Most of us spend a great deal of time on the web, particularly on social networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
For most of us out of all social networking sites,
it’s likely that a more significant proportion of time spent on our Facebook account or app than any other networking site.
Also noticed that in some people’s lives, they are spending whole day on Facebook which is surprising and an indication for internet addiction.
Why is Facebook so addictive? Every day there are millions of users checking their Facebook account to perform the following common actions.
- Check Notifications
- Post Content like Images, Youtube Videos, Facebook ad
- Accept Friend or Send Friend Request
- Check Facebook Status Updates
- Do Likes on Video Content
- Look at Profile Picture
On 4th February 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook in order to connect Harvard students with one another.
However, today it reaches more than 2 billions active users, which makes Facebook one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Facebook usage is addictive due to its offerings.
Cases of social media addiction and social interaction associated with many factors like addiction to
- Facebook for memes.
- quotes.
- Facebook gaming.
- Chatting.
Of course Facebook account offers so many Advantages and Disadvantages.
Even though Facebook blocked in some user work locations/offices,
they can be still bypassed by using proxy sites to access Facebook from office space.
Not sure if you brain is addicted to Facebook? Is Facebook causing social problems? Can Facebook cause relationship problems?
Keep reading to learn more about signs of Facebook addiction symptoms, and how to kick the Facebook addiction.
Contents
What is Facebook Addiction Disorder?
Basically, Facebook Addiction Disorder is a newer term for those who cannot go without checking or updating Facebook.
Alternatively it is known as Social Media Addiction, which can include multiple social networks.
Addictive social networks use will look much like that of any other substance abuse disorder.
Let’s take a look at some facts and additional statistics behind the history.
Facebook Addiction Statistics
According to online resources there were approximately 2 billion users by the end of the year 2017.
Addiction was quickly becoming an issue.
It also states that out of 41% of adult users, 21% of teens admitted to checking social media constantly, even in the bathroom.
On average, there were 400 new Facebook accounts created per minute, with more than 1.2 billion active users on Messenger each month.
A total of 22% of the world’s entire population was estimated to be using Facebook accounts by 2018.
Facebook became the #1 social media platform, with over 53% of U.S residents checking it “multiple times per day.” – statista.com
Image credit: Statista.com
Why do People Become Addicted?
People are curious by nature, especially when it comes to happenings in other people’s networks/circles.
Do you check Facebook frequently or know someone who does?
Are you wondering if you or someone you know may be a Facebook junkie?
Below we cover some of the common signs and symptoms of Facebook addiction.
Signs of Facebook Addiction
With over 2.38 billion people worldwide using Facebook, that’s roughly a quarter of the world population. Chances are, many people you know are avid Facebook account users.
However, with the increase in accessibility through smartphones and Wi-Fi, the average person is spending time on social media, particularly on sites like Facebook.
“As of March 31st, 2019, there are over 2.38 billion monthly active Facebook users.” – newsroom.fb.com
Here are some of the warning signs you should be looking out for, in order to find out whether or not you’re addicted to Facebook:
You feel anxious when you’re unable to access Facebook.
If the thought of not accessing your Facebook account or Facebook app for a day fills you with dread, then it’s quite likely that your brain is addicted.
When you’re addicted to a substance, you become anxious and loneliness without it, and when you finally get a ‘hit’, you’re filled with relief.
Similarly, if your feelings have a strong sense of relief when you access your Facebook account,
after not having access for a while, this is an indicator that you’re satisfying your Facebook addiction ‘cravings.’
You spend hours on Facebook each day.
In reality, we probably don’t need to spend more than 30 minutes on Facebook per day,
and yet, many of us spend hours on the site, daily, scrolling down our news feeds, making Facebook posts,
reading pointless click bait articles or stalking friends Facebook profile.
Most of us know that literally anything else would be a better use of our time, and yet the cycle continues.
In 2019, it was calculated that users spent an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes on the site each day.
You find yourself on your Facebook account, despite not having had any intention of checking the site.
Have you ever ended up on your Facebook account, without having any recollection of how you got there?
Despite starting your web-searching journey with a purpose, you’ve somehow ended up on Facebook app or site,
scrolling mindlessly down your newsfeed, and thinking; How did I get here?”
This is a significant indicator of addiction and Facebook intrusion in your life.
which suggests that the urge to check Facebook has embedded itself deeply into your subconscious.
This is a significant indicator of addiction, which suggests that the urge to check Facebook has embedded itself deeply into your subconscious.
If you open Facebook site despite having no intention to access it, it suggests that you are no longer in control.
At best, it’s a bad habit, but either way, it’ll be a difficult one to break.
You have tried to cut down on the amount of time you spend on your Facebook account, and failed.
Internet Addictions are incredibly difficult to overcome; many smokers, for example, try time and time again to break their habit and quit, using nicotine aids or simply going cold turkey.
Similarly, you’ve noticed how much of your life is wasted on Facebook and you’ve tried (probably more than once) to reduce the amount of time you spend on the site, but to no avail.
Facebook Obsession for Memes
Similarly, you’ve noticed how much of your life is wasted due to facebook habit,
and you’ve tried (probably more than once) to reduce the amount of time you spend on the site, but to no avail.
Overthinking Facebook Image
Do you frequently find yourself spending much longer typing a short status update than you probably should?
Once you do, do you anticipate and constantly check for responses?
This is considered your “Facebook image”.
Of course, we’re all consider with how we appear to others to some extent,
but if you’re constantly updating to impress others by posting something entertaining,
cool or funny for the purpose of receiving feedback, you may be addicted.
Facebook Addiction to Quotes
Like with memes, there are some people who enjoy reading quotes. It is normal to join quote loving groups or posting a daily quote.
However, if you are constantly looking for new quotes or find yourself scrolling for 15 minutes simply reading quotes,
you may have developed an addiction to quotes.
Facebook Addiction to Viral Posts
Many users are spending time on searching for viral Facebook post.
A Facebook post can be related to memes, quotes, cooking, gaming, fake news (especially posted from fake Facebook accounts), promotions and so on.
Unknowingly you are becoming curious and trying to understand why such Facebook posts went viral; It’s a kind of behavioral addictions.
Constantly Reporting Activities
Many people use Facebook to share an amazing view, a funny or memorable experience or to look at Facebook friends posts etc.
This is referring to those who constantly update their status with what seems to be everything they do throughout their day, possibly an everyday occurrence.
From posting photos of what they ate, what they’re watching, who they’re with, where they are, what song they’re listening to, and so on.
How Common is Facebook Addiction?
What does it mean to be a Facebook addict?
Out of the current 2.38 billion users worldwide, determining an exact figure for addicted users is challenging.
However, they estimate somewhere between 1% and 10%. While 10% seems rather high (roughly 238 million),
it is likely you know at least one person who fits the signs of being addicted to Facebook.
How to Become Less Addicted to Facebook
So, how do you stop your Facebook addiction? Should you unplug from Facebook?
You need to be aware of the problem, unlearn your habits, and stop feeding your cravings.
Here are a few things you can do to take control of your Facebook addiction and improve your mental health and daily stress:
Admitting a Problem.
Like with any addiction, admitting you have a problem is step number one.
Without first realizing and acknowledging this for yourself,
you will not stick to the following steps to overcome the addiction and regain your social life and offline focus.
Scheduling.
Once you have admitted to being addict, it is time to put forth a plan that still allows you to update your status,
check on friends and notifications, but without it taking over your life. Therefore, scheduling is necessary.
Go over your usual day; do you attend school, have a job schedule, or other responsibilities? Based on these things, plan a time each day to spend a little time on Facebook.
For example, if you have school or a day job, you may find it easier to check Facebook in the evening after you get home, or while on lunch break. Avoid checking Facebook when not scheduled.
Turn Off Notifications.
When trying to overcome media addiction, one important factor is to avoid temptation.
In this case, turning off push notifications is important as they will only intensify your urge to hop on and check it, respond to it, etc.
Determine Root Cause.
While the previous three steps will help get started in overcoming the urge, it is just as important to determine the root cause of your addiction.
Frequently, people will use their Facebook account as a way to escape personal issues,
work related issues, or another underlying problem.
Make Facebook more difficult to access.
Log out of your Facebook account and change your settings so that you have to enter both your email and password in order to access the site.
Then, if you want to visit your social media, you’ll have plenty of time to think about if you really need or even want to go on Facebook.
Download apps which restrict the amount of time you spend on Facebook.
There are apps available for download, which allow you to block yourself from Facebook for a specified period of time.
There are other, less extreme, apps, which ‘remind’ or ‘nudge’ you when you have spent more than the recommended time on your chosen sites.
Apps such as these help you to go for longer periods of time without Facebook every day, and help to force you out of your bad habits.
Unfollow the pages which clog up your facebook feed.
Facebook pages are the worst culprits for clogging up your facebook feed with pointless articles,
clickbait and promotional content; some of the biggest timewasters on Facebook.
In order to reduce the amount of ‘stuff’ on your feed, you can unfollow the most active pages on your account and,
if there’s less on your news feed to look at, you’ll spend less time scrolling on Facebook,
since you’d end up looking at the same content over and over again.
Stopping your Facebook addiction is beneficial for your mental health,
and it frees up your time so you can do other, more important, things with your life.
Having said this, Facebook can be a great tool to allow you to stay connected with friends and family,
as long as it’s used in a positive, responsible way.
If you do not have any reason to escape reality factors, it may come down to pure habit. In this case, getting away from Facebook completely may be required.
This can mean days, weeks, even months as you reenter the offline world and,
become social again to remember there’s more to life than scanning your news feed.
Facebook Addictions Signs for Business.
If you are trying to determine if you’re addicted to Facebook,
there are many common signs from constantly updating your status to spending hours,
scrolling down your time line, or checking every chance you get.
However, what are the Facebook addictions signs for business users?
It’s true, many people use Facebook for business, which can require spending more time on the platform than usual.
Examples of using Facebook for business includes publishing ads, conducting market research,
responding to customer questions or comments to build trust and brand awareness.
However, it may require in-depth content curation.
Bloggers may spend hours collecting ideas, seeming like borderline addiction.
Although, it can still result in addiction if you find yourself getting sidetracked,
and looking at your personal stuff or sharing current thoughts that are non-work related.
Final Thoughts
Signs of Facebook addiction is increasing because we have more access to the networking sites on internet than ever before,
and technology is only getting more advanced. With a fourth of the world using Facebook, we find it to be a great way to remain connected.
However, it becomes a negative activity when it begins interfering with offline connections with friends, family or colleagues.
There is a simple and straight forward Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale created by University of Bergen.
The Facebook addiction scale can facilitate treatment research, clinical assessment and also used for the estimation of Facebook addiction prevalence.
The score will be determined on the following addiction scale: (1) Very rarely, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, and (5) Very often:
whether you are an average Facebook user, slightly addicted, or if you’re a full-blown social media addict.
So, to regain control of your Facebook habits and social isolation, and to put an end to your Facebook addiction and have self life satisfaction,
implement the above discussed strategies into your daily routine,
and you’ll be well on your way to destroying your addiction to Facebook and improving your mental health or depression.
Feel free to comment with your opinions and thoughts.