The video attached to this assignment (youtube.com/watch?v=Zbqo7MGVElw) was interesting because it shows how addicted Dave is to the social media platform he’s using.  It doesn’t really matter what social media it is (e.g., WhatsApp, SnapChat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, forums, weblogs); what matters is the realization of how much his social network means to him.  The urge to extend his online presence to as many people as possible causes him to accept an invitation from a fake account that was set up for criminal purposes.  Furthermore, he overshares information about what he’s doing, which ultimately causes him to share a picture that shows a password on a sticky note, which leads to a cyberattack.  In conclusion, the lesson of this video is to think before you post something, and to also be smart about who you share it with.

After watching this video, I then proceeded to take the Social Media Disorder (SMD) scale test.  I answered as honestly as possible, and I scored a 1/9, which is below the threshold for what could be diagnosed as Social Media Disorder.  This is due to the fact that I use very little social media, because I either don’t have the time and interest in it, or I just prefer face-to-face interactions whenever possible.  However, I do still keep an account on a couple of different platforms, and I think it’s fair to say that the one point that I did get from the past year was from question #8.  This referred to using social media as a method to escape negative feelings, which I’ll admit to doing during a couple of difficult times earlier in the year.  Luckily, this involved communicating with people that I’m close with, rather than complete strangers.

Personally, I can’t think of anything that I think should be added to the items in the scale.  I like how it already covers preoccupation, tolerance, withdrawal, persistence, displacement, problems, deception, escape, and conflict.  Additionally, the one point that I did get from this test is honestly the reason why I’ve been addicted to social media in the past, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when I certainly had an urge to temporarily escape from certain challenges I was facing at the time.  Particularly during times of loneliness before I was able to make more connections with people face-to-face.  I think the reason for different patterns being found across the world in regards to social media use is the fact that people use social media platforms for different reasons.  For example, some use it to get support from others and to connect with people, while others use it to learn and connect with information.  However, many people will agree that there are many problems that can be attributed to social media usage.  These can include things such as bullying, rumors, lower quality relationships, unrealistic views of reality and the lifestyles of others, wasting time, creating drama, spreading misinformation, and giving in to peer pressure.