodology used to look for them. If there are differences between cultures, maybe a research methodology would be optimized for finding a type of result in one culture but not another.