Do you have a Facebook Addiction?

Facebook is one of the most widely used social networking sites. It’s an incredibly useful website but, like all good things, too much can be a bad thing.

Specifically, do you have a Facebook addiction? If the first thing on your mind is Facebook, if you’re skipping hanging out with “real life” friends to Facebook stalk others, and if your work and chores go uncompleted as you scroll through your news feed, you might have a problem.

The signs of a Facebook addiction:

You check Facebook first thing in the morning, during any and all “empty” intervals in your day (lull in conversation, waiting in line, in the bathroom, etc), and stay up late telling yourself “just one more page.” You might even have trouble sleeping because you feel the urge to check Facebook one last time. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to share your life with the world, but when it envelopes every aspect of your life, you might have a problem.
You see things through a “Facebook filter.” If something funny happens, is your first thought “I should put this on Facebook”? If you see a beautiful scene, is your first thought to snap a photo and share it? Facebook can easily interfere with your ability to live in the moment.
If you’re too preoccupied figuring out the correct wording for your next funny status update (a clever joke your coworker just told you), you’re missing out. All things aren’t meant to be shared on Facebook, so don’t forget to laugh and live in the moment.

All of your free time goes to Facebook. If your only hobby is checking Facebook, that might be a sign your love is borderline addiction. Are you capable of “unplugging” during a movie, dinner, or afternoon shopping trip with friends? You really should be able to do at least that.

If you have a Facebook addiction:

Don’t worry. A lot of us do. The first and most important thing is admitting you have a problem. Once you do that, there are a couple simple adjustments you can make, so that you spend your “off-time” without your nose in a Smartphone or computer, checking your new notifications.

Keep track of how many times you log onto Facebook a day (and how much time you spend in each log-in). A lot of people think they only check Facebook a couple times a day, but when they add it all up, it turns out they check their notifications and page between 25 and 30 times a day. That’s a lot of checking. Lucky for us, a lot of it is unintentional.
As a result, by simply keeping track of how many time you check your Facebook, you can become more aware of the scale of your Facebook addiction. This awareness can help prevent you from checking Facebook in a lull in conversation.
Likewise, keeping track of how much time you actually spend on Facebook can help you figure out how to prioritize your time. If you’re spending an average of three hours a day on Facebook, but are running on a lack of sleep, you might consider cutting out half an hour of Facebook time for an earlier bedtime.

Turn off email notifications. If you’re checking Facebook multiple times a day, you don’t need yet another unrelated reminders urging you to check. Those new vacation photos a friend posted can wait.
Limit yourself to 1-2 new statuses a day. Chances are, most people aren’t terribly interested in your day. Every once and a while, you might have a killer day full of weird coincidences, running into old friends from high school, and promotions… but for your “regular days?” Don’t post everything, all the time.
Don’t Facebook stalk. Comparing your life to others and wading through all the pictures of an ex-friend who just got a new job isn’t good for your self-esteem. Pictures don’t really show what is going on in someone’s life – you don’t get to see what happens in between snapshots and status updates.
Facebook stalking someone else’s life will only make you feel inferior and self-conscious. Instead, spend that time catching up on sleep, working out, cooking a healthy meal, or actually meeting up with people in real life.

Decide what parts of your life Facebook actually improves and cut out all the rest. Do you enjoy connecting with old friends? Showing off your life to relatives? What parts of your life are actually improved with Facebook – and what parts are hindered by this social networking site?

Facebook is an incredibly useful and fun social networking site, but it can also suck up your time and hinder your life goals. Like all things, it ought to be used in moderation.