If you’ve been wondering if you’re addicted to Facebook, you’ll want to ask yourself the following questions:
Do you play more than one game? Games on Facebook are designed to do one thing: keep you on Facebook. If you are addicted to Facebook, chances are you are playing a game. Games like Farmville are fun and meant to be addictive. They reward you the more you play and make you feel compelled to log back in and take care of your crops. If you’re playing a game like Mob Wars, you’re tempted to log back in and do another heist. These games are huge time gobblers and you won’t realize how much time you’ve racked up playing until the day is over and you haven’t gone out!
Do you check your news feed more than twice a day? It’s good to keep up with your friends and what they’re up to, but a few times a day should be more than enough. Check it once at the beginning of the day so you can see what you missed in your sleep, and check it again towards the end of the day to see what people have done that day. If you’re parked in front of the News Feed like it’s a CNN News ticker, you need to get out there and live your own life instead of watching other people live theirs.
Do you post more than one update a day? They are most likely not worthy of a publication. Life is full of minutiae, and if you’re constantly posting what you ate for lunch, chances are you won’t be very popular in other people’s news feeds. Try to get in the habit of doing something fun every day and posting about it. This way you can be sure that you are not addicted to Facebook and that you are having a good time. People will enjoy your updates and know that you have a healthy lifestyle.
Do you still interact with your friends in the real world? Facebook is great for keeping in touch with friends when you can’t be around them in person. But if it’s started to replace human interaction with Facebook contact, then it’s time to schedule some face-to-face time with your friends. Real face time. See if they want to watch a movie or have a cup of coffee. If they’re too far away to meet them, call them. Facebook posts are fine, but there’s nothing better than hearing the voice of a good friend from time to time.
Do you visit more than a few profiles a day? You shouldn’t have the need to review more than a few people’s profiles a day. If you find yourself mindlessly wandering through people’s profiles, it’s time to cut the cord and get on with your life.