Does the Word “Addiction” Always Mean Something Bad When It Comes To Youth, Teens, and Their Use of Technology?
- The White Hatter
- 8 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Few words generate as much concern among parents and caregivers today as the word addiction, especially when it is attached to social media, smartphones, gaming, or other forms of technology. This is why “some” special interest groups and individuals like to push the word addiction in their public discourse.
It is not uncommon to hear a teen say, “I’m addicted to TikTok,” or a parent or caregiver say, “My child is addicted to their phone.” These statements are often made with genuine concern, however, emerging research suggests that what many people describe as addiction, may not always align with how addiction is defined in clinical or medical settings. This distinction matters because the language we use can influence how we understand a problem and, ultimately, how we choose to respond to it.
Very recently, some 2025 research examining Instagram and TikTok users provides important insight into why so many people describe themselves as addicted to social media, even when their behaviour does not meet accepted clinical criteria for addiction. In one study involving 380 Instagram users in the United States, approximately 18 percent of participants described themselves as addicted to the platform (1). However, only 2 percent met the threshold that researchers associated with being at risk for problematic use. Researchers also found a similar pattern among TikTok users where 59 percent of participants reported feeling addicted, only 9 percent displayed behaviours that suggested a level of use that could be considered problematic.
These findings highlight an important reality, that being feeling addicted and being clinically addicted are not necessarily the same thing. Many people use the word addiction to “colloquially” describe behaviours they engage in frequently, enjoy intensely, or sometimes struggle to control. However, frequent use alone is not sufficient to meet clinical definitions of addiction.
One of the more fascinating findings from the above noted research was the role language plays in shaping how people interpret their own behaviour. Researchers found that terms such as “social media addiction” appear hundreds of times more frequently in public discourse than more neutral phrases such as “social media habits” or “social media use patterns”, and that difference matters.
When people are repeatedly exposed to messages suggesting that social media is inherently addictive, they may become more likely to interpret normal or habitual behaviours through that lens. In fact, the researchers found that simply exposing participants to messages framing social media use as addictive increased the likelihood that they would describe themselves as addicted. The researchers also found that it reduced a user’s confidence in their ability to manage their own behaviour and increased feelings of self-blame.
This raises an important question for parents and caregivers, “If young people repeatedly hear that technology is designed to control them and that they are powerless against it, are we helping them build healthy digital habits, or are we unintentionally undermining their confidence in their ability to self-regulate?”
At The White Hatter, we believe this distinction is important. Most young people who spend significant amounts of time on social media are not experiencing a clinical addiction, more often, they are developing habits sometimes bad and sometimes good. Habits can be powerful, they can be difficult to break, they can consume more time than intended, and they can even interfere with other priorities when left unchecked (2).
However, habits and addictions are not identical. A teenager who checks Instagram every morning before school may have developed a habit, a young person who reflexively opens TikTok whenever they feel bored may have developed a habit. We would argue, even spending several hours a day on social media does not automatically indicate addiction, something that the research also supports as you will read.
The encouraging news is that habits can often be addressed through practical strategies such as creating routines, establishing boundaries, improving self-awareness, and developing healthier alternatives. These approaches tend to be more effective than fear based messaging that suggests young people have little control over their behaviour.
This discussion became even more interesting following the release of new research from Oxford University in 2026 (3). For years, concerns about social media have often been linked to design features such as infinite scrolling, algorithmic recommendations, variable rewards, notifications, and personalized content feeds. Critics frequently argue that these features operate in ways similar to substances or activities traditionally associated with addiction. However, Oxford researchers questioned whether these platform features actually engage the same neurocognitive mechanisms found in established addictions The researchers concluded that the evidence did not support the idea that problematic social media use operates through the same underlying neurocognitive pathways associated with recognized addictions.
Importantly, the researchers were also careful not to dismiss the real struggles that some individuals experience with social media. Instead, they suggested that the addiction framework itself may not be the most accurate lens through which to understand those struggles. In other words, people can experience genuine difficulties with social media without those difficulties necessarily being the same as substance addiction. That distinction may have important implications for how parents, educators, policymakers, and mental health professionals think about support and intervention.
