( Organic News ) When people say they are addicted to Facebook or social media, does this equate to drug or alcohol addiction?
The number of social media users worldwide is projected to skyrocket from nearly a billion in 2010 to over three billion by 2021. With nearly 2,2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social networking site (SNS).
Facebook is not only used by children, though. Even adults are spending 50 percent more time per day on Facebook. But why are individuals so drawn to social media?
It is possible that many individuals feel socially insecure. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is the term for the compulsion to constantly check your social media accounts.
FOMO motivates social media users to frequently check their feeds and remain online so they don’t miss out on what everyone else is doing. The ability to like, share, and comment on a friend’s post gives the majority of Facebook users a sense of interaction. However, this is a poor substitute for real-life interactions, as many filters are used to hide the less desirable aspects of your life. (Related: the founder of virtual reality warns that all social media accounts should be deleted to prevent mass human behavioral engineering.)
Social media addiction may be the price you pay for engaging in virtual interaction. Even Facebook’s founding president, Sean Parker, acknowledged that this was the company’s original objective. Parker explained that Facebook’s initial objective was to absorb as much of your time and awareness as possible.
In November of 2017, at the Axios conference, Parker disclosed his former employer’s agenda. According to him, the Facebook founders intentionally exploited a social-validation feedback loop that exploits inherent flaws in human psychology.
Early in the twenty-first century, psychiatric professionals were alarmed by the number of adolescents, predominantly middle-class boys, who were addicted to online gaming. Concern was also expressed by parents regarding this type of disturbed behavior, as well as their children’s deteriorating health.
Worrisome symptoms of Internet gaming addiction (IGA) include:
– Anxiety and melancholy
– Alterations in complexion/color – Alterations in sleep patterns – Loss of interest in outdoor activities
– Time distortion – Guilt and obsessive behavior – Increased bouts of illness – Social withdrawal – Weight loss
Although IGA is not a recognized psychiatric disorder, a child exhibiting these symptoms is unhealthy and not developing normally. IGA alters brain wave patterns similarly to other addictive disorders (such as alcoholism and drugism).
Internet Addiction (IA), defined as problematic or pathological Internet use, is another unrecognized but widespread social disease. Spending more time on online networks rather than with actual social groups is associated with increased levels of loneliness, depression, academic, social, and occupational impairment, and suicidal thoughts. Instead of bringing people together, technology is isolating them more than ever.
ARE YOU A SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICT?
Experts concur that excessive use of Facebook and other social media networks must be addressed. In 2012, a group of Norwegian researchers created the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, which consists of six basic questions about your Facebook usage.
If you have a high score on the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, you can try a digital media detox to reduce your need to be constantly online.
Here are some suggestions you can try if you’re about to undergo a digital media cleanse:
– Switch your smartphone to airplane mode nightly at the same time.
– Commit to offline behavior.
– Take a stroll through the park and appreciate the splendor of nature.
– Attempt a new (real-world) pastime or learn to play an instrument.
– Spend time with loved ones and savor each moment without taking a selfie.
To avoid becoming obsessed with the number of likes, comments, and followers on your social media accounts, undertake a digital media cleanse whenever possible.
You can read more articles at Addiction.news about the dangers of social media addiction and how to prevent it.
Conclusion
When people say that they’re “addicted” to Facebook or social media, is it the same thing as being addicted todrugs or alcohol? According to estimates,the number of social media users around the world can skyrocket from almost a billion in 2010to over three billion by 2021. Out
