What is Social Media? It is a bunch of online platforms where people promote, create and share content with others in the virtual community. While it does bring people together through shared interests and ideas, it can also be harmful, especially to those with developing minds. According to the article, “Is Social Media Addicting? Here’s What the Science Says” social media can also affect other manners of life, such as “school, sleep, and other vital aspects….” The most common answer to which social media is the most addictive is TikTok or Instagram. As someone who actively uses TikTok, I can attest that it is very addicting. Recently, TikTok introduced the autoplay feature to the app, which plays the next video on the person’s FYP (For You Page) without touching the screen. The more someone likes and interacts with a video, the more the algorithm feeds similar videos to keep one engaged. The “infinite scrolling” can cause much time to pass and can cause one to forget to do the basic necessities like eating or drinking water if one does not exercise restraint.
While I do not disagree, I would also add YouTube to that list of addictive apps. In my opinion, the most addicting part of social media is scrolling through the different videos on one’s feed. YouTube’s algorithm is also designed to continuously recommend videos based on interest, making it easy for those to scroll and watch said videos. Further, Matt Ritchel explains in the article that there is a relation between the allure that is social media and our neurological senses, which makes it difficult for people to turn away from their screens. This triggers a dopamine release, a “feel-good” chemical and reinforces the habit to continue scrolling through social media. Social media is designed to trigger the brain’s reward system and if the amount is not monitored, it can be addicting and harmful.
The Curator 