Experiences of Social Media Addiction among Emerging Filipino Adults in Catholic Schools

Abstract

This paper explored the experiences of SMA of emerging Filipino adults in Catholic schools. First, SMA signs: health displacement, social media for relief, loss of focus, FOMO, losing time, and failure of daily functioning. Second, mood modifications without social media: irritability, boredom, sadness and feeling incomplete, restlessness and anxiety, frustration, stress, and depression. Third, SMA susceptibility regardless of orientations: dependent on male and female interests, diverse intact and non-intact family dynamics, partners’ rendezvous while free means more use, sleeping aid for those with sleep disturbances and academic for those without, in support of physical activity and idleness and procrastination, financial sources and alternative education for low income and affordability of gadgets and connection for high income, and internet access of greater and lesser users. Finally, internet’s role for social media operations: internet as minimum requirement, making use of paid connection, and the stable the internet, the intense the use.