FACEBOOK ADDICTION: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT - ARTE - 2024

The addiction to Facebook 's over - reliance when to use this social network to the point of neglecting aspects of daily life such as work or social relationships face to face. The obsession with this online platform is one of the most recent addictive disorders associated with behavior.

Research related to internet addiction and new digital media have shown the existence of a possible addiction to Facebook, although since it is such a current disorder, many characteristics remain to be defined, to give it the scientific validity it deserves.

There are many experts who still do not consider dependence on Facebook as an addiction that may need psychiatric help like other behavioral disorders, until now considered more serious, as is the case with gambling addiction.

There are also critical voices such as Griffiths, who affirms that Facebook addiction has to be studied based on the activities or applications used on this portal, rather than analyzing the website in general.

However, there are common symptoms, which show that this social network can become an obsession for Internet users who spend a lot of time on it.

characteristics

Dependence on Facebook is a behavioral disorder, since it consists of the repetition of certain behaviors, even knowing that these can affect daily routines and mental health.

In this case, compulsive attitudes are continuous access to this network or staying for an excessive time using it. Due to its similarities, Facebook can be considered a subtype of Internet addiction.

Facebook has become a global phenomenon, which, in addition to revolutionizing the world of communication, has changed social relationships, affecting very intimately at the individual level. This phenomenon has increased with the arrival of mobile devices, which allow you to access your profile at any time and from anywhere.

More and more people are using Facebook, not only to share content with their friends, but for other activities that were previously carried out through other media or places. These can be as basic as finding out about current events, looking for work or simply investing leisure time.

Causes of Facebook addiction

The causes of Facebook addiction are not entirely clear. There are studies that link them to the same circumstances that cause dependence on the Internet, although there are other studies that indicate some personal characteristics that suggest that some individuals are more predisposed to suffer from an addiction to this online portal.

A study carried out on students from Taiwan in 2014 pointed out that having an inferiority complex or a depressive character can influence the use made of Facebook, resulting in many cases in an addiction to this social network.

Another sample indicates that shyness is closely related to the use of Facebook, although it does not have a positive impact on the number of friends added to this online portal. This study does not necessarily indicate that shy people have to be addicted to Facebook, but they do tend to satisfy their social needs through this digital platform.

Narcissistic people, or those with low self-esteem, are also Facebook users, since they use this medium to get the favorable opinion of others and reaffirm themselves. This is pointed out in an article by psychologist Soraya Mehdizadeh on social networks and behavior.

Symptoms

Addiction to Facebook is closely related to dependence on the Internet. It can be classified as a type of cyber addiction, so its symptoms are similar.

Dr. Kimberly Young, a psychologist and an expert in Internet addiction, argues that there are several subtypes of addiction, depending on the use that the addicted Internet user makes of the web.

According to these uses, there are several types of Internet addiction, among which is the addiction to social networks, digital platforms or digital communities in which users are the ones who produce the content.

Dr. Kimberly Young is also the founder of the Center for Internet Addiction, which has been treating this type of disorders associated with the web since 1995. Young establishes five signs that can help you know if you have a Facebook addiction disorder:

You share too much content

This signal indicates that we plan too much or think too much about the activities we will do and how we will carry them out on Facebook.

You feel the need to use Facebook more and more

That is, you agree to constantly check for updates, even when you know that you do not have any news on your profile.

You use Facebook to get away from your personal problems

When this happens, time that was previously used in basic tasks of the daily routine is wasted and can cause problems with those around you due to inattention.

You feel uneasy or worried when you cannot or when you are prohibited from using Facebook

Addicts to the social network can experience a kind of withdrawal syndrome.

You make such excessive use of Facebook that it is negatively impacting your friendships or social relationships

The point has come where you prefer to satisfy your social needs through the screen than face to face.

How do you know if you are addicted to Facebook?

A study at the University of Bergen in Norway, led by Cecilie Schou, developed in 2012 a Facebook addiction scale, The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS).

This scale has 18 items, among which the 6 core elements of addiction are reflected (prominence, mood swings, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse).

Here's an example with some of those top-scoring questions, so you can check whether or not you're addicted to Facebook. All questions are scored on the following scale: 1: very rarely, 2: rarely, 3: sometimes, 4: often, 5: very often.

During the past year…

1. How often have you wasted time thinking about Facebook or planning to use Facebook?
2. How many times have you felt the need to use Facebook, more and more?
3. Have you often used Facebook to get away from your personal problems?
4. How often have you tried to stop using Facebook without success?
5. Have you ever felt anxious or worried when you were banned from using Facebook?
6. Have you used Facebook to such an extent that it has had a negative impact on your work or your studies?

These questions pertaining to the Facebook addiction scale, created by researchers at the University of Bergen, were in turn related to other questions related to other addictions and even to sleeping habits.

Finally, after checking the reliability of the test, it was shown that many of the symptoms coincided with those of other addictions, and even that addiction to Facebook can have effects when it comes to delaying sleep.

Treatment

The Center for Internet Addiction and Recovery states on its website that addicts to Facebook and social networks in general must adopt a series of measures:

1. Admit there is a problem. It is the first necessary step to start taking action.
2. Turn off all notifications. In this way you avoid the temptation to check if there is anything new in the social network.
3. Change and limit the hours of access to Facebook, for example reducing the use of the social network to twice a day.

According to Dr. Young's center, once the time spent on the application is reduced, the next step is to provide psychological help to the addict to find alternatives to socialize and communicate outside the screens.

References

1. Andreassen, CS., Torsheim, T., Brunborg, GS & Pallesen, S. Development of a Facebook Addiction Scale. Psychological Reports. 2012, 2, 501-517.
2. Ryan, T., Chester, A., Reece, J. & Xenos, S. A Qualitative Exploration of Facebook Addiction: Working toward Construct Validity. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions. 2016, 3 (1), 55-76. DOI. 10.15805 / addicta.2016.3.0004.
3. Soraya Mehdizadeh. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. August 2010, 13 (4): 357-364. doi: 10.1089 / cyber.2009.0257.
4. Alexa- Actionable Analytics for the Web.