Individuals, particularly those in the Western world spend large and increasing amounts of time online, and particularly so on social media (SM). Internet addiction (IA), spending too much time on the Internet at the detriment of health and social interactions, has long been a concern in many countries, where a range of measures have been deployed to curb excessive use. Preventive measures include a combination of technological, legal, and educational means. Legal means have mostly been confined to less democratic governments, but the problem of excessive Internet and SM use has affected countries of all political persuasions. Is excessive time spent online and on SM truly an addictive behavior, and should democratic governments step in to regulate and legislate the addictive nature of the medium?

中文翻译：

---

人际交往毒品：社交媒体成瘾应该立法吗？

个人，尤其是西方世界的个人，在网上花费的时间越来越多，尤其是在社交媒体 (SM) 上。网络成瘾 (IA) 花费过多时间在互联网上损害健康和社交互动，长期以来一直是许多国家关注的问题，这些国家已采取一系列措施来遏制过度使用。预防措施包括技术、法律和教育手段的结合。法律手段大多局限于民主程度较低的政府，但过度使用互联网和 SM 的问题已经影响到所有政治派别国家。在网上和 SM 上花费过多时间是否真的是一种令人上瘾的行为，民主政府是否应该介入以规范和立法媒体的成瘾性？