Adults Struggling with Social Media Overuse: Local Experts Share Solutions

Mental health professionals say adults can develop problematic social media habits that interfere with daily life, similar to other addictive behaviors. While experts debate whether it qualifies as true addiction, they agree excessive scrolling and engagement can be harmful. Delaware residents looking to cut back have several options, from phone settings to physical barriers.

Experts are drawing parallels between excessive social media use and addictive substances like gambling, drugs, and tobacco products.

Although mental health professionals continue debating where normal usage ends and problematic behavior begins, there’s widespread agreement that countless individuals feel trapped by platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

These tech companies have financial motivations to maximize user engagement, generating billions through targeted advertising. Fighting against endless feeds, dopamine-triggering short videos, and the validation from likes and comments can feel overwhelming. Some users also find themselves drawn to controversial content, negative news cycles, and online arguments.

While much attention has centered on young people’s social media habits, adults face similar risks when platform usage begins disrupting their daily routines.

Stanford University School of Medicine’s Dr. Anna Lembke, who serves as medical director of addiction medicine, describes addiction as “the continued compulsive use of a substance or behavior despite harm to self or others.”

During testimony at a significant social media litigation case in Los Angeles, Lembke explained that these platforms become addictive due to the “24/7, really limitless, frictionless access” users maintain.

However, some researchers challenge using “addiction” to describe heavy social media consumption, insisting true addiction requires identifiable symptoms like intense cravings and withdrawal effects.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders doesn’t officially recognize social media addiction, partly because professionals lack consensus on defining it and understanding how existing mental health conditions contribute to excessive use.

Despite this diagnostic uncertainty, many experts believe problematic social media consumption can still cause real harm.

“For me, the biggest signpost is how does the person feel about the ‘amount,’ and how viewing it makes them feel,” explained Dr. Laurel Williams, a psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor at Baylor College of Medicine. “If what they discover is they view it so much that they are missing out on other things they may enjoy or things that they need to attend to, this is problematic use. Additionally, if you leave feeling overwhelmed, drained, sad, anxious, angry regularly, this use is not good for you.”

Key warning signs include neglecting responsibilities, hobbies, or relationships in favor of scrolling, unsuccessful attempts to reduce usage, and negative feelings about your social media habits.

University of Melbourne professor Ofir Turel, who researches social media behavior, acknowledged there’s “no agreement” on defining social media addiction and doesn’t “expect agreement soon.”

“It’s obvious that we have an issue,” Turel noted. “You don’t have to call it an addiction, but there is an issue and we need, as a society, to start thinking about it.”

Williams recommends understanding how social media algorithms and advertising target users before attempting to limit usage.

“Think of social media as a company trying to get you to stay with them and buy something — have the mindset that this is information that I don’t need to act on and may not be true,” she advised. “Get alternate sources of information. Always understand the more you see something, anyone can start to believe it is true.”

California Institute of Technology postdoctoral scholar Ian A. Anderson suggests starting with minor adjustments to prevent automatic app opening. Relocating apps on your phone or disabling notifications are “light touch interventions,” while more comprehensive approaches might include keeping phones out of bedrooms or other frequent-use areas.

Built-in technology features can help manage screen time on both iPhone and Android devices.

iPhone users can access Screen Time controls through their settings menu, allowing them to establish Downtime periods that disable phone functions during chosen hours.

These controls enable users to restrict entire app categories like social media, games, or entertainment, or target specific applications with time limits.

However, these restrictions are relatively easy to bypass, functioning more as gentle reminders than absolute barriers. When attempting to open restricted apps, users receive options for additional minutes, delayed reminders, or complete override.

When gentle approaches prove insufficient, more aggressive strategies may be necessary. Some users report success switching their phones to grayscale mode, making screens less appealing to dopamine-seeking brains. iPhone users can adjust color filters in settings, while Android users can activate Bedtime Mode or modify color correction settings. Switching to basic flip phones represents another option for curbing social media impulses.

Several startups offer physical barriers between users and their apps. Unpluq provides a yellow tag that must be held against phones to access blocked applications. Brick and Blok function similarly, requiring users to tap or scan square plastic devices to unlock apps.

For more extreme measures, various phone lockboxes and cases are available, including products originally designed for parents managing teenagers’ device usage.

Yondr, known for phone-locking pouches used at concerts and schools, also manufactures home phone storage boxes.

When technological solutions fail, examining underlying causes for social media dependency might be beneficial. Excessive usage could indicate deeper issues like anxiety, stress, isolation, depression, or confidence problems. In such cases, therapy options are becoming increasingly accessible.

“For people struggling to stay away — see if you can get a friend group to collaborate with you on it. Make it a group effort. Just don’t post about it! The more spaces become phone free, the more we may see a lessened desire to be ‘on,'” Williams concluded.