Is Social Media Addiction A Real Thing‪?‬ The Screenagers Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston dives into the pressing issue of social media addiction through the story of one young person, Lars, and insights from the chief of addiction medicine at Stanford, Ana Lembke, MD, and longtime media researcher Douglas Gentile, PhD. Through Lar’s struggle with social media addiction, listeners gain an intimate look at the impact of social media on mental health and identity. The episode sheds light on the various ways compulsive social media use can impact a young person and delves into the science behind digital addiction. Ultimately, Dr. Ruston and her guests offer valuable tips on how to know when social media use is in the zone of a clinical addiction and, most importantly, how to help teens who are in that zone, or wobbling there, to break free. 
Featured Experts Anna Lembke, MD
Douglas Gentile, Ph.D.
Additional Links Anna Lembke’s book, Dopamine Nation
Lars May and Half The Story
Time code of the episode 00:00 Introduction to Social Media Addiction
00:37 The Lawsuits Against Social Media Giants
01:47 Interview with Experts on Social Media Addiction
02:15 The Power of Social Media and Its Impact
04:19 The Journey of a Social Media Influencer
09:43 The Struggle with Mental Illness and Technology
11:11 The Science Behind Social Media Addiction
13:40 Understanding Addiction on a Spectrum
19:27 The Impact of Overabundance on Mental Health
20:19 Recovering from Social Media Addiction
24:54 Helping Others Overcome Social Media Addiction
25:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts