"Five Clues That You Are Addicted to Facebook" by Elizabeth Cohen

Five clues that you are addicted to facebook. (2009, April 23) Retrieved April 4, 2011, from http://articles.cnn.com/2009-04-23/health/ep.facebook.addict_1_facebook-page-facebook-world-social-networking?_s=PM:HEALTH

Five Clues That You Are Addicted to Facebook

This article, posted in CNN Health, describes the addictions some people have with Facebook. The story profiles a mother, Cynthia Newton. Cynthia Newton is a unanimous name because she was too embarrassed to use her real name. Newton has admitted to spending up to 20 hours a week, half the time she spends at work, on Facebook. Since "Facebook Addition" isn't a medical problem, therapists say this is no longer "social networking, but social dysfunction." Paula Pile, a marriage and family therapist, concludes that Facebook itself is not the problem, but a problem arises when people start to neglect family and work because the Facebook world is more enjoyable than reality. The misconception that Facebook is real is compared to the 1998 "The Truman Show" starring Jim Carrey, about a "fabricated world where nothing ever goes wrong." The article concludes with five clues to indicate if you are addicted to Facebook: You lose sleep over Facebook, you spend more than an hour a day on Facebook, you become obsessed with old loves, you ignore work in favor of Facebook, and the thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in a cold sweat. Pile suggests, "Try going a day without Facebook. If you find it causes you a lot of stress and anxiety, you need to get some help." This article shows the huge influence technology has over some people. Facebook is meant to keep friends in touch, not a way to get away from reality. Having a Facebook account gives you full control over what people see, unlike in real life. That is the addicting factor because people can post the enjoyable moments, and pretend the other ones don't exist.