Addicted to Facebook

Ok - so before you are wondering why the heck this is in the "health" section and not the "computer and internet section" - let me say I feel this is a mental and/or emotional health problem. And it goes much deeper than an "internet problem".

That being said . . .

Pretty much everyone I know has a Facebook account. I use it for emailing, messaging, sharing pictures, and more. That sounds pretty reasonable, right? Well, Facebook has a way of creeping from something useful into a major contributor to carpal tunnel, burning eyes, procrastination, and mindless clicking as well as selfish indulgences, pathetic stalking, and the list goes on.

Ok, obviously I am a Facebook user. I enjoy seeing a picture of my friend when I send them a message. I am a fan of the status update. I even like notifications and am only mildly concerned when I am friend-requested by a total stranger (however out of the 768 people that are my friends I know bout 750 of them personally and about 700 of them quite well). I enjoy clicking through pictures of my long lost friends' houses in the suburbs and seeing their kids covered in spaghetti. I LOVE people and traveled quite a bit in my short 21 years.


I've worked as a flight dispatcher in the bush of Alaska, I worked in Brooklyn New York with inner city kids for 2 summers, I've lived temporarily in and visited places like New zealand, England, Wales, Ireland, British Columbia, Washington and Texas. I traveled across country with my family of 7 at age 10 in a suburban and a tent trailer for 8 months. I've worked over 10 jobs, including camps . . . the list goes on. MY POINT BEING: I know A LOT of people from A LOT of places and A LOT of different walks of life. I have LOVED getting to know all these people and Facebeook is a GREAT way to stay in touch with them and/or simply see a bit of their lives, as I may never see many every again


.

So here is the problem, well, my problem. And I am assuming I'm not alone on this one. I'm on Facebook all the time! I go to the site not even conscious that I am going to it. I turned on my computer this morning with the intention of opening Word first thing, and where did I find myself? You guessed it. Facebook. I am addicted! Admitting is the first step to recovery (bankers take note). Sign me up for Facebook rehab.



I'm not going to delete my account. Not even happening. I love these people and communicate with them too much and too often to risk losing them. HOWEVER, I would like to spend FAR less time on it than I do.


I find myself going to the profile of a previous flame CONSTANTLY and his new girlfriends . . . and I do not have jealous or stalker personality - so this worries me. This obsessive behavior.


I'm not addicted in the sense that when I'm away from Facebook (camping, with friends, etc.) I crave it, because I don't. When I'm away from it I could care less.



But I"m a Journalist and my computer is sort of my life ad when I'm at my computer -well Facebook calls me name.



Any suggestions?? Tips?? Advice (other than delete or deactivate your account).


Anything that might help with this deeper mental/emotional problem of addiction (I think the core if it is that I'm addicted to people . . . however it's emotionally exhausting seeing everyone's constant updates about themselves!)

 

i go on a lot to. sometimes when i wanna go to a certain say, say youtube, ill automatically starting typing in facebook. i mainly just use it for the chat thingy though

 

It's pretty simple, your caught in a vicious cycle and you seem pretty aware of it. You don't really need to know if John Smith is eating a sandwich or if Sally Fruitfarm just graduated( awesome names I know ).

The more you comment on others status's, the more responses to your comment you'll get.
The more you post, the more likely you'll have to check what everyone thinks about your post.

The truth is the less you post the better off you are.

Nothing dramatic is going to happen while your away, pop in once a day.
Check upcoming events and your messages.

This way you have something substantial to actually tell people in status updates because your out being productive and doing the things you actually want to do and wish you were doing but you were too busy on facebook. DAMN THAT WAS A LONG SENTENCE...
Hope I helped.

 

ps. I HAVE succesfully taken a few "breaks" that have lasted a few months long. I'm not looking for a break - I'm looking to keep it a part of my life, but having more self-control.

Also I found this list, my notes are in the parenthesis

10 warning signs that you may be addicted to Facebook

1. Facebook is your home page (mine is yahoo)

2. You update your status more than twice a day (yeah, i usually do at least 2-3 a day)

3. You have over 500 "friends" half of whom you've never actually met. (I have over 500 friends. About 800 - but I know most of them).

