Understanding Problematic Social Media Use in Adolescents

Problematic social media use (PSMU) is characterized by compulsivity, loss of control, and behavioral features resembling other addictions rather than mere frequency of use. Functional brain imaging in PSMU shows abnormalities overlapping with patterns seen in drug addiction. Excessive or maladaptive reliance on social media can exacerbate or trigger depressive and anxious symptoms and create a reinforcing withdrawal-use cycle. As of 2025 there is no official ICD-11 diagnosis for PSMU. Addictive patterns of social media use, not total screen time, predict a two- to threefold increase in suicidal ideation among adolescents, with preteens particularly vulnerable. Platforms and algorithms are designed to be sticky and can funnel youth into unhealthy niches.

Problematic social media use (PSMU) shares many features of other behavioral addictions. PSMU was recently reviewed in the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine by National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow and colleagues. They confirm that PSMU's compulsivity, loss of control, and other behavioral characteristics are similar to substance use disorders. The addiction-like parallels are supported by brain imaging studies. Functional brain imaging abnormalities in PSMU overlap with patterns seen in drug addiction.

According to UCSF Professor of Pediatrics and screen time researcher Jason Nagata, M.D., the more time teens spend online, the less connected they feel to others. Preteens are particularly vulnerable. Recent longitudinal data show addictive patterns of social media use- not total screen time-are predictive of a two to three times increase in suicidal ideation and behaviors. Social media platforms are carefully designed and incentivized to be "sticky" (hard to ignore or get away from), compelling, and fuel social comparisons.

Read at Psychology Today