Sounds like a taboo subject doesn’t it? However, try typing ‘Facebook addiction’ into Google and then come back to me with your argument. It’s gotten so serious that psychologists are referring to it as ‘intermittent reinforcement’. The term is used with gamblers, affecting the way we think about rewards, e.g. when we complete another level on Black Ops or Farmville we get similar effects as to winning on a slot machine. Which means like most gamblers we stay on the same slot machine ‘computer’ and continue to play until we win and carry on because...basically- it gets us off.
The Facebook Pressroom states that they have 500 million active users with 50% logging on daily.
Most Facebook ‘addicts’ are thought to be students, as they use Facebook as a means of getting out of doing work, socialising, dating , gaming and so on. I’m not going to argue with any of this, as numerous times I have began chatting to a classmate on the social networking site about coursework (initially) and as always we end up saying after 30 minutes or more, “Wow, we really should get back to work.”
I log onto Facebook during work, break time, hell I’m on there right now! My excuse is for networking concerning my job, but after more and more research I do believe that I may have a problem.
However, with Facebook on your laptop, your smart phone and a new movie made about its creator, are you that surprised that we have a world of FB addicts? The internet like New York City, never sleeps, so neither doe’s FB and in a worse case scenario...neither do you!
On the plus side, it kills loneliness right? On a solitary Monday evening, weekend over, there’s nothing like chatting to a few mates online.
Of course we have to take into account the amount of Facebook linked suicides- due to harassment. Type that one into Google and you will get a shock, believe me!
Although, like my ‘networking’ reason, perhaps we all have a fair and valid reason for logging onto the site so often, perhaps to check to see if that special someone is online, create another party event...or like my good mate...to play on Black Ops...for 6 to 9 hours.
Mark Zuckerberg, the accidental billionaire and the co-founder of Facebook would definitely be one person worth interviewing, simply to ask; How does it feel to be part of the new media, where your site dominates how millions of people think and what millions of people do?
Does it really bother any of us that the site we use daily was created by a man that screwed over his best mate who helped create the site and that our daily loggings are lining this guys pocket?
With addiction, comes control. Remember the change your profile picture to a cartoon character for anti child abuse? The number game? How many of you participated?
Like a 20 a day smoker, that company/brand has control over your life and if you said yes to the two points above- it has control over you.
Like the media, what is published on the site many believe and talk about, Charlie Sheen’s untrue death for example, so many posted comments claiming he was dead, yet so few actually went and researched it online to see if it was true or not (IT WASN’T). You don’t even have to watch X-Factor either, as plenty of people will keep you updated on who said what and why.
It’s safe to say that the two dudes that created Facebook are geniuses, as they have not only invented an excellent socialising tool, but have also created numerous ways to keep individuals like you and me locked onto their site for hours and hours.
So I close with, Facebook new age socialising tool or method of mind control, are you an addict?
(References available on request)
