Do you ever unplug for a full day? Just leave behind your social networks of choice and enjoy being free from their constantly connected grasp? For millions of people the idea of given up their social accounts is just too painful.
The team at Mylife.com examined social media overload and addiction and found that most users simply are not willing to give up their social media accounts.
The groups study found that 2 in 3 users are afraid they will “miss something” if they don’t stay glued to their social networks.
The study also discovered that 38% of users from the ages of 18-34 check their social networks when they wake up before they check their email accounts. Along those same lines the study found that 27% of users send messages from within their social networks more than from within email accounts.
In a humor take on the study the MyLife team asked users if they would be willing to take on other painful activities in place of losing their social networks. For example, many users would rather sit in traffic for four hours while listening to polka music than give up their Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Here is the full social network overload infographic:
Sorry folks but your inability to imagine a scenario where you give up something is called addiction. Then again all of us at SND are hopelessly addicted to social media so we don’t have much room to talk.
That would probably be really hard for me, but really beneficial I think, too!
I didn't have this problem before I got a smart phone. I have checked out for half a day or a full day before and I did feel like I missed something…what if someone posted an engagement or birth or a contest!
I check my Facebook ALL THE TIME! It is crazy addicting…It is hard to go one day without checking. It is how I keep in contact with everyone!
I am fine skipping it if I am busy or out of town… But it is the perfect procrastinator. If I am supposed to be getting something done at home- Its impossible not to check! Yes, addiction.
We're trying a "Technology Sabbath" on Sundays. That was hard last week.
Totally addicting!
I think this is a good point. I need to realize that it is okay to unplug. I've been working on unplugging on Sunday, but I need to do better at it.
Agreed the prevalence of smartphones and tablets have both greatly affected the amount of time people spend on SM.
My wife forces me to unplug, it's a good method. Running SocialNewsDaily as you can imagine pretty much keeps me connected 24/7 to just about every social network imaginable.
I wouldn't say that I post a lot on Facebook but I do stalk my friends and family to stay up to date on what everyone is doing! Would be hard to disconnect for a day or two!
I check facebook a lot when I am at home, the smart phone is an enabler. I do look forward to camping every summer partly because there is no cell service or anything where we camp so we have no choice but to unplug.
I truly realize how bad the addiction gets when I have things that I should be doing and I don't seem to get them done, because I am aimlessly staring at Facebook.