Taylor Lorenz’s Power User Social Media Addiction Isn't Real— Here is What's Really Happening
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Dec 19, 2025 Ian Anderson, a social psychology researcher at Caltech, challenges the prevalent notion of social media addiction. He reveals that many users self-identify as addicted despite not meeting clinical criteria, emphasizing the harm this narrative causes. Anderson explains how media framing influences public perception and advocates for habit-based strategies to manage social media use better. He shares practical interventions, like reducing app friction, and discusses generational differences in perceived addiction, warning against historical moral panics.
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Clinical Science Has No Clear Consensus
- Clinical consensus is lacking on whether behaviors like social media use constitute addiction.
- Social media addiction is not in diagnostic manuals and experts disagree on symptom definitions.
Self-Labeled Addiction Overestimates Risk
- Most people who call themselves "addicted" to Instagram do not meet clinical addiction criteria.
- Ian Anderson found only about 2% of the Instagram sample were at risk for addiction.
Media Amplifies Pathologizing Language
- Media overwhelmingly uses the term "addiction" instead of neutral phrases like "habit."
- Anderson's media analysis found addiction framing is used ~500x more than neutral language.