A case study of social media addiction among Malaysians

Abstract

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are nowadays a common medium of communication which is often the choice of every segment of society from different age levels. This situation has led many to become addicted to social media. Social media addiction refers to compulsive and excessive use of social media even when the use of those platforms is taking over one’s life and has a negative impact on real-life and relationships. Therefore, this study was conducted by identifying two objectives which are to identify the causes of social media use and to analyze the effects of social media addiction among Malaysians. The research methodology used was qualitative analysis by applying the library method and reading and referencing from previous studies such as journals, theses, articles, papers, and websites related to the subject of the study. The results show that Malaysians are addicted to social media due to a lack of self-discipline, easy access to the Internet, influential peers, and economic market conditions. These causes lead to a domino effect, which will impact our physical health, social interaction, education, and employment. This paper also suggests improvements and actions that could be taken to curb the problem and thus provide alternatives to manage the issue.