INTRODUCTION

Adolescence is a stage where habits and behaviours often shape long term health, making it a critical period to study risk factors for addiction. While alcohol, nicotine and other drugs have long been at the centre of concern, researchers are now paying closer attention to behavioural addictions like smartphone and social media overuse. These behaviours show many of the same signs as substance addictions, such as cravings, reward-seeking and loss of control, raising an important question: can social media addiction act as a gateway to substance use disorders in adolescents? Some studies suggest a strong connection, while others caution against labelling heavy phone use as addiction too quickly. Adolescents who develop addictive patterns of social media and smartphone use are at increased risk of substance use disorders because both share reward-system mechanisms, reduce impulse control and normalise exposure to substance-related content, making digital addiction a possible gateway to more serious addictions.

THE LINK BETWEEN SUBSTANCE AND BEHAVIOURAL ADDICTIONS

Both substance and behavioural addictions share common ground in the brain’s reward system. When teenagers scroll through social media waiting for likes and notifications, their brain releases dopamine: the same neurotransmitter that reinforces the use of drugs like nicotine and alcohol. Many researchers such as Montag and Reuter (2017) explain that smartphone addiction taps into these dopamine pathways, causing cravings and tolerance just like chemical substances. People like Weinstein and Lejoyeuz (2015) also show how internet gaming disorder activates brain regions in a similar way to drug use. This overlap makes it easier to understand why adolescents addicted to their phones may be more vulnerable to substance abuse later in life. This is because their brains are already conditioned to chase a stronger stimulation in order to reward that section in the brain. Since the teenage brain is still developing, especially the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for decision making, phone addiction may increase the probability of experimenting with drugs. 

One of the strongest pieces of evidence that social media addiction can act as a gateway to substance use disorders come from a large scale of survey research. Jeong, Lee and Lee (2025) studied over 54,000 Korean adolescents and discovered that students with high smartphone dependence were much more likely to report drug addiction. This study was able to demonstrate that phone overuse interacts with other risky behaviours, like smoking or drinking, to multiply the chances of drug addiction. For example, a student who already smokes or drinks occasionally becomes far more likely to report drug addiction if they also spend a lot of time on their phone. The study also found a dose response effect, which means the deeper the dependence on phones, the higher the risk of addiction. This shows that phone addiction isn’t just a side issue but a genuine contributor to vulnerability. While this study was based in Korea and cultural differences might play a role in this, the size of the survey makes it a significant piece of evidence and shows that phone and social media addiction can really pave the way for more serious drug addictions.

THE NORMALISATION OF RISKY BEHAVIOURS

Big surveys show patterns, but smaller studies are able to show how this happens day to day. Gansner et al. (2024) had teenagers record their daily habits and what they saw online. They found that when adolescents saw posts about alcohol and drugs on social media like TikTok and Snapchat, they were much more likely to use substances that same day. This shows that social media does not just go along with substance use, it can actually spark it.

Romer and Moreno (2017) explain that digital media often normalises risky behaviour, like drinking or smoking, portraying them as ordinary or even exciting. For example, vaping companies often use influencers on Instagram to make their products look cool and harmless, while alcohol advertisements on TikTok sometimes reach younger audiences, despite product age restrictions. This is part of social learning: if you see someone rewarded for doing something, you’re more likely to do it or try it yourself. As teenagers typically spend a large portion of time on their phones each day, these behaviours can become normalised; this pressure to fit in can then push them toward trying substances.

LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE PROPOSALS

Not everyone agrees that heavy phone use should be called an addiction. Kardefelt-Winther (2016) suggests that for some teenagers, spending a lot of time on their phones is a way to cope with stress, boredom or loneliness, rather than an addictive disorder. There are also limitations to the studies that support the gateway idea between phone use and substance use. For example, the Jeong et al. (2025) study was based on self reports, so some students may not have been fully honest; Gansner et al. (2024) only studied 25 teens, which is too small of a group to draw larger conclusions from; and Romer and Moreno’s (2017) work is mostly theory, which explains the process but does not provide new data. These weaknesses do not mean that social media addiction cannot lead to substance use, but they do show that more research is required.

Even with those limits, the bigger picture is clear: if social media addiction makes it easier for adolescents to start using substances, this should be treated as a health issue. Schools could help by teaching students about how apps are designed to keep them hooked and how seeing risky posts online can influence choices. Parents could set rules about screen time and also talk openly with their children about what they see online. On a larger scale, governments could update legislation on advertisements for alcohol and vaping to better ensure they do not reach young people on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Additionally, social media companies should be encouraged to change features like streaks or endless scrolling that make it difficult to stop using an app. If we treat phone addiction as a real risk factor, then reducing it early might also lower the chance of substance addiction in later life. 

CONCLUSION

Smartphones and social media are a crucial part in the lives of modern adolescents but when use becomes addictive, it can create a pathway to much more dangerous behaviours. The evidence shows that digital addiction activates the same brain pathways as chemical addictions, appears in large scale surveys as a predictor of drug addiction and is reinforced daily by peer exposure and cultural normalisation. Counter arguments remind us that not all heavy use equals addiction, and limitations in research highlight the need for further research. Still, the overall pattern is clear that adolescents who develop addictive patterns of phone and social media use are at greater risk of substance use disorders. Recognising this gateway effect matters not only for psychologists but also for parents, school, policymakers and tech companies. By addressing digital addiction as a risk factor, society has the chance to intervene early, preventing more severe forms of addiction before they take hold.

Gansner, M., Horton, A.K., Singh, R. & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2024). Exploring relationships between social media use, online exposure to drug-related content, and youth substance use in real time: a pilot ecological momentary assessment study in a clinical sample of adolescents and young adults. Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 3.

Jeong, J., Lee, W. & Lee, S. (2025). Effect of drinking, smoking, and smartphone overdependence on drug addiction among Korean adolescents. Front Public Health, 13.

Kardefelt-Winther, D. (2016). Conceptualizing Internet use disorders: Addiction or coping process? Psychicatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 71(7), pp. 459-466.

Liu, J., Charmaraman, L. & Bickham, D. (2024). Association between social media use and substance use among middle and high school-aged youth. Subst Use Misuse, 59(7), pp. 1039-1046.

Montag, C. & Reuter, M. (2017). Internet Addiction: Neuroscientific Approaches and Therapeutic Implications Including Smartphone Addiction. Springer.

Romer, D. & Moreno, M. (2017). Digital Media and Risks for Adolescent Substance Abuse. Pediatrics, 140(Suppl 2), S102–S106.

Wang, J., Hao, Q.-H., Tu, Y., Peng, W., Wang, Y., Li, H. & Zhu, T.-M. (2022). Assessing the Association Between Internet Addiction Disorder and Health Risk Behaviors Among Adolscents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Public Health, 10.

Weinstein, A., & Lejoyeux, M. (2015). New developments on the neurobiological and pharmaco-genetic mechanisms underlying internet and videogame addiction. Am J Addict, 24(2), pp. 117-125.