Facebook, Instagram addiction linked to economic inequality, says research

A new research on the addiction of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms claims that economic inequality is also a cause of the disproportionate usage of these social networking sites. The findings suggest that teenagers from underprivileged homes are more prone to report an addiction than those privileged.

The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Information, Communication, and Society. The study is the first of its kind to establish a connection between economic hardship and distressing usage of social networking sites and instant messaging services.

The findings were based on data from more than 179,000 kids in 40 countries. It showed that the situation worsened in schools where there are financial and social divides between students.