Why read the rest of the article? Of course, you are addicted to Facebook, right?
According to the University of Bergen in Norway, which recently completed a Facebook Addiction research project (YES, REALLY), many of the 500 million daily users of the world’s most integrated social network are, in fact, addicts. During the research, experts developed six criteria to gauge the level of Facebook addiction. The following are the criteria used:
- You spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or planning your use of Facebook.
- You feel an urge to use Facebook more and more.
- You use Facebook to forget about personal problems.
- You have tried to cut down on your use of Facebook without success.
- You become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook.
- You use Facebook so much that it negatively impacts your job or studies.
Participants in the survey were asked to rate themselves on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means “never” and 5 means “very often,” based on how true the above statements were to them in relation to Facebook. In the research, those who rated themselves as “often” or “very often” (numbers 4 and 5) on at least 4 out of the 6 criteria questions were considered to be Facebook addicts. Go ahead and take the test for yourself!
Why Facebook Addiction Is a Growing Concern
According to psychological experts, the number of people addicted to Facebook is not surprising. Schou Andreassen, a psychologist at the University of Bergen, states, “Facebook addiction occurs regularly among younger people,” and “socially anxious or insecure people are more at risk of becoming addicted to Facebook because it provides a platform that makes communication easier.”
One report from the University of Chicago suggests that social media addictions are more powerful than sex, with 66% of adults using social media platforms regularly. Additionally, new technology in phones and “internet on the go” makes connecting to your Facebook page incredibly easy, which is why it is quickly becoming the go-to pastime for people who are bored. Look around you—everywhere you go, people are glued to their phones. Chances are, many of them are connecting, chatting, or anonymously stalking on Facebook.
Of the people addicted to Facebook, most are women. Studies and reports from Facebook’s marketing department show that women—especially mothers—are the fastest-growing user group on the platform, and that women are much more active on social networks than their male counterparts. One reason for this is that women tend to be more socially active than men and are often more caught up in the melodrama that plays out on social media. Let’s be honest—if a 39-year-old stay-at-home mother has an issue with her daughter’s friend’s mother, she would likely prefer to “delete” her as a Facebook friend (passive-aggressively) rather than confront the situation in real life.
Today’s teens are also likely candidates for Facebook addiction. It’s common for teenagers to include not only people they like or know in their ‘friend count’ but entire schools filled with people. Teens, who are often more concerned with how many Facebook friends they have than the types of people they are friends with, ultimately use Facebook as a social spy network. Want to know what’s going on with someone at school—whether they are a friend or foe? All you have to do is check Facebook. And sadly, because of the nature of the platform, teens become incredibly invested in it, feeling the need to check it multiple times a day to stay updated on the latest social news.
Sadly, however, Facebook addiction can interfere with normal life. Suddenly, you’re on Facebook checking one thing, and three hours later—lost in the vacuum of time that seems to exist online—you’ve neglected all your regular responsibilities. This is one of the reasons why many schools and workplaces restrict or even punish the use of Facebook during business hours. It’s distracting and can waste a lot of time doing nothing productive. Since Facebook offers a sense of social interaction, many people struggle to separate their online life from their ‘actual’ social life.
Unfortunately, breaking the habit is just as difficult as breaking any other addiction. Most people have a hard time quitting cold turkey and need to start by limiting their online time. Often, when you become aware of how much time you’ve spent on Facebook being unproductive, you’re more likely to want to make a change. So, keep track of your time online and ask yourself, “Is this the best way to spend my time?” Start by setting limits on how and when you can access Facebook. Delete the app from your phone if you have it, and regulate your time on the computer. You might also consider limiting your Facebook usage to just once per day.
Most importantly, recognize that while Facebook addiction is widespread and generally accepted, it is likely negatively affecting YOUR life. Keep in mind that opening Facebook also opens your mind to the worries, stress, and strife of others. Do you really want to carry all of that?
Sure, Facebook is fun. It’s meant to be a tool for social interaction. But it shouldn’t consume your entire life. If it does, chances are YOU are an addict.
