What would it be like to spend a day without media? Could you imagine a day without a computer or tablet? A few years ago, could you make it through a day without newspapers, magazines, radio, television, or your iPod? Media addiction is real, and it affects younger and younger people.

“Addiction” is a rhetorically powerful word. Even though media addiction may not be as dangerous as drug or alcohol addiction, it is a very real struggle that more and more people have to deal with in our ever-connected world.

Recent study highlights

A recent study from the International Center for Media & the Public Agenda (ICMPA) reveals that especially amongst young adults, it may be nearly impossible to abstain from taking in media for 24 hours. There were a number of different highlights in the study:

A literal definition — One of the most interesting aspects about the study shows that students use literal terms of addiction to characterize the dependence. Those who participated in the study felt lonely and isolated. They started to feel urges to check their email and suggested that it was not unlike being stranded on a deserted island.

Without friends and family — Media has come to resemble friends and family. Students suggested that they receive a constant feeling of comfort because of their continued communication with their friends through media. They suggested that they felt secluded from their own life and quite lonely without media. Many of them suggested that not being able to use media was “unbearable.”

They felt secluded from their own life and quite lonely without media.

Facebook replaces email and calling — Studies show that amongst 18-21 year old college students, texting and Facebook messages replace email and calling as a way to make plans. Without the ability to use social media, they felt isolated.

A distraction — Students admitted that living without a newspaper and television would be one thing, but to live without their music apps would be another. They suggested that the music would constantly provide them with companionship and allowed them a chance to “zone out.” They use it to have a moment to themselves.

Media addiction and its consequences

OK, so people can become dependent on media, but what is the harm in that? Why is it so bad for people to rely on media for entertainment or to contact their friends? The truth is that most people rely on media to communicate, but just as with drug and alcohol addiction, some will abuse it and cannot survive without it.

The truth is that most people rely on media to communicate, but just as with drug and alcohol addiction, some will abuse it and cannot survive without it.

There are a number of different symptoms for media addiction. A few symptoms include neglect on both the inside and the outside, feelings of loneliness, reduced social contact (everything happens in a virtual medium), dropping grades, loss of willingness to work and learn, and a lack of concentration.

The impact of social media

Even though it still falls under the umbrella term “media,” social media is a completely different issue altogether. According to Ford’s 2014 consumer trend report, people are struggling to feel validated without the constant interaction on social media sites. The report points to the fact that 62 percent of adults around the world admit that positive social-media feedback helps improve their self-esteem.

In fact, a piece in the Wall Street Journal concluded that our online persona is needier than our real one — we need constant validation on social media in order to feel loved and supported. In that way, it is not unlike addiction to drugs and alcohol where a brief fix (alcohol, drugs, or a few “likes” on Facebook) is only going to provide temporary relief.

Our online persona is needier than our real one — we need constant validation on social media in order to feel loved and supported.

This is one of the reasons that the Department of Mental Health in Thailand has already issued a warning to young adults to let them know that not being popular on social media can lead to dangerous behavior.

Not often talked about

Part of the problem is that most people do not talk about media addiction. One of the reasons that this is a genuine issue is because if people refuse to talk about it, people cannot seek help to correct the compulsive behavior.

If you were to tell someone that you were suffering from “media addiction,” chances are that most people (especially those who do not understand the concept) would tell you to put the phone down and unwind. Unfortunately, this is not quite so easy. “Addiction” is compulsory, oftentimes it goes against the better judgment of the user.

As more and more people report these issues and we see an increasing number of studies that highlight just how difficult it is for young adults to get themselves away from media, we may start to see an increased appreciation for the difficulties that media addiction can cause.

A broad term

Another problem is the fact that “media addiction” is an encompassing term. As previously explored in this piece, it can be social media addiction, it can be an addiction to television, or it can be an addiction to someone playing videogames. When a subject has such a broad definition, it can be difficult for people to understand the issue.

Especially older generations may have problems when it comes to understanding media addiction, primarily because there was not media overabundance available as they grew up. However, it is clear that as more and more media options are available, more and more people are developing issues as a result.

What do we do next?

Writing this article was difficult, because I work with media all day long. I'm a digital marketing strategist at a marketing agency and a blogger. I'm constantly looking for new social media trends and reading marketing case studies throughout the day.

But because of this, I've seen what media can do to people from a psychological perspective. The thing that baffles me is that we as a collective society are so quiet about media addiction up to this point.

The purpose of this article is not to bash media consumption, but rather just make you aware of what is going on. I strongly believe that in five years from now, we're going to realize that the amount of media we're consuming on a daily basis right now was not healthy. We just haven't figured that out yet to the point where we can verbalize it.

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. — Albert Einstein

But the solution is not the abolishment of media. That’s crazy. The first step in solving any problem is identifying that there is a problem in the first place. Let’s start with that, and then together we can figure out what the next best step should be.

Oh, the irony…

And yes, I am fully aware of the irony of this article. I am using media (social media in particular) to spread my views on media addiction. That just goes to show that I'm not anti-media, not at all. I believe it is one of the most foundational tools we have to communicate with each other. But just like everything in life, moderation is key.

Enough from me about this topic. I want to hear from you. What do you think of media addiction? Leave a comment, send me an email, or reach out on Twitter and let’s bring this subject into the spotlight.

If you found value in this article, it would mean a lot to me if you hit the recommend button!