Addiction to the internet happens when people get dependent on the use of the internet. It can be texting, constantly peeking, or using social media. Professionals have compared this addiction to drug addiction because it impacts a person’s health, daily life, work performance, mental process, and engagement with others, the same way drugs do. The American Psychiatric Association has reported that children between the ages of 13 and 17 are practically always online. These figures demonstrate that addiction to the internet is becoming more prevalent and real on a daily basis. Are you addicted to the internet? Do you want to know the way out? Stay with us! Why is Digital Media Addiction Harmful? Health professionals often state that too much sitting is the new smoking. However, perhaps it is more worrying is what people normally do when seated. Like, mindlessly browsing through social media accounts when they have a few free minutes. And, as we presumably instinctively understand, and as researchers confirm, this is a harmful practice for our collective psyche. Here are a few most terrific impacts social media addiction can bring upon people’s overall health. A Sense of Inadequacy Social media users are aware that the photographs they see on these media are edited. These things nevertheless make them feel uneasy about their appearance or current circumstances. Similarly, people mostly share only the great aspects of their life, seldom the terrible ones that they encounter. However, this can provoke the emotions of jealousy and unhappiness when an unhappy person goes through a friend's retouched images doing exciting things like visiting an exotic beach vacation, celebrating a new job promotion, partying in a lavish restaurant, etc. Read Generation growing up with digital addiction since childhood Fear of Not Having Anything There is a term for it that refers to The Fear of Missing out or FOMO. FOMO occurs when social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook seem to intensify emotions that other people are having fun or enjoying lives that someone else dreams of.  The belief that one is missing out on some things might have a negative effect on one’s self-esteem, and provoke one’s anxiety. Which in turn will motivate that individual to engage in even more social media usage.