After I took the Social Media Disorder Scale, I had only made a “Yes” mark on question number 4: if one has ever tried harder not to spend as much time on social media but failed. All other questions were “No.”. This means that while I do not exhibit so many symptoms of social media disorder, I do have a difficulty reducing the usage of the same.

Upon reviewing the items enrolled within the scale, I find them to cover most behaviors and feelings associated with excessive use of social media. Preoccupation, withdrawal, or neglecting other activities are essential predicates of the problematic use of online sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, etc. While I personally do not have that need to constantly be online, I still spend more time scrolling than I would like to. And inability to reduce that usage shows a certain degree of dependency. 

We are in the peak of a national epidemic of depression, anxiety and loneliness, especially among teenagers. Social media platforms are designed to maximize profit, and that often comes with the cost, in this case mental health of teens and kids. 

My personal score on the Social Media Disorder Scale indicates that I do not possess most of the symptoms of social media disorder; however, not being able to decrease the usage is something that I am struggling with and surely is an area for improvement. In this respect, creating this self-reflective understanding is important in maintaining a good and healthy relationship with social media. On the other hand, understanding patterns of use across the globe delineates the context in which social media behaviors should be viewed. People across the World, and especially Americans, are concerned with the negative impact this may have on their children. While parents are trying to fight against the addiction, they are outnumbered and powerless on their own. 

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA, S.1409) of 2022 put children’s health and well-being above ads and revenue. Of all the major provisions it gives, KOSA disables addictive product features, allows opting out of manipulative algorithmic recommendations by minors, and gives kids and parents tools to protect their private information. This act could go a long way to help parents through stronger safeguards and accountability for social media platforms.

In short, I may have scored well and am not suffering from most of the symptoms, I should still work on minimizing the usage. This highlights the broader context of social media behaviors and global use patterns.

Reference

Building a safer, healthier online world for children and teens – Issue One. (2023, October 12). Issue One. https://issueone.org/solutions/building-a-safer-healthier-online-world-for-children-and-teens/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-ai0BhDPARIsAB6hmP59S-2-_287HjsiJokbT30T9qR-oD0kEY3yG-4SiailHlED8sRXKPYaAjGeEALw_wcB