A study in Scientific Reports finds that excessive use of social media like Instagram is mostly habit-driven, not genuine addiction. Only 2% of users show compatible symptoms, despite 18% feeling dependent. Researchers warn that mislabeling habits as addiction causes unnecessary guilt and diverts from effective strategies.
Researchers Ian Anderson from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Wendy Wood from the University of Southern California studied 1,204 adult Instagram users. Their Scientific Reports paper distinguishes addiction—which involves loss of control, tolerance, and withdrawal—from habit, simply frequent repetition. For most, excessive use stems from the latter.
While 18% of participants see themselves as addicted and 5% are convinced they suffer from it, only 2% display actual symptoms. “Digital addiction is a myth. What you have is a bad habit, and it can be fixed,” Anderson states. Reviewing over 5,000 publications, the authors find 'addiction' in 4,383 articles versus just 50 on 'habit,' shaping user perceptions.
This mislabeling breeds guilt and perceived lack of control, they argue. In 98% of cases, it's automatic cognitive associations from repeated rewards. It's not harmless: habits can shift to compulsion with excess, triggering physiological mechanisms.
With over 5.66 billion global users, 2% equals about 113 million at risk, but the authors believe true addicts are fewer, not meeting clinical standards. They suggest tactics like disabling notifications, keeping phones out of sight, or replacing use with alternatives, rather than substance-dependency treatments.
The study focuses on adults; for youth, a WHO report shows 11% have lives substantially disrupted by devices and 32% risk problematic use. Francisco José Rivera from the University of Seville agrees on the duality: networks fight loneliness but can isolate. “They can be a tool to improve mental health or generate isolation. Evidence points both ways,” he says.