Facebook[/caption]Carol Forsloff - Here's another addiction to worry about: Facebook. It seems that there is now a test to determine whether you are or aren't one of those with an unrelenting craving that sometimes you can't control, which is, of course, the nature of addiction. What's the test and what does this say about the rest of us?
I admit it. I am on Facebook every day. I also have a lot of "friends" and that's a serious sign of issues, unless there's a reason. For me, as a journalist, Facebook is one of those places where networking is important. But I also peek in and see how my friends are faring, and I admit to a venture here and there on non-friend pages, just to check out what's going on in the never-never land of those I hardly know or don't know anymore. Some of these have become non-friends and non-relatives through time and distance. Lots of folks do that, the experts say. That's the way of the world, it seems, at least the way of the world on Facebook.
I'm also addicted to something else on Facebook, and that's not just writing but music as well. The new application, Fandalism, has taken off seriously and in some ways might just outpace YouTube. If it does, some of us will be truly happy for that, as YouTube has become not just a place for musicians and visual artists to strut their stuff but a dumping ground for the absurd and sometimes the very bizarre, as well as the tamer "inappropriate."
Fandalism can be very addictive, if you like to play music. If you like to listen to it, it can also be addictive, as there are some seriously good musicians. One of them is Yawroc Sticky Hopkins, that I have written about, and Nancy Burridge, of the super voice. But there are others as well, and when the site brags it has many of the world's best musicians, you can take that claim seriously, as there are some seriously fine folk on Fandalism, who perform as well, and often better, than those on "America's Got Talent" or its counterparts like "Britains Got Talent" just over the pond.
But Facebook is the parent of Fandalism, parent in terms of the new child becoming a strong connection for people, likely as addicted as those who play games.
So what's the test to determine addiction? So here's what Kurzweil's publication reports:
Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale test, developed in Norway, offers the following scale to determine addiction..
Do you (1) Very rarely, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, or (5) Very often:
- Spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or plan use of Facebook.
- Feel an urge to use Facebook more and more.
- Use Facebook to forget about personal problems.
- Try to cut down on the use of Facebook without success.
- Become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook.
- Use Facebook so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies.
After adding these up, your full score correlates with your addiction level. Did you score “often” or “very often” on at least four of the six items? You’re a Facebook addict.*
So it isn't just the Internet or the computer that takes our time. It is also social media. On the other hand, some people use the site to master their music or to show off their work in various ways. However, you use, it, experts say, excessive use can cause problems with sleep and bunches of other issues---like who is going to do the dishes or take out the garbage while the other guy is fixed with eyes on the screen for Facebook.