Young adults tend to be the most affected by social media addiction. It is significantly higher amongst young single women. 90% of people aged 18-29 use social media in some form. 15% of people aged 23-38 admit that they are addicted to social media.
Social media addiction is a brain disorder that compels teens or young adults to overindulge in social media to such a degree that they are unable to reduce their consumption despite negative consequences.
Surprising Social Media Addiction Statistics
More than 60% of men and over 55% of women are addicted to social media. More than 33% of the world's population uses social media.
61% of internet users are addicted to it.
Internet addiction is common among all age groups and its prevalence is as follows: 13-17 (73%), 18-24 (71%), 25-34 (59%), 35-44 (54%), 45-54 (40%), 55-64 (39%), and 64+ (44%).
In a large UK sample of over 17,000 young people aged ten to 21, researchers found the detrimental effects of high levels of social media use may be especially pronounced at ages 14-15 and 19 for boys, and 11-13 and 19 for girls.
South Africans spent at least 9.5 hours a day online in 2022. This was the highest in the world, exceeding the global figure by around three hours, a study showed.
A study conducted by Pew research centers found that women were more avid users of social media.
According to the study, 25.31 million Australians, or 96% of the population are internet users, while the number of active social media users is 21.30 million, or 81% of the population.
The mean internet addiction score was statistically similar across the two genders (p-value=0.18) although the mean score was slightly higher in females as compared to males. The same results were achieved when frequency of students with internet addiction was compared between males and females.
The 'dopamine loop'
Using social media can lead to physical and psychological addiction because it triggers the brain's reward system to release dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical. Dopamine is actually a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger between neurons) involved in neurological and physiological functioning.
“The overuse of social media can actually rewire a young child or teen's brain to constantly seek out immediate gratification, leading to obsessive, compulsive and addictive behaviors,” says DeAngelis. “This is what can make mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD and body dysmorphia worse.”
The differential symptoms by gender may reflect different motivations and types of Internet use between female and male adolescents. One meta-analysis found that females were more likely to exhibit social media addiction and less likely to display Internet gaming disorder than males [35].
When we use social media, our brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good. This feeling of pleasure can lead to compulsive behavior and a desire to seek out more likes, shares, and comments. In other words, social media can be just as addictive as drugs, gambling, and alcohol.
But internet addiction is not a clinical mental health diagnosis. That's because screens don't affect kids' brains the same way that drugs or alcohol would. They may feel like they can't stop using the internet, but they're not chemically dependent in the same way.
As of January 2023, 51 percent of Snapchat's global audience were women, giving this platform the highest share of female audiences from all of the selected social media platforms. Image-based Instagram followed with 48.2 percent of users identifying as women.
YouTube's User Base is 56% Male
When reviewing the most popular gender of YouTube's user base, it skews slightly male making up 56% of the platform. Females are 44% of its users. These YouTube statistics are a clear reminder that anyone can create video content should they feel so inclined.
Excessive Internet use may create a heightened level of psychological arousal, resulting in little sleep, failure to eat for long periods, and limited physical activity, possibly leading to the user experiencing physical and mental health problems such as depression, OCD, low family relationships and anxiety.
Internet addiction is more prevalent in males (26.3%) than females (13.7%). It suggests that males are more likely to be affected by this issue than females, and thus should be a focus of attention when it comes to prevention and treatment.
Overusing social networking sites can result in many health and personal relationship problems also seen in other addictions. The effects of social media addiction include anxiety or depression, increased isolation, decreased physical activity, low self-esteem, and poor work or school performance, among many others.