[ajuc]

Social media like all addictions fulfill needs that you can't satisfy other ways in your current state. Mostly human contact and validation.

If you start getting out there and communicating with real people on intimate level - most addictions melt away by itself.

It makes more sense to focus on the root cause instead of fighting the symptoms.

[HEmanZ]

I disagree. Looking inward at myself at outward at addicted friends and family it does not fill any need.

What it does is “hooks the attention” using outrage and a constant stream of dopamine hits.

“ If you start getting out there and communicating with real people on intimate level - most addictions melt away by itself.”

I highly suspect you are not an addiction specialist…

[unionjack22]

It can be both. The further away I get from social media and its singular narratives where it’s always “this ONE thing” form of causeality, the more I realize the mechanisms and causes can be multimodal and compound upon on another.

[coldtea]

>I highly suspect you are not an addiction specialist…

Which also means they're not selling addiction help (which profits when addicts remain so), nor is indoctrinated to the professional fads of that racket

[WhyOhWhyQ]

Since someone else vocally disagreed, I'll just back this up. If you change your social situation (new job, new friends, etc...) then a lot of other changes seem to be easier, in my experience.

[jimbokun]

Getting off those apps is a good first step towards getting out there and communicating with real people on an intimate level.