社交媒体为何让人欲罢不能？

What Science Can Teach Us About the Pull of Social Media

常速 | 六级偏难 | 505词 | 3min18s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the passage and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What does the author say about the DSM-5 and social media addiction?

A. It has classified SMA as a distinct mental disorder.

B. It does not recognize SMA as a distinct mental disorder.

C. It suggests that SMA should be treated with medication.

D. It proves that SMA is a form of behavioral addiction.

Q2. According to the passage, which personality trait may be a risk factor for compulsive social media behavior?

A. Extroversion.

B. Agreeableness.

C. Neuroticism.

D. Conscientiousness.

Q3. What can be inferred from the passage about the future of social media addiction research?

A. It may lead to legal regulations similar to those for gambling.

B. It has already provided clear answers to all related questions.

C. It proves that personality is the only cause of social media addiction.

D. It shows that social media addiction is less serious than drug addiction.

Q4. What question does the author raise regarding children and social media?

A. Whether children should be banned from using social media.

B. Whether social media should be legislated like tobacco and alcohol.

C. Whether children should be guided on what to view on social media.

D. Whether social media platforms should be redesigned for children.

Q5. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To argue that social media should be banned for users.

B. To describe a court case about social media addiction.

C. To prove that social media addiction is a mental disorder.

D. To explore the pull of social media and related concerns.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

What Science Can Teach Us About the Pull of Social Media

You have probably heard of the social-media addiction trial that recently took place in Los Angeles. A young woman took Meta and YouTube to court, accusing them of making her addicted to social media — and she won.

This was an interesting court case, and one that raises many questions — questions that there are currently no clear answers to, but that people ought to think about, especially as they are likely to pop up in many upcoming debates.

Social media is extensively used.

As many as one in every three people use social media, and in the USA, people are reportedly spending around 6 hours a day on it. In 2025, Facebook was the most popular social media platform with over 3 billion users, closely followed by WhatsApp and Instagram, which both had about 3 billion users. Approximately 60% of the global population use some kind of social media, if not multiple platforms. With such extensive use, it is not strange that social media addiction (SMA) has become a focal point for many researchers.

focal adj. 中心的；重要的

Is social media addictive?

(Q1) It is worth noting that the DSM-5 (the diagnostic tool for psychologists) does not recognize SMA as a distinct mental disorder; it is often discussed as a condition that requires more research. Thus, the conversations around SMA are not necessarily straightforward.

DSM-5 《精神障碍诊断与统计手册》第五版

diagnostic adj. 诊断的；用于判断的

Within the research literature, SMA has been described as a specific form of digital technology addiction. It refers to the excessive and compulsive use of social media platforms, which can lead to detrimental life consequences. SMA shares components with behavioral disorders like gambling, including salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse.

compulsive adj. 强迫性的；难以自控的

salience n. 显著性

relapse n. 复发；重新陷入（不良状态）

(Q2) In a study reviewing over 30,000 participants’ scores on media addiction and personality, it was found that neuroticism can be a risk factor for compulsive social media behavior. Even though the relationship was not very strong, it perhaps indicates that some people may be more likely to become addicted. There are other personality characteristics associated with increased likelihood of compulsion, such as narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. But it needs to be mentioned that there may be external factors that contribute to the link between excessive social media use and personality. It is even possible that SMA may vary depending on the platform that individuals use.

compulsion n. 强迫（行为）；难以抗拒的冲动

narcissism n. 自恋；自我中心

Machiavellianism n. 权谋主义

psychopathy n. 精神病态

Should social media be legislated?

To what extent social media ought to be controlled by law is a difficult question to address. Just as with debates around tobacco, alcohol, and gambling, there are bound to be varied opinions. (Q3) As more researchers appear to agree that SMA may be a genuine addictive disorder, then presumably, as with other substances, it should be managed to reduce potential risks. (Q4) The cognitive complexity involved in deciding what to view online is also one that should be carefully debated when it comes to children. In most societies, children are guided as to what they can watch in the cinema or on television. It is difficult to see why social media ought to be any different.

Part III. KEY

Q1. B.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“It is worth noting that the DSM-5 (the diagnostic tool for psychologists) does not recognize SMA as a distinct mental disorder; it is often discussed as a condition that requires more research.”。意为：“值得注意的是，《精神障碍诊断与统计手册》第五版（心理学家使用的诊断工具）并不未将社交媒体成瘾视为一种独立的精神障碍；它通常被视为一种需要进一步研究的状况来讨论。”因此，正确答案为B。

Q2. C.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“In a study reviewing over 30,000 participants’ scores on media addiction and personality, it was found that neuroticism can be a risk factor for compulsive social media behavior.” 意为：“一项针对3万余名参与者在媒体成瘾和人格特质方面评分的研究发现，神经质可能是强迫性社交媒体使用行为的一个风险因素。” 该句明确指出神经质是风险因素之一，因此，正确答案为C。

Q3. A.【解析】推理题。题目出处为：“As more researchers appear to agree that SMA may be a genuine addictive disorder, then presumably, as with other substances, it should be managed to reduce potential risks.”。意为：“随着越来越多的研究者似乎认同社交媒体成瘾可能是一种真实存在的成瘾性障碍，那么可以推断，就像对待其他成瘾物质一样，也应对其进行管控，以减少潜在风险。”由此可以推断，正确答案为A。

Q4. C.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“The cognitive complexity involved in deciding what to view online is also one that should be carefully debated when it comes to children. In most societies, children are guided as to what they can watch in the cinema or on television. It is difficult to see why social media ought to be any different.” 意为：“在涉及儿童时，对于在线内容选择所涉及的认知复杂性，也应进行审慎的讨论。在大多数社会中，儿童观看影院或电视节目的内容都会受到引导和限制，而社交媒体在这方面显然不应例外。” 该段表明作者认为儿童在社交媒体上的浏览内容也应受到引导，因此正确答案为C。

Q5. D.【解析】主旨题。全文围绕社交媒体的吸引力、是否成瘾、以及应如何应对展开探讨，因此主要探讨社交媒体的吸引力及其引发的担忧，正确答案为D。

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