IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2020 - 65

even seek out cats, finding cat urine sexually arousing.
This behavior leads the mouse to be eaten by the cat, at
which point the parasite is able to reproduce in the ideal
environment inside the cat's body [29]. While this mechanism involves the parasite releasing chemical agents
directly in the brain of the mouse, the Facebook user's
brain is influenced remotely by algorithms that trigger
emotions, in turn releasing chemical agents that drive
the user's complex behavior in real life.

Combating Social Media Addiction
Given the prevalence and the possible dangers of SM
addiction, there have been many proposed solutions,
sadly none of them a silver bullet. Part of the problem is
that the nature of the addiction is complex, with no clear
bright line between normal and pathological behaviors.
Some users spend inordinate amounts of time on SM,
yet they are very much in control, while others spend
less time but show more clear signs of addiction.
The SM addiction manifestations reported in the literature are similar to symptoms of other types of addiction. They include increased tolerance, inability to
control use despite psychosocial problems and despite
trying to cut back, using SM as an escape mechanism,
and opportunity costs in real life due to excessive use.
Preliminary results indicate changes in the brains of
those affected, involving both grey and white matter,
along with changes in the dopaminergic system in the
brain [4]. The brain anatomy of SM addicted users is similar to that of people addicted to gambling or substances
[15]. Participants who scored high on the Bergen Social
Media Addiction Scale were also more likely to make
poor decisions on the Iowa Gambling Task, a decisionmaking impairment similar to that of people with other
types of substance and behavioral addictions [14].
One area of agreement is that prevention is more
effective than treatment [30]. Researchers typically consider a combination of prevention means, including one
or more of the following: technology, law, and education. For treatment of SM addiction, there are few
options discussed in the literature, and they tend to parallel those for IA in general. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective for IA [31], although
the wide range of outcomes does not always spell success [4]. Additional treatment options include self-help
(mindfulness), multilevel counseling, and drugs (those
intended for depression). School, family, and organizational policies can also help [32]. In contrast, many
more prevention techniques have been proposed and
used, as detailed in the next section.

Preventing Social Media Addiction
Several studies have reviewed the options for preventing
addiction. In particular, there is widespread agreement,
MARCH 2020

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While most Internet users are
able to manage their time online,
other users are unable to do so, and
they suffer extreme consequences.
that younger users are most vulnerable in virtual
worlds, because they have had less exposure to the real
world. Goltz [7] recommends a four-pronged approach:
increasing user awareness (similar to warning messages
on cigarettes), technological measures to identify
minors and limit use, help (via help centers and distress
buttons in the virtual environment), and liability (via legislation in the real world). He emphasizes that legal regulation is needed, as other forms are insufficient.
An example of a way in which legislation can help is
by expanding the scope of media ratings to include
addictiveness, not just content. Western media organizations post ratings for content that includes sex, violence,
drug, or language use, but are not required to warn
users of the addictive nature of the content [33].
Although the degree of addictiveness is likely to be highly user-dependent and is difficult to quantify absolutely,
so is the nature of the content. The same type of content is likely to arouse widely different and subjective
reactions in different subjects. If it is possible to have
well-established objective ratings for content, there
should be ways to rate the addictive nature of SM as well.
Another way to use legislation is to limit access to
addictive content. This could involve either the wholesale prohibition of creating addictive content or the
more lenient requirement that addictive content be prohibited for vulnerable populations (e.g., underage persons, similar to tobacco and alcohol). Both of these
legislative approaches raise concerns, as we discuss in
the next section.
A third way to use legislation is when considering the
direct and indirect costs of addiction on SM users: just
as smokers are able to sue tobacco companies for damages arising from the use of their products, it might be
possible for SM addicts to sue for missed productivity or
other opportunity or direct costs. Some legal scholars
have even started to question whether IA is a disability,
and not just an addiction. Goren discusses the different
protections afforded to a disability (protected under the
Americans with Disabilities Act) or to an addiction, for
example alcoholism, which is protected by ADA for past
use (successfully treated), but not for current use [34].
Technology can be a great vehicle to set limits on the
type of content allowed or the minimal legal age for using

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