4. As soon as you step away from your computer you're on FB on your phone.(I don't have FB on my phone or Internet THANK GOD!)

5. You are a FB stalker. You qualify as a FB stalker if you (yes, yes I am)

a) click on someone's profile more than once a day even if they haven't messaged or tagged you in a photo.
b) have dragged and dropped more than 3 FB photos (not from your own profile)
c) actually go to a place mentioned on someone's page in hopes of seeing them in real life...creepy! (only with one crush, but yeah . . .still pathetic)

6. You change your profile picture more than a 12-year=old girl. (yeah, I'm a photo ham. I just recently deleted about half my profile pictures though - I have about 70 currently and that is from 6 years of having a facebook)

7. You have checked your FB page while reading this article. (yeah . . . twice)

8. You clean up your "wall" so it looks like you spend less time on FB. (so embarrassed to admit this, but yes, I do that quite often)

9. You are a member of more than 10 groups and respond to every event invitation "attending" even if you have no intention of going. (I am a member of a few groups, but no to the event thing)

10. You change your relationship status just to mess with people.(lol, no never have actually. it's not even listed)

 

you can buy my acorns on facebook... give me some money!!

 

Hi, I'm RooR, and I'm addicted to hipforums.....

Get off the facebook, it's like the crack of the internet.

It can be useful, but you've got to SERIOUSLY limit it. It's a good rule of thumb to only use it to talk to people who you don't see, or people who'd like to get to know. If you see them daily, or weekly, don't use facebook to get in touch with them. But that's just me.

 

If I'm on the internet being social I'm here. Roor said it best.

 

The number of people that I know "quite well" might not even be in the double digits.

I'm addicted to hipforums too. I've only been a member of one other forums site, tribe, I was addicted to that too. Tribe's basically dead now save the burners forums but I like HF much better.

Reading and posting on forums is almost the only thing I DO on the internet.

I stalk here, I check to see if ppl have pictures. Some posts just make you want to see a face.

Facebook people need to not have a dozen different "statuses" throught the day.

Maybe if you didn't have 3 pages of reading every time you login it wouldn't take so long to "check facebook"

I like FB for events. It's a good way to keep up with local bands/venues and catch shows of interest,

 

I don't understand the facebook addictions. How can people be so absorbed in other people's lives? Are their lives really that miserable?

 

just turn your facebook off?

 

THIS.!!...



Cheers Glen.

 

I wouldn't say miserable. More, vacant and lacking substance.

 

before i was hooked on forums I was stuck on Yahoo! Answers!

 

lol you guys aren't helping much

no, my life is not miserable at all! or void or lacking subsistence. I have a very full and rich life filled with A LOT of wonderful people - one of the main reasons I am "addicted" to facebook. I enjoy interacting with people - and a lot of these people are from areas of my life (like working in alaska, living in new york, new zealand, washington, working at camps, ets) that I will never see again.

I rarely do the forum thing - this is the first one I've really been an "active" member of.

 

I don't really see the issue if you have a full life. Yeah, facebook is retarded. Yeah, it might even be a potentially dangerous information-gathering scheme. But as far as addictions go, at least you aren't addicted to heroin.

The thing that annoys me most about facebook is when you see people update their status with shit like, "I am enjoying a beautiful night with the one I love!"

...get the fuck off your computer or phone and actually go enjoy the love-filled night.

thats all the advice I have to offer

 

At least no one's addicted to myspace anymore. About as popular as forums these days.

 

Im addicted to music.. Hip Forums is just an App on the side that keeps me busy and my blood pressure stable.. Actually cannabis plant journal is what I joined this forum for, but I do most book keeping off line now and share pictures occasionally.. Id share more pictures if some people were not such fucking assholes hippiecrites and homophobes... you know who you are.

 

yahoo answers...where the first five answers are fucktards who dont know the answer but answer anyways and the last five answers are links embedded into a pseudo answer so the jackass can make a penny if youre dumb enough to click on it..i fucking hate that site

 

Cha cha.. :leaving:

 

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