“Facebook is the most freakishly addictive of all the social networks existing on the internet”, says an self-proclaimed addict named Aniruddh. More than 6 billion minutes a day are spent on Facebook by a subscriber base of approximately 500 million users.
Are you hooked?
The criteria for identifying Facebook addiction differ from researcher to researcher, but the following are common signs that may indicate addiction:
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- You think about Facebook constantly or plan your use of Facebook
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- You feel the need to use Facebook more and more
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- You use Facebook to forget about your personal problems
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- You’ve tried numerous times to limit your use of Facebook, but without success
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- You get restless and anxious when you cannot access Facebook
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- You use Facebook so often that it has a negative impact on your work, relationships, hobbies, etc.
What can you do about it?
To overcome any addiction, you first of all have to face up to the fact that you are addicted. You have to admit that you have a problem before you can become motivated to do something about it. Once you’ve reached this stage, follow these tips:
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- Think hard about what you gain versus what you lose while spending hours on Facebook. Be honest and, if necessary, make a list of the pros and cons. Decide which of the pros actually contribute to your well-being and add quality to your life.
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- Decide on a limited time allowed for Facebook per day. This can be broken down into a few sessions per day. If need be, set an alarm to remind you when your time’s up. Reduce this time limit over the course of a month until you reach about an hour a day.
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- Only keep in contact with those people who are really part of your life. Limit the number of automatic feeds and status updates you receive and turn off email notifications that infringe on your time and energy. Ask your close friends and relatives to rather use more conventional methods of communication when they want to contact you urgently.
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- Decide to make one day a week Facebook-free. Instead, use this time to do something that you’ve always wanted to but never had the time for, or spend it on something (or someone!) that you’ve neglected. When you’ve managed to stay Facebook-free for a day, extend this period to two days, perhaps a weekend.
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- Remove the Facebook app from your smartphone.
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- Reduce the frequency of your own status changes. Only update your status once per week.
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- Make it difficult for yourself to access Facebook. Change your password to a long, complicated sequence of letters and numbers that is impossible to remember. Write the password down and store it in a safe place that is not easy to access. This may deter your from reaching for Facebook every now and then.
More drastic steps
These may be the only solution for serious addicts:
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- Block your access to Facebook.
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- De-activate your Facebook account.
Using the Internet to its full extent is not a bad thing, but getting involved to the point where your personal and professional commitments suffer, is.
If you show the signs listed above and need help for your addiction, contact the EAP.
Sources
http://aniruddh89.wordpress.com/
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/