Top 6 Examples of the Harmful Effects of Social Media Addiction

Nowadays, it's quite common to see friends glued to their phones during the first meetings of the year. One of the drawbacks of social media is that it prevents you from fully engaging with real-life experiences.

Social media addiction leads to spending more time in the virtual world than in the real one. The time dedicated to genuine human interactions decreases, which can result in your relationships weakening over time.

Cyberbullying occurs when an individual is threatened, harassed, or mentally tortured through messages, social media, etc. For example, baseless rumors spread by 'keyboard warriors'. Many people, after engaging with social media, become more judgmental online about things they would never say in person.

Cyberbullying can lead to anxiety disorders, depression, self-harm, and even suicide. Victims often lose confidence, suffer severe blows to their self-esteem, and experience heightened feelings of fear, sadness, and anger after being bullied.

Recently, there have been cases where an eighth-grade student was assaulted by a group of male students in the street over a conflict stemming from social media, and a 16-year-old girl was beaten and stripped by a friend, with the video posted online.

It is evident that for students at this age, social media is not only a platform for self-expression but also a place where they become victims of harmful information or bullying.

At a psychological counseling room at the HOPE Early Intervention and Psychological Therapy Center, 80% of the patients who visit are children who tend to spend more than 10 hours per day on social media.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hien - Clinical Psychologist at the HOPE Early Intervention and Psychological Therapy Center, shares: "Excessive use of social media can increase the risk of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), leading to a constant need to check messages. Some children stay on social media until 3-4 AM. When this becomes a habit, trying to strictly control it can lead to major issues, such as threatening to harm themselves or destroy property if restricted, and parents often feel overwhelmed by these problems."

A typical case is that of a 14-year-old patient, once a top student in the selection team, whose academic progress was seriously affected by a "gaming addiction." The child's parents were repeatedly helpless. When attempts to intervene were made, the child became aggressive, breaking things and pushing the parents, refusing to attend school and even dropping out. By the start of the new school year, the child began skipping school once a week.

According to Dr. Do Minh Loan, in recent years, the number of children brought to hospitals for consultations regarding psychological issues linked to social media use has been on the rise. Treating these children has also become increasingly difficult.

T.H.N, born in 1996, a 7th-grade student from Trang Bom District, was diagnosed with internet addiction and online gaming. N started playing online games in 6th grade. However, in September 2007, when participating in an online game, N began skipping school and lying to parents about money matters. The situation escalated when N's mother discovered that the child had hidden money in a section of the room, and N ran away from home. When working with a therapist, N explained that their "guild" had stolen and begged for money to survive for a week.

Recent studies show that the more time a person spends on social media, the higher their risk of developing depression. This risk is even more significant for individuals with a history of depression. The reason lies in the overwhelming presence of negative information, which unconsciously embeds itself in users' minds, directly influencing their emotions.

Many studies have also highlighted that the blue light emitted from electronic screens can deceive the brain, making it harder to sleep and causing poor sleep quality. Over time, the habit of using a phone before bedtime disrupts the body's biological rhythm, leading to serious health and mental well-being consequences.

Despite the continuous advancements in social media, the risk of hacking and viruses remains, threatening users' personal information. This highlights the severe threat to individual privacy.

In many cases, users' data is sold or used for fraudulent activities such as scams and extortion.