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Five (serious) symptoms of Facebook<br />

addiction<br />

-Denzil Sequeira(T.E. IT)<br />

Summary: Facebook, in retrospect, can be addictive — not in the “society is addicted to Facebook” but in a very<br />

serious way. Here are five symptoms to look out for.<br />

Hi, I’m a DBIT student, and I’m a Facebook addict.<br />

Addiction is partly in the mind, and we can all be gripped by something that throttles everything else in our life. From<br />

social media to hardcore broadband connections; even knitting. Well, maybe not knitting as the core Generation Y<br />

activity of choice, but you can see where I’m going with this.<br />

My relationship with Facebook is on a rocky edge at the moment. Though I accept I spend a great amount of time on the<br />

mobile application and site as so many of us do, I have taken a break for my own sense of sanity.<br />

While I argue that Facebook has become so intrinsic to our social relationships, we have yet to develop the filtering skills<br />

to take away the emotionless, draining energies from the site that we do not get in real life. Facing social exclusion, the<br />

need to detach myself from the overly sensitive minutiae that comes with over-use, it’s important to highlight the genuine<br />

symptoms of Facebook addiction.<br />

1. You become paranoid: “Why hasn’t this person messaged me back?”<br />

A common symptom, it seems, paranoia can grip anyone from a small amount to a dangerous level.<br />

The problem is that Facebook only tells you a little amount, rather than everything. Idle times are displayed with a sleep<br />

icon, but Facebook mobile users are always ‘online’, but may not have their phone with them. Though Facebook has<br />

chat presence, it does not guarantee that the person will respond, let alone see the message in the first place.<br />

Also, what is the maximum time to respond to someone? Sites like Facebook do not take into account individual patterns<br />

of usage, and all but expects others to be online all the time too.<br />

For those waiting for a response, the temptation is to call or to text, or to follow up with another Wall post or message.<br />

“Why haven’t they responded?”; logical processes go out the window and paranoia sets in, questioning why they haven’t<br />

replied. Who hasn’t been there?<br />

2. You spend more than an hour or five on the site.<br />

Excessive use of anything is all-relative. I, personally, have a massive oxygen addiction. I love to breathe, and have no<br />

plans to kick the habit just yet.<br />

6 - Tech-IT <strong>Newsletter</strong> <strong>v2.0</strong><br />

But spending more than an hour or two on Facebook per day is probably too<br />

much, for an ordinary ‘consumer’ user. Granted, many use Facebook for work<br />

or in some corporate setting, but most should not spend more than an hour on<br />

the social network.<br />

Running through the day, we spend about half an hour in the bathroom per day,<br />

excluding showering and whatnot. We take an hour for lunch. We often spend<br />

an hour or so travelling to and from work or campus. Relatively speaking, if<br />

you are spending more time on Facebook than you do “on the john” — or using<br />

Facebook whilst you are on the toilet — please seek help.<br />

3. A confusion of the divergence of real life and Facebook<br />

There have been times — no doubt you will have to — where you have seen<br />

something posted on Facebook as a status update, and later on it has been<br />

rekindled as an actual memory.<br />

It’s not uncommon, as often statuses are updated of what people are doing,<br />

thinking or going to do. But to actively forget when something has not happened<br />

in person but ‘remembered’ through a passing update, is somewhat worrying.<br />

It’s indicative that you’ve spent a great deal of time on the site too, which again<br />

goes as a strike against the addiction from the second point.<br />

4. Excessive friend building and Wall posts<br />

Sometimes people find that Facebook is an ego-related thing, and the need<br />

to build up an online ‘portfolio’ is a social need, in order to fully represent<br />

whom they want to be in real life.<br />

To add a constant stream of statuses and photos, videos and application<br />

updates may be one way of filling up time — time that could be better spent<br />

elsewhere.<br />

It can be an addiction in itself; the need to constantly update people on what<br />

you are doing, where and why you are doing it; something that could be<br />

construed as ’showing off’ or boasting.<br />

5. Depression sets in during downtime, and other withdrawal symptoms<br />

Often, addictions are formed around a lacking something. It would not<br />

be amiss to suggest that those who spend a lot of time on Facebook do so<br />

because of a lack of other engagements.<br />

When that void is not filled but the addictive matter is taken away, withdrawal<br />

symptoms set in — such as anger, anxiety, depression and other similar feelings.<br />

It’s not quite as though you have been deprived from coffee all day, but does<br />

share some similarities.<br />

When depression or other hidden, mind-orientated symptoms set in, such as<br />

frustration or as though you are missing out on something, then this again<br />

should be a cause for concern. Breaking up with an addiction is incredibly hard<br />

to do, but to do it in stages makes the arduous task easier.<br />

V2.0<br />

FACT FILe<br />

Couple asks Facebook<br />

users to pick child’s<br />

name<br />

The couple wasn’t interested in the<br />

conventional methods of picking a name.<br />

everyone on the social network (a<br />

potential 800 million votes) can participate.<br />

Rather than ask for suggestions, they’ve<br />

narrowed down the list to four names they’re<br />

particularly fond of: McKenna,Madelyn,<br />

Addilyne,and emily.<br />

Voting will end as soon as the baby is born,<br />

and if there’s a tie, they’ll just flip a coin.<br />

You can vote on the poll on the following<br />

Facebook Page, which even has an<br />

ultrasound scan of the baby: Name My<br />

Child; you’ll have to give the app access to<br />

your Facebook account first.<br />

The Meskes had no trouble<br />

naming their firstborn, now 4-year-old<br />

Brianna.<br />

“My in-laws think it’s funny. They know<br />

my personality,” Dave told the Daily<br />

Herald. “My parents think I’m crazy;<br />

they tell me, ‘You’re such a goofball.’”<br />

This is not the first time Facebook has<br />

been involved in naming a baby. Back in<br />

February, an Egyptian father named his<br />

firstborn daughter “Facebook” to show<br />

his appreciation for the social network.<br />

In May, an Israeli couple named their<br />

daughter “Like”, after the Facebook<br />

feature.<br />

Don Bosco Institute Of <strong>Technology</strong>- 7

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