ONLINE ADDICT
IS SOCIAL MEDIA TAKING OVER YOUR LIFE?
I
t is now easier than ever to keep in contact with friends and family, post
photos, share information and chat on sites like facebook, Google+, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. Dating apps like Grindr, Scruff, Pink Sofa and many others - allow us to easily find someone to chat with, hook up
with on any night of the week or seek that illusive meaningful relationship. They
offer a wide spectrum of choice without having to venture out - and a lot of advance information on potential partners, all fed to us in a convenient way.
much attention to their screens instead of the boundless world
that’s literally in front of them. Each minute you spend overly
focusing on your smart phone, ipad or computer is a minute
lost savouring the very awesome present.
On the business front, the professional networking side LinkedIn allows users
to request introductions to business people who are known to their contracts.
The potential of this enhanced connectivity is huge; whereas once you would
be left sifting through business cards after a network event, trying to remember
details about each person, you can now easily look up connections’s credentials
and business interests on their social media profile. It does seem on the surface
the social media websites - personal and business - and dating apps have lots of
fantastic advantages and can improve your life if used mindfully, but are they for
everyone and are they making many of us lazy and possibly even depressed?
HERE ARE TEN SIGNS THAT SOCIAL MEDIA
IS A PROBLEM FOR YOU...
If you go deeper do you feel more connected or in fact alienated after hanging out
on Facebook and Grindr for hours on end? Have you actually converted those
hours on LinkedIn into cash or have you just used it as a distraction from the
things that really need to be done in your business? A recent review of some
seventy-five studies concluded that “users of Facebook do not differ in most personality traits from nonusers of Facebook.” But, somehow, the internet seems to
make them feel more alienated. An analysis of forty studies also confirmed the
trend: Internet use had a significant detrimental effect on overall well-being. In
a UK study last year on social media’s effects on self-esteem and anxiety, it was
reported that 50% of their participants said that their “use of social networks like
Facebook and Twitter make their lives worse.” In particular, participants noted
that their self-esteem suffers when they compare their own accomplishments to
those of their online friends.
In addition to confidence issues, two-thirds claimed they find it difficult to fully
relax or sleep after spending time on social networks. A quarter cited work or relationship difficulties due to online confrontations. And more than half say they
feel “worried or uncomfortable” a times they are unable to access their Facebook
account, mobile apps or email accounts. Study after study has revealed that people are now more likely to be engaging in compulsive internet use, and are at an
increasing risk of anxiety, depression and isolation as they obsessively log in and
out.
Nomophobia: The fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
1. You have more communication that people on social
media sites and mobile apps than you do in real life.
2. You regularly find yourself together with friends, all
accessing your own social media sites instead of actually
talking with reach other.
3. Checking social media websites or mobile apps is the first
thing you do in the morning and your constantly checking
in all day and into the late evening.
4. You’ve cur short a real-world conversation to check Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Grindr, Scruff, or Pink Sofa.
5. You make important announcements about your life online before personally telling those closest to you. Have you
ever revealed something deeply personal on social media
that you’ve regretted later?
6. You’ve herd some variation on the words “I wish you
would stop chatting online and spend time with me.” You’re
often accessing your phone apps while in social situations.
7. You regularly choose to chat online rather than to pick up
the phone and actually talk with someone or actually visit
with them!
8. The number of likes and/or comments you get on a post
is important - you’re constantly checking in.
We live in a generation that’s tech-crazy and extremely distracted. Social Media
and much online activity blurs the lines of reality and many people wrongly believe it’s a viable alternative to real, personal interaction.
9. Are you obsessed with how many ‘friends’ you have or
don’t have. Most of your online friend’s you never actually
meet?
Of course we can’t ignore the fantastic contributions of technology to awareness
and connectivity, but theres a serious disconnect when people start paying too
10. You post only (or mostly only) selfies.
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