I'm wondering about this...I have nothing to do with social media. I belong to 2 forums...if you consider that to be social media. I don't think I do but some of you may disagree.

It's my understanding that an addiction is, essentially, an ever increasing requirement for dopamine? (Please feel free to correct anything I say here as I really am just talking without any real research or reading)....

So social media creates addicts by giving a person a dopamine high...right? Validation through "likes"?

Now here, on Psych Central, we have a "thanks" and a "hugs" button and the ability to create a "friends" list...does seeing these create a dopamine high also? Oh and I do not judge you for using or not using any of these things so please...you don't have to defend yourselves...that's not what this is about...

Do those of you who have Instagram or Facebook or Youtube...can you equate the feeling of validation the same as you get here?

Where am I going with this? Well, since I have no frame of reference or any way to compare because I only use PC, and I use it as a tool to connect. And it does nothing for me to make me feel better (as far as my brain knows )

I understand that social media can contribute to depression. But I was wondering if those of you who use it, feel better (even momentarily) or if you feel no different. Wouldn't that be a decent indicator of the cause of an individuals depression? So treatment might be different, right? If it means nothing to you, or if you have no reaction, then your dopamine levels are low.
If you "need" to check your status or hearts or thumbs up or whatever it is...then you don't have a lack of dopamine.

If I make no sense, I'm not surprised. And just ignore this thread.