Social Media and Internet Addiction Therapy and Counselling

Social Media Addiction is a Real Problem in New Zealand.

Social media addiction is very real in New Zealand and is a behavioral addiction characterized by excessive and compulsive social media and internet use that negatively impacts daily life and overall mental health and well-being.

It involves an uncontrollable urge to have to log on, spend excessive time on social media platforms, and prioritise social media and internet use over other important activities.

This internet addiction is fueled by psychological factors, technological mechanisms, and social influences.

This addiction makes disorders such as ADHD, teen depression, oppositional defiant disorder, stress and anxiety worse.

Frequent use of social media rewires the brain to constantly seek out immediate gratification and dopamine release.

Consequently, it can lead to other addictive behaviors if not treated.

One Month Internet and Social Media Addiction Treatment Program.

Our 4-week Internet and Social Media Addiction program is the first of its kind in New Zealand.

Our social media addiction program runs for one month, and this includes therapy sessions every week and regular daily catch-ups by telephone.

Our program can be done in person via Zoom, or by telephone ( The results do not differ )

If you’re ready to start your journey and break free from internet and social media addiction, please fill out the form below, and we will be in contact within two business days.

The Addiction Clinics‘ one-month internet addiction and social media addiction program is ideal for students and adults.

Our one-month treatment program includes talk therapy, Cognitive behavioral therapy, and relapse prevention.

Our program is a specialised addiction program designed for those dealing with internet/ Social media addictions.

You will work one-on-one with a specialist addiction therapist, and this involves weekly counseling and daily phone check-ins.

You can find our Addiction Treatment Fees Here

Book an

What is the cause of Social Media Addiction?

Social media platforms such as Facebook / Snapchat / Instagram / TikTok are designed by psychologists to elicit excessive dopamine releases from users through likes, comments, and increasing follower numbers. These platforms play on humans’ natural reward system, which has caused many teens and adults to develop addictions to using social media. This addiction is very damaging as it affects the brain’s natural reward system. The time the addict spends on these platforms affects the person’s social life, health, and physical fitness. It can also take a huge toll on the person’s work and study.

How to stop Social Media Addiction?

The first thing you must acknowledge is that social media addiction is no different from any other form of addiction.

From an addiction standpoint, it is very similar to an online gambling addiction – often teens and younger adults will progress to online gambling and other addictions if this addiction is not dealt with.

If you take a black and white look at your internet addiction and take a minute to think? out of your friends or followers, who would you pick up the phone and call for a chat?

You may find that alarming. Therefore, you are living in a fantasy – an escape from real life. A trained addiction therapist will help you address the reason for the escape and start to address those issues, and equip you with the skills to manage this addiction.

This social media addiction is not a problem you can simply think yourself out of – your current thought patterns are the very reason you have this addiction.

The Addiction clinic has a specialist social media addiction therapist ready to help.

How many hours should people really spend on Social Media?

There are clear guidelines on how much screen time kids and teens should have ( Less than two hours a day ) , but how much screen time is healthy for adults? There is no magic number of hours for recommended screen time for adults; however, there is clear evidence that too much screen time can be detrimental to your mental and physical health.

For instance, a New Zealand study found that those spending four hours or more per day watching screens had a higher risk for depression / Stress and anxiety, and this study found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes per day lead to a “significant improvement in well-being.”

Addiction to online dating apps?

Addiction to New Zealand Dating apps is a real problem for thousands of single people. The problem with online dating apps is that people tend to portray themselves as they wish to be, as opposed to how they are now.

This leads to disappointment from both parties. A recent study indicated that 36% of online daters found their interactions “either extremely poor or very upsetting.

Yet these people continued to use these dating platforms regardless of the problems caused by these platforms. The dating app is designed to be engaging and keep users coming back, and the constant stream of potential matches and notifications can trigger the brain’s reward system, leading to excessive swiping and potentially unhealthy habits.

Dating apps are in the business of making money and getting people to come back.

Addiction to online shopping?

A person who compulsively shops online, may hide purchases from their loved ones, and lie about their spending and shopping habits, will be experiencing online shopping addiction.

Online shopping addiction is big in New Zealand and can negatively impact various areas of an individual’s life, including finances, relationships, and mental health.

The addiction to online shopping is very similar to a gambling addiction and hits the same parts of the brain as other addictions.

The wave of shopping addiction in New Zealand is understandable, with the introduction of shopping sites such as Temu and other bargain-hunting sites.

These websites use ” Trackers” that will show you other items of interest on the site you are on and will cross over to social media advertising.