A Case Study of Social Media Addiction Among Malaysians

Abstract

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are nowadays a common medium of
communication which is often the choice of every segment of society from different age levels. This
situation has led many to become addicted to social media. Social media addiction refers to a compulsive
and excessive use of social media even when use of those platforms is taking over one’s life and has a
negative impact on real life and relationships. Therefore, this study was conducted by identifying two
objectives which are to identify the causes of social media use and to analyse the effects of social media
addiction among Malaysians. The research methodology used was qualitative analysis by applying the
library method and reading and referencing from previous studies such as journals, theses, articles, papers
and websites related to the subject of the study. The results show that Malaysians are addicted to social
media due to lack of self-discipline, easy access to the Internet, influential peers, and economic market
conditions. These causes lead to a domino effect, which will impact our physical health, social interaction,
education and employment. This paper also suggests improvements and actions that could be taken to curb
the problem and thus provide alternatives to manage the issue