Addiction to Social Media and Its Negative Effects on Learners - Diagnosing the Phenomenon in Light of Real-World Challenges and Treatment Methods

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the world has witnessed an unprecedented digital revolution, most notably marked by the rise and spread of social media, which has radically changed the way people communicate and interact. Humans have moved from the 'real' world to the 'virtual' world, and digital platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have become open spaces for learning, entertainment, and self-expression. Alongside this technological openness and fascination with the digital world, the phenomenon of digital addiction has emerged among learners, who are the most engaged and frequent users of these platforms. The smartphone has become a companion for students both in class and at home, and social networks have turned into a 'parallel school' where learners spend hours sometimes exceeding the time allocated for studying, becoming attached to them to the point of obsession and addiction. Schools now face a new and unusual challenge: students are physically present in class but mentally absent in the virtual world. 

  And this is where the need for this study comes in: first, to understand and diagnose this phenomenon, and second, to search for practical solutions for it