Addiction can come in many forms. It is accompanied by a dependency on whatever it is one is addicted to. In this case, researchers were able to study the patterns of dependency as it relates to social media use. The did so by implementing a psychological task called the Gambling task, which helps gauge value-based decision-making skills. This task was presented as though it was a game to win money, however the questions were tailored to reveal their dependency on social media. They found that those that spent more time on social media ended up with less money, supporting the idea that they have a higher dependency on it. If you feel like you may be addicted to social media, this article offers some coping mechanisms and tips to lessen your dependency.
https://www.verywellmind.com/excessive-social-media-use-4690882
LIS 4022 Spring 2020 