Social media addiction is dangerous plague of the modern age: GP Taylor

A report last week, that was barely covered by the mainstream media, gave an incredible warning about what is happening to young people in relation to their internet and smartphone use.

It is totally staggering that almost half of British teenagers say they feel addicted to social media, according to findings that come amid mounting pressure for big tech companies to be held accountable for the impact their platforms have on users.

There is strong scientific evidence that many people feel they have lost control over their use of digital interactive media.

A research team at the University of Cambridge, used data from the Millennium Cohort study, tracking the lives of about 19,000 people born in 2000-2002 across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Of the 7,000 people who responded, 48 per cent said they agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I think I am addicted to social media”.

For the first time ever, we have produced a generation of zombies, people addicted to their phones, unable to properly interact with the real world.

They can be seen on buses, trains, in cafés and walking down the street.

These ‘phonebies’ are easily recognisable by the way they are engrossed in the screen, desperate to scroll the pages of social media for fear of missing out on the Metaverse.

Recently, I walked past a beautiful little restaurant on my street called The Lamp. In the romantic setting were two people sat in the window table. It was obvious they were a couple. Both were engrossed, not in each other, but with their smartphones. It was painful to see that technology was more important than a fine meal.

Technology-Induced Information Overload is a growing danger, not just among young people but for everyone who uses social media and the internet. The human animal was not made to handle the constant bombardment of information that is pushed in our faces. We’re assaulted with facts, pseudo-facts, fake news, conspiracy theories and rumours, all posing as the truth.

Social media users post fake photographs of great nights out, their latest meal and current love interest, in an attempt to bolster the truth that their lives are just as boring as everyone else. Relentless amounts of information are streamed into our brains as soon as we pick up the smartphone or switch on the computer.

Experts say that when your brain has trouble processing the amount of information you take in, it can cause numerous problems, including sleep disorders, a constant state of anxiety, reduced focus and memory.

Dr Andres Roman-Urrestarazu, a psychiatrist at the University of Cambridge said, “social media and major tech companies remain largely unregulated in the way they engage with people, algorithms that are designed to increase sales tend to be particularly noxious and produce products that put vulnerable people in danger,”

An even greater danger is the unfiltered pornography that young people can easily find on the internet.

According to the Journal of Psychosexual Health, adolescents who are exposed to sexually explicit media via the internet are more prone to develop promiscuous sexual attitudes, which are strongly linked to dangerous sexual actions later in life. It is estimated that the teenagers are among the most frequent users of porn and believe what they see in the media is true.

This can lead to some hazardous attitudes towards sex and women. Not only that, 57 per cent of young people have experienced bullying when online. This can have negative impact on self-esteem, mental health and can lead to self-harm and even suicide.

Some of the typical effects of cyberbullying include the Poor academic performance, eating disorders, stress, isolation, and depression.

When are we going to wake up and realise that it really isn’t good to be permanently connected to the world-wide-web? In fact, it is destroying the health and well-being of many people. Yet, no one seems to want to do anything about it. The media companies are reluctant as it makes them millions of pounds per day. Smartphones are big business, regardless of the damage they are doing. The only country that has realised the dangers and is trying to limit internet use for teenagers, is China.

For one, I am looking forward to the day when a solar flare or cyber-attack takes out the internet. I desire a return to the days before text messages and WhatsApp. Perhaps, young people will come to the realisation that they can have a life without a phone in their hands.

I believe future generations will look back in history at the phone free time with envy. They will realise that their smartphone is not only an instrument of social control but is a curse wrapped in their fingers.