Social media may be more addictive than alcohol or cigarettes - study

Are you addicted to social media? Does the thought of not being able to check what’s trending drive you mad?

If your answer to either of these questions is ‘yes’, then you might find some comfort in knowing that you’re not alone.

A new study has revealed that for many, social media is more addictive than nicotine and alcohol and harder to turn down than even sex.

These are the findings from Daystar University where communication students, monitored more than 200 individuals aged 18-55 in Nairobi between January 9-16 this year.

The students tracked the individual's ability to resist common everyday urges.

Participants had a mobile device and had to report on a questionnaire every 30 minutes on any desires that they were feeling, rating them from “strong” to “irresistible”.

The results 

The urge to check Twitter and Facebook was harder to resist than smoking, drinking alcohol and even sleeping, and, for several, love-making.

Conversely, a person’s dedication to their job is harder to break than other habits which are, traditionally, seen as far more addictive.

“The most strongly felt desires were for sleep and sex. Unexpectedly, cravings for cigarettes and alcohol were reported as weakest. In terms of actual behaviour, participants had the hardest time stopping themselves from checking social media when they preferred not to, suggesting that these urges actually drove people’s actions more than drugs or sex did,” June Muthomi, the lead researcher of the study said.

In contrast, people were relatively successful at resisting sports inclinations, sexual urges and spending impulses.

“Desires for media may be comparatively harder to resist because of their high availability and also because it feels like it does not cost much to engage in these activities, even though one wants to resist,” she said.

Read more:Sex addiction is more common than previously thought - study