9781422270967

DETOXING FROM ALCOHOL

DETOXING FROM DRUGS

DETOXING FROMGAMBLING

DETOXING FROM SHOPPING

DETOXING FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

DETOXING FROM A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP

DETOXING FROM UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS

DETOXING FROM VIDEO GAMES

By Andrew Morkes

PO Box 221876, Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2023 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-4719-8 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4222-4725-9 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-7096-7 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Andrew Morkes Cover and Interior Design: Tara Raymo • CreativelyTara Layout: Priceless Digital Media, LLC Publisher’s Note: Websites listed in this book were active at the time of publication. The publisher is not responsible for websites that have changed their address or discontinued operation since the date of publication. The publisher reviews and updates the websites each time the book is reprinted.

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CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1: What is Social Media Addiction? .......................... 11 Chapter 2: The Negative Effects of Social Media Addiction .......................................... 29 Chapter 3: Treating Social Media Addiction .......................... 39 Chapter 4: The Impact on Loved Ones . .................................. 51 Glossary of Key Terms . ............................................................. 66 Further Reading . ....................................................................... 72 Internet Resources .................................................................... 73 Index . .......................................................................................... 74 Credits . ....................................................................................... 79 Author’s Biography ................................................................... 80 KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR: Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

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Introduction

We live in stressful times. The COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest, and other ongoing challenges (such as poverty, racism, serious damage to the environment, job loss, financial distress, and the illnesses and deaths of loved ones) have raised stress to record levels. “These compounding stressors are having real consequences on our minds and bodies,” according to the American Psychological Association, which says that these and other problems are causing a “national mental health crisis” in the United States. The situation is the same or even worse in other countries around the world. As a result, many people are abusing drugs and alcohol more frequently and/or engaging in other addictive behaviors (such as gambling, overeating, and spending hours and hours using social media) to reduce stress and blunt the pain of the loss of loved ones, relationships, homes, or jobs, or other serious life events. One example is the rising number of drug overdoses, which have been fueled by the growing use and spread of the deadly opioid fentanyl. Nearly 100,000 Americans died from overdoses from June 2020 to June 2021—an 18.2 percent increase from June 2019 to June 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other

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addictions—such as problem gambling or spending too much time on social media or playing video games—are not typically physically dangerous, but they can damage our mental health, cause us to lose focus on important things in life (e.g., our families, relationships, faith, or careers), and otherwise downgrade the quality of our lives. For those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol or who have unhealthy relationships with food, gambling, or even shopping or social media, it can seem daunting to overcome these challenges, especially given the ongoing stressors in their lives. But there is hope for anyone who feels that they are controlled by an addiction or who seeks to otherwise rebalance their lives. They will have a bright future if they seek help with their addictions from friends and families, and, most significantly, from counselors, physicians, and clinicians (such as psychologists and psychiatrists). Each book in the Detoxing from series spotlights a major addiction; discusses the negative physical and mental effects of the addiction on the addict, as well as its effects on family and other loved ones; and provides an overview of treatment strategies for the addiction. Stories of those who are battling addictions are also featured to humanize these issues and help readers better understand that anyone—from young and old, to the wealthy, middle class, or the poor, to those who have a PhD or who are still in high school—can develop toxic relationships with drugs, alcohol, gambling, and/or other behaviors. The path to detoxing from drugs, alcohol, problem gambling, shopping, social media use, and other challenges will not be easy—and there may be bumps in the road. But there will be happiness, healing, and the opportunity for personal growth and success for those who continue walking on the road of recovery.

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WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

brand: a name and look given to a product or service by a company or other organization fake news: misleading or false news stories that are presented as true but are geared to mislead people nonprofit organization: a group that uses any money it generates to advance its stated goals (e.g., helping people to fight their addictions, assisting the homeless); it is not a corporation or other for-profit business professional networking: the process of interacting with people in person and on the Internet in order to get a job and learn more about a particular career or field tweens: young people who are between the ages of eight and twelve

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1 Chapter

What is Social Media Addiction?

What Is Social Media? Social media is an Internet-based form of communication that people use to have conversations; share opinions and fact-based information, photos, videos, and blog posts; sell products and services; and promote themselves or the work of an organization. Marketing professors Michael Haenlein and Andreas Kaplan identified the following types of social media in their article in Business Horizons , “Users of the World, Unite! The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media.” Keep in mind that some social media sites can be listed in more than one category, other experts have created larger groupings of social media types, and not everyone agrees about what is and what is not social media. • blogs and microblogs: e.g., Twitter, WordPress, Blogger • collaborative projects: e.g., Wikipedia

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• content communities: e.g., YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr • social-networking sites: e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn • virtual game worlds: e.g., World of Warcraft • virtual social worlds: e.g., Second Life Social media has existed in some form since the 1990s, but the format we know today became popular in the last twenty or so years. In recent years, social media has become immensely popular. In 2005, only 5 percent of American adults reported using at least one social

Many people use social media to stay connected with friends and family who live in other states or across the world.

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Detoxing from Social Media

media platform, according to the Pew Research Center, which today reports that 72 percent of the American public uses some type of social media. In 2020, more than 3.6 billion people worldwide used social media, according to Statista.com. This number is projected to increase to nearly 4.41 billion in 2025. The Benefits of Social Media Many people enjoy using Facebook, checking out videos on TikTok, reading blogs, or using other types of social media. There are many benefits to using social media, including the ability to: • stay connected with friends and family and reconnect with old classmates, coworkers, and others • make new friends who have shared interests • stay up to date with news events or the activities and achievements of one’s favorite organizations or public figures (e.g., artists, actors, musicians) • share one’s artwork, writing, or music and receive feedback • play games with friends • find community and support for specific activities • have fun, blow off steam, and be entertained Social media can also be used for professional and business purposes. Many people use LinkedIn and other professional networking sites to learn about trends in their industry, participate in networking opportunities with recruiters and people in their field, and find jobs. Businesses value social media because, it allows them to market their products and services for free (or inexpensively if they purchase ads), talk with their customers and obtain feedback, and elevate their brands .

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What is Social Media Addiction?

Many people feel empowered to spew hate on social media because of the perceived feeling of anonymity of the Internet.

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Detoxing from Social Media

Learn about the link between social media and depression.

The Potential Risks of Using Social Media There are pros and cons to engaging in almost any life activity, but using social media can create some harmful repercussions. Here are some of the most significant ones. Keep these in mind when you go online. Social media can cause: • exposure to age-inappropriate or otherwise harmful content about sex, pornography, illegal drugs, alcohol, and violence (including self-harm and animal torture) • exposure to cyberbullies, sexual predators, cybercriminals (e.g., identity theft, phishing), and other dangerous people • increased risk of depression and suicide • damage to one’s reputation if you overshare information about your life or post offensive content

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What is Social Media Addiction?

Total entertainment screen time for both tweens and teens increased between 2019 and 2021, according to a study by Common Sense.

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Detoxing from Social Media