A recent study published in Scientific Reports suggests that many Instagram users may mistake their habitual scrolling for addiction. The research, which surveyed 1,204 adults in the United States, found that most excessive social media use is driven by habit rather than true addiction.
Addiction is typically defined by symptoms such as difficulty controlling use, cravings, withdrawal symptoms when not using, and continued use despite negative consequences. Researchers Ian Anderson and Wendy Wood focused on a sample of 380 US Instagram users with an average age of 44 years. Half of the participants were women. While 18% at least somewhat agreed they were addicted to Instagram—and 5% strongly agreed—only 2% showed symptoms that would indicate a risk of actual addiction.
The researchers examined how social media use is described in US news articles from November 2021 to November 2024. They found that the phrase "social media addiction" appeared in 4,383 articles during this period, while "social media habit" was mentioned only 50 times. According to the authors, this tendency to describe frequent social media use as an addiction may influence how users view their own behavior.
In a follow-up survey involving another group of 824 adult Instagram users, participants were prompted to consider their social media use as an addiction. This framing led to lower feelings of control over their usage and increased blame directed at both themselves and the platform for excessive use.
The study concludes that labeling frequent social media activity as an addiction—by news outlets or other institutions—may cause users to overestimate their level of dependence on platforms like Instagram and negatively affect how they perceive their own habits. The authors recommend more careful use of the term "addiction" by policymakers and journalists when discussing social media behavior.
