The Misguided Panic Over Social Media Addiction
The current bestseller atop the New York Times nonfiction list, “The Coddling of the American Mind,” by NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, has ignited a firestorm of concern about the alleged epidemic of social media addiction among youth. Haidt’s claims have fueled a growing movement to enact legislation to curb social media use. However, this hysteria bears a striking resemblance to the media’s misguided panic over “Internet addiction” back in December 1996, when an article in The New York Times even suggested that “Breathing Is Also Addictive.”
The Sensationalized Tale of the “Internet Addict”
The 1996 New York Times article painted a sensationalized picture of a 17-year-old boy in a Texas rehab center, alternating between convulsions and violent outbursts. The writer dramatically questioned whether the boy was hooked on heroin, cocaine, or other substances, only to reveal that he was a victim of the latest addictive menace: the Internet. The article warned of an impending epidemic of ”Net junkies,” neglectful mothers, and sleep-deprived teenagers lost in online gaming worlds, all leading to broken lives and families.
The Myth of “Internet Addiction”
The problem with the 1996 article and numerous others like it was that “Internet addiction” is not a genuine condition. The term was originally coined as a joke by New York City psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg, who was astounded when people took him seriously. Despite his protests, journalists continued to write alarmist stories. While it is true that some individuals may spend excessive time online, neglecting their responsibilities, this behavior does not constitute a true addiction comparable to the physical cravings caused by substances like alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes.
“Using the Internet,” writes psychologist Storm A. King, “is no more inherently addicting than any other human activity that someone might find pleasure-producing, valuable, or productive.”
The Media’s Struggle to Understand the Internet’s Impact
The Internet addiction scare of 1996 was symbolic of the media’s inability to accurately convey the profound changes that society was about to undergo due to increasing connectivity. Despite declaring 1995 the “Year of the Internet,” the media’s success in explaining the phenomenon may one day be judged by the misguided panic over “Internet addiction.”
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2 Comments
Oh, suddenly everyone’s an expert on screen time, huh?
Tech shaping kids today is as inevitable as tomorrow’s sunrise, get used to it!