Is Social Media Really Addictive…Or Are We Asking the Wrong Question?

Let’s be honest, we have all heard the phrases: my child is addicted to their phone, they can’t put it down, it’s like a drug. In the heat of a power struggle over a screen, those words land with the force of certainty. It inevitably comes up by a concerned parent at each of my conferences. But as I dove into the research around addiction in relation to social media I decided there’s a bigger question worth asking: is this truly addiction, or are we looking at something else entirely? The answer matters, not just for how we talk about it, but for how we respond as parents, educators, and professionals who want to support teens to grow with technology . Safely, confidently, and with humanity intact.