Another recent 2026 preprint study helps explain why simply labeling young people as “social media addicts” may overlook what is really happening beneath the surface (4). This researchers analyzed data from more than 7,000 adolescents in the United Kingdom between the ages of 16 and 18 and found that nearly half, 47 percent, reported feeling addicted to social media. At first glance, that number may seem alarming, however, when researchers looked more closely at these young people, they discovered something important. The adolescents who reported feeling addicted were not one large, uniform group experiencing the same challenges. Instead, researchers identified three very different profiles.
The Socially Connected Group
The largest group, representing approximately 74 percent of those who felt addicted to social media, actually reported many positive indicators of wellbeing. Compared to other adolescents, these teens tended to have higher self-esteem and were more likely to report feeling happy, socially connected, and safe. This finding challenges a common assumption that anyone who says they are addicted to social media must be struggling psychologically. For many young people, frequent social media use may simply reflect an important part of their social lives rather than a sign of significant distress.
The Risk-Taking Group
Approximately 10 percent of participants fell into what researchers described as a “risk behaviour” profile. These adolescents reported more conduct related challenges, greater involvement in behaviours such as vaping, and lower levels of parental monitoring. In this group, problematic social media use may be part of a broader pattern of risk-taking behaviours rather than an isolated technology issue. This distinction matters because simply restricting access to social media may not address the underlying factors contributing to the behaviour.
The Low Wellbeing Group
The remaining 16 percent of participants represented what researchers described as a “low wellbeing” profile. These adolescents reported higher levels of depression, greater emotional difficulties, and lower self-esteem. For these young people, social media use may be serving a different purpose. Rather than being primarily social or recreational, it may be functioning as a coping mechanism for emotional struggles, loneliness, stress, or mental health challenges. In these situations, focusing exclusively on screen time may overlook the more important issue requiring attention.
Taken together, the three studies in this article encourage us to ask a deeper question, “Instead of focusing exclusively on whether social media is addictive, perhaps we should be asking why some young people develop highly dependent or unhealthy relationships with technology in the first place.”, given that technology itself is only one part of the equation. To quote psychologist Dr Pete Etchel’s,
“So instead of asking, does social media use cause mental health issues? perhaps a better question might be: why do some people prosper online while others get into real difficulty? (5) ”
Research continues to show that a young person’s relationship with social media is influenced by many factors, including mental health, social connectedness, family relationships, self-esteem, stress, loneliness, boredom, sleep quality, school experiences, and offline opportunities for belonging and achievement (6).
For many youth and teens, social media may serve as a healthy tool for connection, creativity, learning, entertainment, and social engagement. For others, it may become a way to avoid stress, escape difficult emotions, cope with loneliness, seek validation, or fill unmet emotional needs.
When a youth or teen says, “I think I’m addicted to social media,” that statement alone tells us very little about what is actually happening.
For one young person, it may mean they enjoy connecting with friends online.
For another, it may be part of a broader pattern of risk-taking behaviour.
For another, it may be a sign of emotional distress, loneliness, anxiety, or depression.
The behaviour may look similar on the surface, but the reasons behind it can be very different. Understanding those underlying reasons may be far more important than debating whether problematic social media should be labeled an addiction.
At The White Hatter, we encourage parents and caregivers to approach conversations about technology with both curiosity and balance. It has been our experience that the vast majority of young people use gaming, social media, and digital tools in healthy ways that enhance their lives, however, a smaller percentage may develop problematic patterns that deserve attention and support. The goal should not be to minimize concerns, nor should it be to assume that every highly engaged user is addicted. Instead, parents can focus on questions such as:
Is technology interfering with sleep?
Is it replacing meaningful face-to-face relationships?
Is it negatively affecting school performance?
Is it contributing to emotional distress?
Is it preventing participation in other important activities?
What need is this technology meeting in my child’s life?
These questions often provide more useful insights than simply asking how many hours a child spends online.
As the emerging research suggests, most frequent technology use appears to be driven by powerful habits rather than clinical addiction. That distinction matters because habits can be changed, skills can be taught, and healthy digital behaviours can be developed.
The challenge facing parents and caregivers is not simply helping children spend less time online, it’s helping them develop the knowledge, self-awareness, critical thinking skills, emotional resilience, and self-regulation strategies needed to thrive in an increasingly connected world.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
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