Newswire: Addicted to your phone? New tool identifies overuse of digital media

Newswire: Addicted to your phone? New tool identifies overuse of digital media. “The rapidly evolving nature of digital media presents a challenge for those who study digital addiction – social networks like TikTok and video games like Fortnite might be popular now, but they could be irrelevant in a matter of years. A new tool developed by researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York will make it easier for clinicians and researchers to measure digital media addiction as new technologies emerge.”

PsyPost: New research explores why college students overuse short-video platforms

PsyPost: New research explores why college students overuse short-video platforms. “Short-video applications like YouTube and TikTok have become increasingly popular among college students. While these platforms offer entertainment and social interaction, a study in Computers in Human Behavior highlighted that excessive use could lead to behavioral addiction symptoms, such as emotional depression, reduced learning and work efficiency, and poor time management.”

Associated Press: Utah sues TikTok, alleging it lures children into addictive and destructive social media habits

Associated Press: Utah sues TikTok, alleging it lures children into addictive and destructive social media habits. “Utah became the latest state Tuesday to file a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the company is ‘baiting’ children into addictive and unhealthy social media habits. TikTok lures children into hours of social media use, misrepresents the app’s safety and deceptively portrays itself as independent of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, Utah claims in the lawsuit.”

Bloomberg: Google Search Is Like ‘Cigarettes or Drugs,’ Executive Said

Bloomberg: Google Search Is Like ‘Cigarettes or Drugs,’ Executive Said. “A senior Google executive once likened the company’s search advertising business to selling drugs, calling it ‘one of the world’s greatest business models ever created’ since the company can ‘ignore’ users and focus on generating revenue from advertising. Michael Roszak, vice president for finance at Alphabet Inc.’s Google, wrote the notes during a July 2017 training Google offered on communications.”

CNN: Teens are exhausted by phone notifications but don’t know how to quit, report finds

CNN: Teens are exhausted by phone notifications but don’t know how to quit, report finds. “About one-fourth of notifications came during school hours, a finding researchers said suggests phones and apps could improve on cutting down unnecessary alerts at times when teens shouldn’t be disrupted — especially because, during school hours, most participants used their phone at least once for 43 minutes on average. But some teens used their phones for more than six hours during that time.”

PsyPost: New study uncovers a “vicious cycle” between feeling less socially connected and increased smartphone use

PsyPost: New study uncovers a “vicious cycle” between feeling less socially connected and increased smartphone use. “Using smartphones for extended periods could negatively impact mental well-being and social connectedness, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of British Columbia and a media lab in Germany. Unlike earlier research that relied on self-reported data, this study from the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships employed direct tracking of screen time, revealing a ‘vicious cycle’ in which feeling less socially connected leads to increased smartphone use.”

Column: I quit Twitter for a week. I didn’t miss it. Be worried, Elon Musk (Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Times: Column: I quit Twitter for a week. I didn’t miss it. Be worried, Elon Musk. “At its best, Twitter makes you feel connected to the world in an instantaneous way that rivals like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok can’t match. Those platforms are simply too thought out, too intentional, too much hassle, when all you want to do is fire off a 140-character thought or a goofy GIF. Twitter is all about the ramble, the random, the rants — how you talk with friends in real life. And that was the thing I quickly realized during my break: I could replicate Twitter in real life by, well, living in real life.”

PsyPost: Social media dependency is linked to a reduced preference for freedom, study finds

PsyPost: Social media dependency is linked to a reduced preference for freedom, study finds. “Social media dependency is associated with a reduced preference for freedom, according to new research published in Psychological Reports. The study suggests that people who are heavily dependent on social media may use it as a way to escape from the uncertainties and challenges of the real world.”

Arizona State University: ‘News addiction’ can cause stress, anxiety, study says

Arizona State University: ‘News addiction’ can cause stress, anxiety, study says. “The obsessive urge to keep up with that news can lead to stress, anxiety and worsening physical health, according to a study in the journal Health Communication. The study found that 16.5% of 1,100 people polled in an online survey showed signs of ‘severely problematic’ news consumption, which led them to focus less on school, work and family, and contributed to an inability to sleep. Just more than 73% said they experienced mental health issues ‘quite a bit’ or ‘very much,’ and 61% reported their physical health suffered.”