F.A.D.

As students today, we seem to spend a lot of time on the internet. We are either playing games, looking up information for homework assignments, checking grades, looking at pictures, reading up on our world, ex cetera, or on facebook or another popular social networking site. It is even the normative to do many of these tasks at the same time, but people don't seem to realize the addiction quality that sites like Facebook posess, and when their small addiction turns into a medical condition.

Facebook may seem like a great way to stay connected to friends and family, especially when your away at college, and it is, but 1 out of every 8 Americans suffers an internet addiction problem. It's not just the "porn people" or the "gamblers". It is everyday people like, Facebook users. To be diagnosed with having FAD (Facebook Addiction Disorder) You must meet the criteria of having 2 or 3 of the following 6 problems at any time during the last 6-8 month time period:

1/. The first thing is tolerance. This refers to the need for increasing amounts of time on Facebook to achieve satisfaction and/or significantly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of time. They often have multiple Facebook windows opened at any one time. 3 is usually a sign and over 5 you're helpless.

2/. After reduction of Facebook use or cessation, it causes distress or impairs social, personal or occupational functioning such as wondering why your Vista is so fast and improved etc. These include anxiety; obsessive thinking about what is written on your wall on Facebook etc.

3/. Important social or recreational activities are greatly reduced and or migrated to Facebook. Instead of sending an email you post a message on your friend’s page about canceling a lunch appointment. You now stop answering your phone call from your Mom and insist she should contact you through Facebook chat.

4/ This is getting serious if you start kissing your girlfriend's home page or a VRML virtual walk through a park is your idea of a date.

5/ Your bookmark takes 20 minutes just to scroll from top to bottom or 8 of 10 people in your friend's list you have no idea of who they are.

6/ When you meet people you start introducing yourself by following "see you in Facebook" or your dog has its own Facebook profile. You invite anyone you've met and any notifications, messages and invites reward you with an unpredictable high, much like gambling

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=62885203000

Facebook makes it seem like this disorder is funny, and is a good thing. They have over 500 groups you can join and online tests to see if you qualify as an addict and laugh about your daily dosages of facebook. (a link to the test http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=62885203000&topic=6681 ) Facebook also offers a 12 step service to recovery, but it is more of a joke than a serious matter. According to an anti-Facebook blog entitled, sickfacebook.com there are over 350 million people suffering with serious addiction conditions and their sites photo compares these addictions to that of a crack abuser.

Based on statistics from the site:http://www.modernghana.com/news/245903/1/infected-with-facebook-addiction-disorder-fad.html, they indicate that over 6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day worldwide with 4 million status updates and 2 billion photos updated!! There are over 65 million active users and research also shows that an average of 50% of the people use their Facebook daily. Facebook comes in over 70 different languages and is a worldwide phenomenon that connects people from America, Africa, Korea, Europe, Ex Cetera...

The reason so many people are addicted is because they don't know how to answer the question: How do you know when to judge what's enough Facebook? My suggestion would be to refrain from 24/7 notifications on your phone, and keeping your laptop open all night waiting for comments or messages. Don't let Facebook be the first thing you check when you wake up. Test yourself and see how long you can stay away from Facebook, or specify a specific amount of time each day to be on it. It can be a great social networking website when used properly! You just need to know when it goes from a leisurely way to stay connected with friends to taking over your life, in a bad way.