Are You or Your Children Addicted to Facebook?

Are You or Your Children Addicted to Facebook?

Former Facebook president and billionaire Sean Parker has lashed out against the social network and social media in general, pondering what the ramifications of it might be years down the road. In an interview with Mike Allen of Axios, Parker, who was portrayed in the movie The Social Network by Justin Timberlake, said social networks have the power now to alter society and not for the better. “I don’t know if I really understood the consequences of what I was saying, because [of] the unintended consequences of a network when it grows to a billion or 2 billion people and ... it literally changes your relationship with society, with each other ... It probably interferes with productivity in weird ways,” Parker is quoted as saying. “God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains.”

Parker was the company's first president and is now the founder and chair of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. He made the comments at an event to discuss accelerating innovation for cancer therapies. The 37-year-old billionaire, who is also known for having founded the file-sharing network Napster in the late 1990s, added that Facebook’s mission in the early days was to get people hooked in its tentacles. “The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them, ... was all about: ‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?’” Parker explained. The company achieved this by adding the “like” button or letting people comment on posts or pictures, with Parker calling these “a social-validation feedback loop ... exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you’re exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.” Parker left the stage joking that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg would block his account after learning of his comments.

Others feel the same. Parker, who has a net worth of over $2 billion, is not the only former Facebook employee who feels the company may be doing more harm than good. The creator of the “like” button, former Facebook engineer Justin Rosenstein, said he thinks his invention is a contributor to “time poorly spent.” Rosenstein penned his thoughts on the subject last month in a post for Thrive Global.

But not Mark. Zuckerberg, who has asked for “forgiveness” for the ways his “work was used to divide people,” revealed Facebook’s new mission statement this past summer. In June, the 31-year-old Zuckerberg said the company’s new purpose is “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”

Facebook Addiction Test

“I’m addicted to Facebook” is something you’ve probably heard someone say – or read on Facebook. Although Facebook Addiction is definitely not a formal clinical diagnosis, it is fair to say that many people spend far too much time on Facebook and may, at the very least, describe themselves as “obsessed,” if not addicted.

How do you know if you’re addicted to Facebook? What are the symptoms and signs of Facebook Addiction? Take the Facebook Addiction Test below to assess whether you are spending too much time on Facebook and if would benefit from changing some of your online habits. (Note: the questions in The Facebook Addiction Test and symptoms described should be considered a rough assessment of your Facebook habits and not a formal diagnosis.)

  1. I often spend too much time on Facebook – usually more than I originally intend. True False

  2. I am often tired in the morning because I stay up late on Facebook. True False

  3. My friends or family have suggested I spend too much time on Facebook. True False

  4. I spend more than two hours per day on Facebook in non-work-related endeavors. True False

  5. I often use Facebook at work or school even though this is not permitted. True False

  6. I would find it very difficult if I could not access my Facebook account for a 24-hour period. True False

  7. I have made an effort to collect as many “friends” as possible on Facebook. True False

  8. Many of my Facebook friends aren’t friends offline. True False

  9. My work or school performance has suffered because I spend too much time on Facebook. True False

10. My personal relationships have suffered because I spend too much time on Facebook. True False

11. I often spend hours at a time playing games on Facebook. True False

12. When I post an update on Facebook, I am very disappointed if no one comments on it. True False

13. I usually prefer talking to people on Facebook rather than in person. True False

14. I have attempted to reduce the amount of time I spend on Facebook, but haven’t been successful. True False

15. I spend most of my online activity on Facebook. True False

16. I often use Facebook to avoid other responsibilities (e.g., work, homework, housework, etc.). True False

17. Because of Facebook, I spend less time doing other activities I once enjoyed (e.g., exercise, reading, socializing, hobbies, etc.). True False

18. Even though I have many Facebook friends, I have few real friends. True False

19. I often login to Facebook in the presence of family members and/or friends. True False

20. Checking my Facebook account is one of the first things I do in the morning. True False

21. Checking my Facebook account is one of the last things I do at night. True False

22. When I’m stressed or depressed, I use Facebook to make me feel better. True False

23. I am often late for school, work, meetings, or appointments because of Facebook. True False

24. I would get very upset if a friend did not “add” me on Facebook. True False

25. I have set my Facebook account so that I receive automatic notifications about what my friends are doing/saying. True False

26. I’m sad when I discover others have more Facebook friends than I. True False

27. It would be virtually impossible for me to give up Facebook for an entire month. True False

28. I often confuse what someone has told me “in real life” and what is posted on Facebook. True False

29. I often login to Facebook when I’m bored because I have nothing else to do. True False

Scoring: Total the number of questions to which you answered “True.” While there is no set number indicating “Facebook Addiction,” obviously the greater number of True answers indicates the likelihood that your Facebook habits are excessive and possibly harmful.

0 - 5: You are most likely a light user of Facebook – you can take it or leave it and it probably doesn’t cause any significant problems in your life.

6 - 10: Facebook is a part of your daily routine. At times you may spend too much time with it and may regret long Facebook sessions after you finally log off.

11 - 20: Your use of Facebook may be harmful and/or obsessive. Too much time on Facebook may be causing or contributing to “real life” problems and you may be using it to avoid important responsibilities.

21+: Your life revolves around Facebook. You would find it extremely difficult to go more than a day or two without checking your account. Your relationships and work/schoolwork performance are likely suffering because of your excessive Facebook use. You would greatly benefit from learning why Facebook is addictive, reducing your Facebook time and taking measures to reduce your time on Facebook.

Sources: Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, November 9, 2017, and Brent Conrad, Ph.D., TechAddicition.