A Qualitative Study on the Stages of Social Media Addiction among Adolescents in India

Page: 442-449
Rosamma Alexander1 and Clarissa F. Delariarte2,3,4 (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines1, Department of Clinical Psychology, The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines2, De La Salle University, Taft, Manila, Philippines3, and Far Eastern University Graduate School, Morayta, Manila, Philippines4)

Technology has been growing exponentially in the last few decades, emerging as the biggest driver in all walks of life. The millennials are synonymous with technology as a whole and information technology in particular. The World Wide Web (www) has pushed itself deeper and farther like an inevitable labyrinth, sparing none. So, the internet is no more a luxury but a necessity. One of the most predominant uses of the internet is social media which connects people seamlessly in a virtual network. Whether platforms or people, choices galore for them to spend time with. Research has found that there are both positive and negative impacts of social media on the lives of adolescents. However, more studies favor how the negative consequences influence them physically, socially, and psychologically when they spend more time on social media. The new normal of the pandemic, when study and work were constrained to rooms and virtual settings, has further aggravated this situation. The aim of this study is to explore the stages of Social Media Addiction among Adolescents in India. The present research paper draws insights into the lived experiences of adolescents regarding social media use through in-depth semi-structured interviews with seven adolescents and a focus group discussion of ten. The data were analyzed in the light of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and found four emerging themes such as the exploring stage, low-risk stage, moderate risk stage, and high-risk stage of social media addiction.