Social Media

I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by New Jersey News 12 last night regarding social media and addiction. When discussing social media and wellness, defining a few key terms can be beneficial.

Contagion: A psychological principle where an emotion spreads within a clique, subculture, or group of friends on social media.

Modeling: Replicating behavior after seeing it on social media.

Moral Disengagement: The process of divorcing oneself from generally accepted social rules and replacing them with a different set of morals from an online group.

When treating social media addiction, I always keep these three concepts in mind. In many ways, treating social media addiction is an uphill battle. Like treating any behavioral addiction or use disorder, I start from the same place: the only person who can make a change is the client. We as providers, friends, parents, and teachers can provide guidance and encouragement. Ultimately, however, the client themselves needs to want to make the change. For this reason, evidence based psychotherapies designed to enhance a commitment to change, such as “Motivational Interviewing,” can be very powerful. Combining these types of therapies with family engagement, limit setting, and other practical interventions, positive change is certainly within reach.

By Dr. Sherer