Today, social networks have become more than a simple means of communication, influencing, many times, in our personal and social relationships. There are people who without realizing it, spend hours in them generating dependency, adolescents are the most prone, since they are in a stage of development that can produce a high degree of instability in their interests. Mary Castro, a psychologist at Clinica Ricardo Palma, explains that the causes that generate this type of addiction are personal dissatisfaction, depression, and lack of affection, among other emotional situations that we can identify with the following symptoms:

• Anxiety. It appears when the person does not have their phone or laptop nearby, because they feel uneasy or nervous when they are not able to check their social networks.
• Irritability. There is anger and annoyance when the person is interrupted or loses sight of its device. Shows exaggerated anger.
• Low tolerance for frustration. The individual does not tolerate that his real environment is not as dynamic and entertaining as his social networks.
• Disturbed sleep. The affected person spends many hours at night checking the different platforms, without resting properly.
• The person begins to isolate himself from his family and social environment, showing little interest in spending time with other people.

If you recognize these characteristics in someone close to you, it is recommended to seek professional help, in order to identify the cause of the problem and overcome it. Communication is essential to avoid this type of situation, especially in this time of pandemic. While it is true that adolescents are the most prone to this dependence, adults also suffer from it.

Mary Castro
psychologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma