Five clues that you are addicted to Facebook

I log on to Facebook several times a day. Whether it's by computer or on my Blackberry, I may have one of these problems that CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen was talking about. I have the constant needed to be informed about what is going on in my friends & family's lives. But the same can be said for e-mail. When I was attending the University of Minnesota in 2003-04, I was constantly checking my e-mail account every 10 minutes. Sick huh?

After I left the University in 2004, a friend of mine persuaded me to join Facebook. I found myself addicted from the start. Back then, there was no status updates, or no news feed but it did list when your friends updated their profile. I found myself updating my profile at least once (if not more) a week. It was an obsession with the fake world instead of being obsessed with what is going on in the real world.

At first, I used it to keep in touch with my friends who I met during my year at the U. After the owners of Facebook made it available to everyone with a valid e-mail address, my friends list included family members, who I keep in touch via the social networking site. Now, I am closer to my family (at least my mom's side) because of the wonderful world of social networking.

After reading the article, the five signs of an addition are (with my personal comments included):

1. You lose sleep over Facebook.

Well, I haven't experienced a lose of sleep over Facebook. As a matter of fact, I always watch You Tube videos before I call it an evening. Even that, I'm still in bed by 11:00.

2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook

It depends on the day and what I have going on. When I have an enormous amount of work to do, I use Facebook as a "break" from work. If the weather is bad, then yeah, I spend way too much time on it.

3. You become obsessed with old loves

This happened only once. It ended rather quickly. I'm now over it. I'm hoping it never happens again.

Blog Owner's Note: Shortly after I posted this blog, a former crush of mine found me on Facebook and added me as a friend (obviously I accepted). Ha. Coincidence?

4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook

I will admit that I have done this. To me, Facebook is an escape of reality for a short time. A break if you call it. But I'm rather good about getting back to work and using the social networking site as a break.

5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in a cold sweat

It may be hard. It's the exact equivalent to quitting smoking or stop doing drugs. Personally, I have gone through one whole day without Facebook. I didn't feel anything. It actually made me feel much better about myself. It has helped me to only be on the site when someone sends me a message or makes a comment about something.

After taking the Facebook Compulsion Inventory, I scored a 32, which means that I enjoy Facebook and consider it a big part of my life but it isn't probably controlling me. I suppose my addiction to Facebook wasn't bad as I though it would be. However, the fact that I'm not in a relationship with someone outside my family made a big difference in the outcome of my score. If I had been in a relationship with someone, who knows what my score would have been.

Remember: There is a life outside of Facebook. We need to remember that before social networking sites, we had to communicate face to face or over the phone. Maybe we should go back to that instead of social networking sites????

Links:
Five clues that you are addicted to Facebook: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/23/ep.facebook.addict/index.html

The Facebook Compulsion Inventory: http://www.imagolady.com/Paula_Pile/A_Temptress_in_the_Computer/Facebook%20Inventory%20Test.pdf