How many hours do you spend at Facebook? What exactly do you do at Facebook?
Can it be a sign that you are already having FACEBOOK ADDICTION DISORDER?
Although this term is not yet official accepted in the medical field, there are telltale signs that most of the people are hooked on this kind of social media communication (including myself!)
Can it be a sign that you are already having FACEBOOK ADDICTION DISORDER?
Although this term is not yet official accepted in the medical field, there are telltale signs that most of the people are hooked on this kind of social media communication (including myself!)
SIGNS THAT YOU ARE ADDICTED
People who are victims of the condition must have at least 2-3 of the following criteria during a 6-8 month time period.
- Tolerance: This term is used to describe the desperate behavior of a Facebook addict. They spend an increasing amount of time on the site, coming to a stage where they need it in order to obtain satisfaction or on the other extreme, it is having a detrimental affect on them as a person and their life. For the family members and friends who think they are dealing with an addict, a sign to look out for are multiple Facebook windows open. Three or more confirms that they are indeed suffering from this condition.
- Withdrawal symptoms: These become obvious when one is restricted from using Facebook because they have to participate in normal everyday activities. Common signs are anxiety, distress and the need to talk about Facebook and what might have been posted on their wall in their absence.
- Reduction of normal social/recreational activities: Someone suffering from FAD will reduce the time spent catching up with friends, playing sport or whatever it is they used to enjoy doing, to simply spend time on Facebook. Instead of catching up with a friend for coffee, they will send a Facebook message. A dinner date will be substituted with a messenger chat. In extreme cases, the person will even stop answering their parent’s phone calls, instead insisting that they use Facebook to contact them.
- Virtual dates: It is obvious that things are extreme when real dates are replaced with virtual dates. Instead of going to the movies or out to dinner, they tell their partner to be online at a certain time.
- Fake friends: If 8 out of 10 people shown on their Facebook page are complete strangers, it is undeniable: they have a serious case of FAD.
- Complete addiction: When they meet new people, they say their name, followed by “I’ll talk to you on Facebook”, or for those who are extremely bad, “I’ll see you in Facebook”. Their pets have Facebook pages, and any notifications, wall posts, inboxes or friend requests that they receive give them a high, one which can be compared to that gambling addicts get from the pokies or roulette table.
Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale
Just recently, new psychometric tool useful in investigating problem behavior linked to Facebook use was published.
Named as the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, (by Dr. Cecilie Andraessen at the University of Bergen (UiB), Norway, and colleagues), it tries to assess the person if he/she is at risk or having addiction towards Facebook.
The BFAS has six basic criteria, with participants asked to give one the following 5 responses to each one: (1) Very rarely, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, and (5) Very often:
Andreassen and colleagues suggest that scoring "often" or "very often" on at least four of the six items may suggest the respondent is addicted to Facebook.
They found that various personality traits related to the scale: for instance neuroticism and extraversion related positively, and conscientiousness related negatively.
They also found that high scores on the BFAS were linked to going to bed very late and getting up very late.
Named as the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, (by Dr. Cecilie Andraessen at the University of Bergen (UiB), Norway, and colleagues), it tries to assess the person if he/she is at risk or having addiction towards Facebook.
The BFAS has six basic criteria, with participants asked to give one the following 5 responses to each one: (1) Very rarely, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, and (5) Very often:
1. You spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or planning how to use it.
2. You feel an urge to use Facebook more and more.
3. You use Facebook in order to forget about personal problems.
4. You have tried to cut down on the use of Facebook without success.
5. You become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook.6. You use Facebook so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies.
Andreassen and colleagues suggest that scoring "often" or "very often" on at least four of the six items may suggest the respondent is addicted to Facebook.
They found that various personality traits related to the scale: for instance neuroticism and extraversion related positively, and conscientiousness related negatively.
They also found that high scores on the BFAS were linked to going to bed very late and getting up very late.
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