Problem-Solution Essay Draft 4

With the recent rise of many social media platforms, it is of no surprise that social media addiction is fast becoming a problem. People with this problem tend to have a compulsive urge to surf social media excessively, to the extent that it affects their daily activities. According to an info graphic compiled by Go-Globe in 2014, there were 2.03 billion active social media users worldwide, which was a 28% global penetration. In Singapore, one of the most wired places in the world, there was a 62% active social media penetration in 2014. This figure is more than double the global penetration. Focusing on youths of ages 15 to 35, a study by Singapore Polytechnic (2013) has shown that they spend at least 5 hours a day online on average. It is easy to see how this amount of time can spiral out of control. Even more shocking is the fact that many are unaware that they are even addicted. Currently, there are treatments to help people kick their addiction to social media. However, prevention is better than cure. To prevent social media addiction amongst youths, the root cause must first be tackled, and this can be done by having the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) collaborating in educating the youths.

Addiction to social media can be attributed to the release of dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter associated with motivation and reward response in the human brain, whenever a user receives and answers a notification. (Franceschi-Bicchierai, 2012) However, this instant gratification comes with more dire effects than expected for youths. It is affecting them in various aspects of life. Since youths are still schooling, being addicted to social media can negatively affect their grades. They may be so fixated on checking for updates that their attention span decreases, making it hard to concentrate on their work or during lessons. It is ironic that social media were created to connect people more easily, but instead, they have caused us to be socially isolated and, made us lonelier than ever. Youths who are addicted to social media often have the illusion that online interaction equates to companionship, when in actual fact, it lacks the intimacy and friendship involved in the latter. Some even deem it to be of greater importance than face-to-face interaction. These youths are more prone to being obsessed with the virtual world, thereby straining their familial ties and friendships. Self-esteem issues are also a concern for those addicted. It was found that youths who spent more time online experienced more frequent feelings of inadequacy due to constant comparison with their peers on social media. (Guttmann, 2013).

The Singaporean government has identified that social media addiction can be a serious problem amongst youths. Currently, there are two counselling centres available that help with all forms of digital addiction. They are the National Addictions Management Services (NAMS) and TOUCH Community Services. Their services range from helplines, counselling sessions and education campaigns. The counselling sessions provided by NAMS seem to be very comprehensive. Not only do they have a clinic that specialises in adolescents, they also have a well-rounded team consisting of professional counsellors, psychiatrists, psychologists, family therapists and medical social workers. (NAMS, n.d.). The treatment starts with an assessment of condition, which then is followed by individual counselling and group therapy, and finally, family therapy. (NAMS, n.d.). Youths addicted to social media have very high chances of recovery when exposed to such an extensive treatment. On the other hand, TOUCH Community Services focus on awareness campaigns pertaining to different education levels under their TOUCH Cyber Wellness. They strive to encourage students to make “informed and responsible decisions in the cyber space”. (TOUCH Cyber Wellness, n.d.). These campaigns are highly interactive and tailored to the needs of specific age groups, making them effective in grabbing students’ attention.

Despite these existing services, the main problem remains that youths do not even know the symptoms of social media addiction well enough to realize that they need such treatments. Other than those who are forced by their parents to go for counselling, many youths that are in need of help are still oblivious as to how social media addiction is affecting them. They deem their behaviour to be the norm of their generation, since their peers seem to be doing the same as well. Even though there are education programmes that are implemented in schools, such as those by TOUCH Cyber Wellness, to create awareness among youths, their curricula are mostly centered around problems like gaming addiction and cyberbullying rather than social media addiction. This is why there needs to be a collaboration between MCI and MOE to come up with a more versatile awareness campaign that focuses on the traits and impacts of social media addiction so that youths can better identify themselves and take charge of their treatment. They can then recover from their addiction faster since they voluntarily went for counseling instead of being forced to do so.

In conclusion, social media addiction is an emerging problem that impedes the growth of our youths. It is a 21^st Century issue that needs to be solved before it evolves into something even more menacing, and the best way to do so would be by having a cooperation between MCI and MOE to create awareness of the issue amongst youths.  

(892 words)

References

Franceschi-Bicchierai,L. (2012, November 3). How is Facebook Addiction affecting our minds? [Infographic] Mashable. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2012/11/03/facebook-addiction/

GO-Globe. (2014, December 26). Social media addiction- Statistics and Trends. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.go-globe.com/blog/social-media-addiction/

Guttmann, G. (2013). How does social media affect your life? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://singapore.angloinfo.com/information/lifestyle/articles/social-media-addiction/

ReLive - Clinic for Adolescents. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nams.sg/services/Pages/Clinic-for-Adolescents.aspx

Sim, F. (2013, January 11). S'pore youths spending more time online: study. Yahoo! News. Retrieved from https://sg.news.yahoo.com/s-pore-youths-spending-more-time-online--study-100333925.html

Statista. (2014). Active social media penetration in Asian countries in October 2014 [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/255235/active-social-media-penetration-in-asian-countries/

Touch Community Services. (n.d.). TOUCH Cyber Wellness. Retrieved from http://www.touch.org.sg/touch_cyber_wellness

TOUCH Cyber Wellness. (n.d.). Educate. Retrieved from

http://www.planetcrush.org/programmes/educate.htm