When researching for this article, I felt the urge to open Instagram on my phone. In fact, the very idea to write about social media addiction came from scrolling through Instagram reels. The existence of this article proves how deeply embedded social media is in our lives. As we navigate our teenage years, we are constantly reminded by peers and adults about the dangers of social media: cyberbullying, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and, most notably, social media addiction. With the rapid development and spread of social media in the past decade, the idea that a social, content-making app is inherently bad is not a common belief. However, despite the global connection it facilitates, and its role as a platform for sharing knowledge, the long-term effects of social media can be just as harmful as substance abuse.

While everyone acknowledges the risks, signs and effects of social media addiction, few take action to address it. And social media companies have long utilized psychological tactics to keep users immersed in their platforms—so who truly bears the responsibility for addiction? Should users be held accountable if they are being subtly urged to excessively consume?

Social media platforms are designed to trigger rushes of dopamine to the brain, to make users return again and again. Once the brain receives these rushes, social media becomes increasingly difficult to resist. Adolescents are even more vulnerable as brain development remains ongoing, making them more susceptible to addiction through impulsiveness and other factors. The need for social connection, as humans are inherently social beings, is another reason—not just for adolescents—to reach for social media. With instant, affordable access to social media platforms, the urge to chase never-ending dopamine is even more enticing than ever.

Triggers such as notifications activate the brain’s reward center, resulting in a rush similar to that of gambling or using drugs. This rush induces repetitive behavior, which creates a trigger-action-reward cycle that hooks people and continues even as it turns self-destructive. After an extended period, habits are formed and triggers are no longer needed to entice consumers.

Social media companies purposefully impose addiction on their users for financial gain, not just through notifications and alerts, but also through the very structure of their platform. The infinite scroll was created so that users can endlessly swipe without clicking; without the necessary stopping cues, people continue scrolling incessantly. Notifications are colored red, which subconsciously signals their “importance.” Algorithms for a user’s “For You” page are personalized, catering to an individual’s interests so they remain on the app longer. Gamification elements produce a sense of accomplishment, such as the “Snapstreak” on Snapchat, which counts the total consecutive days users send each other pictures or videos. Likes, comments, shares and views of posts make people seek constant social validation. All these tactics are used to psychologically manipulate consumers to stay on social media platforms for far longer than they realize.

As a result, addiction to devices and social media is plaguing the young, and oftentimes older generations, creating an overload of mental, physical and emotional harm, including depression, substance abuse, suicide and sleep deprivation. Addiction can be classified as the dependence on a behavior, where individuals are unable to stop, even when it interferes with other aspects of their life.

Those with trouble controlling time spent on social media can seek the support of peers or trusted adults to help them regulate their time and remind them to stop. Goals can be set to limit time on social media and find alternative non-digital hobbies or activities to do. Notifications can also be turned off to reduce the urge to check apps and instead plan meetups with friends and family.

Apart from users controlling their habits, platform developers should impose comprehensive design improvements, such as stricter time limits, age limits and prompts to encourage taking breaks. Gamification of healthy use features or apps that reward users for spending time offline could be implemented as well. Online community support can provide and share resources on how to manage social media habits. However, these suggestions do not address the core issue voiced by researchers: that social media encourages people to stay hooked to their screens.

Though lack of self-control and many other life struggles that adolescents endure play a factor in the rising number of social media addiction cases, they should not be held solely accountable. Delegating the responsibility of managing addiction to app stores, parents or the youth fail to address the harms inherent in social media platforms—much like casino slot machines that keep players hooked. These platforms have become digital casinos, drawing users into cycles of compulsive use. Rather, the responsibility of managing addiction lies with the platform developers and providers of these technologies as well, to structurally correct harmful design features and functions prevalent in many media platforms today.