Alex's Answer

Hi there and welcome to Ask Alex! 

You have written that you have an addiction to watching videos of anime people drowning and you asked for our help to stop it from happening. We will try to support you with this the best we can. 

Like other types of behavioural addictions, using social media can influence your brain in harmful ways. You may use social media compulsively and excessively. You can become so accustomed to scrolling through posts, images, and videos that it interferes with other areas of your life. While social media can seem like mindless and relaxing fun, it actually has a significant effect on your brain. Whenever you log on to your favourite apps, dopamine signals in your brain increase. These neurotransmitters are associated with pleasure. When you experience more dopamine after using social media, your brain identifies this activity as a rewarding one that you ought to repeat. Such a reaction may be more felt whenever you make a post of your own and gain positive feedback. The positive feelings experienced during social media use are only temporary. The way your brain engages in this positive reinforcement is also seen in other addictions. Thus, as the feel-good dopamine wears off, you’ll go back to the source (in this case, social media) for more. 

A mental health professional can help you determine whether you truly have social media addiction or just really enjoy using it a lot. 

But there are a few key differences between social media addiction and a habit that you enjoy. These include: 

• negatively effecting your job or schoolwork due to the overuse of social media (e.g., scrolling through your apps at work or instead of studying) 
• increased use during other activities, such as hanging out with friends and family, or while eating 
• increased reliance on social media as a way to cope with problems 
• restlessness and irritability whenever you’re not using social media 
• anger whenever social media usage is reduced 
• thinking about social media whenever you aren’t using it, so much so that it’s the first thing you turn to whenever you have the opportunity 

Consider the following tips to help you achieve a healthier balance with social media: 

• Delete your social media apps from your smartphone. While you can still access them from your personal computer, keeping them off your phone may help decrease the amount of time spent on social media overall. 
• Turn off your personal phone during work, as well as during school, meals, and recreational activities. You can also adjust the setting on each social media app so you can turn off certain notifications. 
• Set aside a certain amount of time dedicated to social media per day. Turn on a timer to help keep you accountable. 
• Leave your phone, tablet, and computer out of your bedroom. 
• Take up a new hobby that’s not technology related. Examples include sports, art, cooking classes, and more. 
• Make it a point to see your friends and family in person when possible. 

It’s also important to take regular breaks from social media altogether to help find some real-life grounding. Depending on your needs, your break can last for 1 day per week, a whole month, or an entire season. Let yourself be in control of this decision — not your social media account. 

Whenever you need a break or need to talk about this with someone else, remember Childline is here for you. You can call at 1800 66 66 66 or use the live chat on our website www.childline.ie.

We hope this helped! 

Take care, 

Alex