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What Effect Does Social Media Have on Problem Gamblers

As social media has seeped into every aspect of our daily lives, its far-reaching effects have continued to be felt far and wide. Apps, networks, influencers, and algorithms determine and curate the type of content that reaches your feed. If you follow and interact with a specific style of content, your feed will reflect that across the board. As these apps become more sophisticated and targeted, people with a proclivity to self-destructive behaviors can quickly fall victim to this influence and indulge in these negative behaviors. 

Problem gamblers can experience triggering posts, content, and sensations coming from various sources. Identifying these triggers can help you know what to avoid and find different accounts to follow that can help you sidestep your stressors. So what effect does social media have on problem gamblers? It can depend. 

Feeding Into the Cycle

Our social media feeds are dictated by an algorithm that shows us content from different creators with similar interests. So if you follow and interact with a couple of gambling influencer accounts, the chances increase that your feed will feature other gambling-focused content creators. 

This glut of gambling accounts populating your feed can quickly create an endless feedback loop of gambling-focused content that reinforces the negative behaviors. With the social media sheen put on each post, these accounts glamorize the lifestyle and make someone more inclined to participate in the activity. 

Instagram Vs. Reality

One of the biggest complaints levied against social media as a whole center around its heightened sense of reality. Most posts that find their way to the respective apps aren’t true slices of life that the content purports itself to be. In truth, posts about a gambler’s winnings and lavish vacations gloss over the hours spent trying to break even or the number of losses they suffered before they finally hit on a win. 

The heightened reality offered in social media posts rarely expresses the truth of a given situation. For example, fitness influencers boil the years of dedication in the gym to following certain programs to the letter and following an exact diet. Every person responds differently to a particular workout or diet regimen, and rarely will following your favorite influencer’s routine get you the same results. The same is true for gambling influencers. 

It’s Not All Doom and Gloom

While social media can quickly become a continuous negative feedback loop of gambling content, how you build and curate your feed to focus on more positive content. As you interact with more positive content, the more it will populate your feed with posts focused on recovery and more constructive hobbies that can fill the void left by your gambling problem. 

Get the Support You Need From 800-GAMBLER

Finding problem gambler support groups in Freehold, NJ, can help you find a refuge from the deluge of negativity and glamorized gambling content across social media platforms. Like-minded individuals who make up gamblers anonymous can become part of your support network and can help push your way forward on your road to recovery. 

If you or a family member need help with a gambling problem, 800-GAMBLER’s private and confidential 24/7 helpline is available when you need it. Contact our team to learn more about the different types of gambling problem support you can receive today. 

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