1. Classification of Social Media Psychopathology
Dr Stewart Hase
Social Media Anxiety Disorder (SMAD)
Characterised by an urge to constantly check social media sites (Twitter,
Facebook, personal blog,, etc) to see what is happening. If the person is unable to
check their favourite sites they become increasingly anxious and agitated.
However, they are able to delay gratification for an hour or so when eventually
they need to leave social situations to check their home page.
Social Media Dependency Disorder (SMDD)
A more severe form of SMAD in which the person must look constantly at their
social media sites even at social events such as having dinner with friends, at
parties, when listening to a tearful friend upset at breaking up with their partner
during foreplay and toileting. A loss of a device to access or a connection failure
can create major panic and loss of control.
BorderlineSocial Media Personality Disorder (BSMPD)
This is an even more severe than FDD and is characterised by a persistent and
pervading need to access social media so that it interferes severely with the
activities of daily living. Its major feature is a need to constantly check to see if a
friend has posted a comment or, more importantly, liked a recent post. This urge
occurs in all social situations and cannot be resisted. If friends do not fairly
instantly respond with a comment or a ‘like’ the person becomes very fraught
with intense feelings of rejection and will send emails, tweets, text messages and
other posts to friends urging them to respond immediately.
BSMPD with high levels of Narcissism
These people have been known to smash devices, attack people and otherwise
exhibit extreme narcissistic rage when they are removed as a friend, don’t
receive comments to their posts or are ignored on Twitter by someone or if
indeed a friend simply decides to withdraw in any way, for even a few minutes.
Shirley Temple Syndrome (STS)
Common on Facebook but seen in other social media, his involves the need to
constantly post huge volumes of photos of offspring, usually babies, in various
poses and undertaking a variety of bodily functions. This disorder is reinforced
by people who have the related disorder of Shirley Temple Voyeur Syndrome. In
this disorder people feel the need to post endless likes and comments about the
beauty and cleverness of the child or marvel at the shape of bowel movements.
Irrelevance Disorder (ID)

2. Here the person with this disorder has an overpowering need to tell all and
sundry of miniscule and totally uninteresting behaviours that they might be
undertaking at the time. These include, but not limited to, going to the toilet,
bursting a pimple, stubbing a toe on the piano, having a cup of tea, eating a Sao,
or having a belch. People with ID have a lack of respect for themselves and the
human race in general and usually have a dual diagnosis that includes GALS-Get
a Life Syndrome.
Social Media Exhibition Disorder (SMED)
Related to ID is the need to tell people things designed to shock them. This might
be that they are not wearing undies, their intention to be naughty, their need to
insult someone, their level of drunkenness or otherwise engage in some anti-
social behaviour. Mostly this disorder ends up being found by potential
employers and being rejected in a job application. Careers have been ended in
what has been dubbed the Shane Warne Effect involving sexual innuendo.
God Is Great Syndrome (GIGS)
The main feature of this syndrome is a need to send out messages about how
their favourite god (any god of any religion) is fantastic, does great things and
promises a place in social media heaven. Pictures and garish coloured text is
included in these messages that demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness.
Pithy Message Disorder (PMD)
This disorder is similar to GIGS but much broader, hence classified as a disorder.
The sufferer is compulsively driven to send out inspirational messages often
with pictures espousing some meaningless sentiment that has not relation to
reality. These messages are so sickly sweet that they have been known to create
nausea and even vomiting among those who receive them. Frequently these
people lack any imagination whatsoever (and intelligence) in that they cut and
paste these comments and pictures from elsewhere on the internet in an act of
blatant plagiarism. This is a related disorder known as Plagiarised Inspiration
Disease.
Zuckerbergaphobia (ZBP)
The sufferer of this anxiety disorder is deeply fearful of social media. Severe
panic is the main symptom and is brought on by even a mention of social media
sites and the name of Mark Zuckerberg. Experts claim that the disorder began
with Facebook but this is in dispute. However, the name persists. Some clinicians
have reported attacks of panic in the clients at even the sight of a device capable
of downloading any social media sites. In severe cases carrying a mobile device
such as a smart phone is impossible.
Social Media Paranoia

3. ZBP should not be confused with Social Media Paranoia in which the user is
fearful that organisations such as ASIO and the CIA are spying on the internet.
While this may in fact be true, instead of accepting it as a normal risk, sufferers
turn off all means of access to posts except by close friends. The most telling
symptom is that even thought they are deeply suspicious and take incredible
precautions they are unable to prevent themselves from using social media. In
this sense the sufferer is delusional, a characteristic of this psychosis.
Get a Life Personality Disorders
These disorders are severe and demonstrate other significant psychiatric
diseases.
Trolls - People who operate under a fake name and pictures and post
nasty derogatory comments.
Fakes - People who are on a site with a pseudo name but tell their friends its
them
Lurkers - They only read others pages and in fact go to their pages and do
detailed searches but never post anything themselves
Stalkers - Lurkers but only for a single person