twitter-logo

Twitter addiction is similar to gambling addiction, according to new research.

The overuse of using social media and gambling addiction has much in common, according to a leading doctor at a notable health care facility in America.

The research was undertaken at the University of Missouri, where 600 people were surveyed who had Twitter accounts.

Dr. Scott Bea, a psychologist in Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Behavioural Health, said that the thrill people experience when they interact on social media has many parallels with the rush of winning at a casino.

The parallel with gambling is that, social media addiction means that you keep coming back, with a hope of winning.

On a network like Twitter, the thrill comes from someone responding or re-tweeting you. Others get thrills when someone favourites their post.

Dr Bea said: “You can start chasing that good feeling or chasing that excitement and over-invest in it. And just like with a gambler’s addiction, you don’t get paid off every time. You only get paid off once in a while and that makes a strong allegiance to that slot machine.”

The participants, who were all on Twitter for nearly an hour every day, were also asked by the researcher about how their usage, categorized as “excessive,” affected their personal relationships outside of the digital realm. The researchers then linked this behaviour to conflict, cheating and breakups between the participants and their partners.

Dr Bea said: “The study looked at people who, by and large, express that they use Twitter a lot – on the average, about 52 minutes a day. That’s a lot. And their relationships suffer as a result of that involvement.”

This post currently has no comments, be the first.

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply