Abstract
Disordered social media use, often referred to as “social media addiction”, has not been officially recognized by medical bodies such as the American Psychiatric Association or the World Health Organization. However, websites still present information to laypeople on how to treat and manage social media addiction, which can pose the risk of spreading low quality or incorrect information. As such, we aimed to assess how the most popular social media addiction websites present information across multiple metrics. We conducted an in-depth online search to identify the top social media addiction websites in November 2019 (N = 23). Websites were separated into four distinct classifications: (1) treatment/therapy/medical; (2) informational; (3) news article; and (4) blog/essay. Based on previous website analysis research, three trained coders evaluated these websites on six metrics: (1) design; (2) credibility; (3) accessibility; (4) literacy; (5) engagement; and (6) social media addiction content. Design features were the top-rated metric across all websites, followed by credibility. Websites scored the lowest for the engagement and social media addiction content metrics. Across website classifications, scores for social media addiction content varied greatly, with blog/essay websites ranking the lowest and informational websites ranking the highest. Our findings provide necessary information for both patients and healthcare providers, apprising these individuals and the field about the current online health information landscape for disordered social media use.
Highlights
The internet is an integrated part of the daily lives of millions of people, with 90% of Americans adults connected online [1]
Unlike traditional methods of obtaining health information from reliable sources, online health sources pose the risk of spreading low quality or false information that could contribute to worse health outcomes [5]
Because of how increasingly common it is for people to use online health information and generally not question the information presented to them [4,29], it was important to conduct a formal, quality assessment of the top returned websites when searching for social media addiction
Summary
The internet is an integrated part of the daily lives of millions of people, with 90% of Americans adults connected online [1]. Individuals seeking health information online may not have the necessary skills or literacy to assess content, which can lead to individuals further believing misinformation [4]. For these reasons, it can be challenging for individuals to find information that is relevant, credible, and understandable in order to enact healthy behaviors [6]. It can be challenging for individuals to find information that is relevant, credible, and understandable in order to enact healthy behaviors [6] With this in mind, we decided to examine the online information available regarding the excessive, maladaptive use of social media platforms.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International journal of environmental research and public health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
