Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, Myspace… the list is endless. Millions of us are addicted. The Government tells us that our time wasting internet addictions are costing the country billions of dollars every year. Our productivity at work is dismal because we spend most of the day reading our Fun Wall or checking out our favorite blogs. Can this additive behavior be beaten?
The answer my family and friends is Yes!
How to tell if you are an internet addict
Before we start you need to find out if you are an addict. Once you have admitted to yourself that you are addicted to your favorite website we can go about giving you some solutions for that problem. Here are some surefire signs that you are addicted:
1. You are late for meetings because you are on FacebookIf you ever late for a meeting or an appointment because you were checking your updates on Facebook or watching a related video on Youtube then you know you are addicted. This is classic addict behavior. It is time to get help.
2. You think about it when you are offlineI have several friends who struggle to get to sleep because they are thinking about the latest game or wondering how their website statistics are looking. If you do this then it could be a sign that you are heading towards a problem.
3. Your friends and family comment on your excessive internet useWhen other people around you start to notice that you have a problem it is generally a pretty accurate indicator that you are losing it. If your mates, coworkers or family members have made comments about how much you use the net then you need to read the rest of this post.
4. You check your accounts from your BlackberryA Blackberry is designed as a business tool. It is supposed to allow you to check your important emails and work materials without having to be in the office. It is not for checking Facebook or Myspace updates while you are having dinner with with someone, thats not whats up people, If you use your Blackberry for monitoring your social media accounts then you need help.
5. You get stressed when a Facebook “friend” doesn’t add youHave you ever noticed yourself getting stressed over something that has happened on Facebook or Myspace? Do you ever feel like your online life is more real than your offline life? If you have been stressed about what rapper you turned out as or what magic egg someone sent you then it is time to open your eyes.
Here are some ways that may help you beat your addiction:
1. Admit you have a problem first and foremost.
2. Write down how much time you actually spend on the site.
3. give yourself a set day and time to be on the site
4. turn off your notifications
5. write down what you did before there was a faceboo, youtube, twitter, myspace etc.
6. Block the site completely so you are not able to get on.
I know I have an addiction when it comes to my facebook and yahoo IM I IM two of my friends every single day and I feel as if my day can't go on unless there are logged on to IM so i can chat when needed. I am also logged onto my facebook account every single day, all day long and if I cant be on it from my computer I am logged on from my phone. (shaking my head) yes I know i have a problem, the first step is admitting you have a problem right?
So why is it so important in these days to be social via the internet rather than in person? I first realized how addicted I was on facebook when total strangers come up to me and be like your Evoney right? I am looking at them with a puzzled look like.. yeah... and they realize I don't recognize them and there like from facebook im such and such and im like oh yeah.. ok (shaking my head again) I see it as this , the world is now more technical, electronic this or internet capability that. and so is the way you are in the social aspects but I do agree it is not healthy and I need to be the first to go to Facebook Rehab.
What is your intake on this? Are you addicted to a social networking site?
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