Recommendation 1: Create an Official DSM-5 Definition for Social Media Addiction

Recommendation 1: Create an Official DSM-5 Definition for Social Media Addiction

More research on this topic will be possible once social media addiction is officially recognized as a psychological disorder under the DSM-5. Once it is a classified disorder, there will be criteria that mental health professionals can use to diagnose patients as suffering from social media addiction (SMA). This will allow for more formal research into this topic because a definite ‘yes’ or ‘no’ can be attributed to each participant in a study when it comes to SMA. As of right now, other conclusions can be made but it is difficult to come to a formal conclusion in relation to SMA. Furthermore, once it is a classified disorder, there will be psychologists who specialize in this type of addiction who can contribute to the discussion surrounding this area of research.