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Addicted to social media?

Old 06-17-2014, 04:35 PM
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Addicted to social media?

Facebook and twitter. Anyone. Mods please move I wasn't sure where to post this.

Is it a same type of addiction as substances?
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Old 06-17-2014, 04:37 PM
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sometimes I definitely wonder....

very similar parallels for sure.

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Old 06-17-2014, 05:25 PM
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add "texting" to that list. I don't do any of them.
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Old 06-17-2014, 05:47 PM
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I have a somewhat different perspective I guess.

As many know, I'm disabled - I have mobility issues and speech difficulties. The net, social media, and even texting, have been a lifeline for me and they aid greatly in my quality of life.

Anything that adds so much to my existence I can't bring myself to call an addiction
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Old 06-17-2014, 05:58 PM
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I think a lot of things can become addictions that interfere with our ability to run our lives.
However...alcoholism and drug addiction can (and will) kill us.

I think we can learn to reign ourselves in with regards to social media if it is getting too much (I know I take little breaks). I don't feel any withdrawal.

Balance. It is really important. I know I am working on this in my own life.

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Old 06-17-2014, 06:02 PM
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I saw myself getting addicted to checking my newsfeed from Facebook and Instagram so eventually I got rid of them both.
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Old 06-17-2014, 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Dee74 View Post
I have a somewhat different perspective I guess.

As many know, I'm disabled - I have mobility issues and speech difficulties. The net, social media, and even texting, have been a lifeline for me and they aid greatly in my quality of life.

Anything that adds so much to my existence I can't bring myself to call an addiction
Sorry Dee, don't mean to seem insensitive. It just gets me seeing people driving down the street looking at their hands instead of the road.
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Old 06-17-2014, 06:10 PM
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Oh I'm not offended and you weren't insensitive LBrain.




D
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Old 06-17-2014, 06:30 PM
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I do Facebook but it's mostly a way to keep up with the grandkids and my daughters, along with my bald eagles and pandas and black bears and dog/cat rescues, and, and... I don't tweet, or twitter or whatever they call that. I don't text and rarely use the phone and never use the phone while driving. I think I'm okay.
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Old 06-17-2014, 06:47 PM
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I've never used Facebook or Instagram, only Google+ infrequently. But I had a huge 1:1 online communication compulsion: mostly email and sometimes chat. I developed this in connection with how my drinking escalated and had a crazy habit of locking myself up in my room, drinking, and emailing with spec people. Then after a while not just drunk but hangover as well, anywhere I was. I actually got a few others "addicted" to the obsessive communication, too...

In the beginning when I decided to quit drinking this January with the help of SR, I was a bit afraid that I might start using SR the same way even sober, but luckily that did not happen. Well, I have some waves with the PM function sometimes but it's nothing even vaguely close to what I used to do while drinking, and actually at this point I don't feel the urge at all. Interesting, because I broke the main problem (booze) and many of my other obsessions have been gradually fading with it as well. I am so relieved and happy about this!
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Old 06-17-2014, 07:26 PM
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I'm hardly ever on facebook. I have never understood the appeal of it to be honest. Other than it being a competition on how many friends you have and who likes your posts. And the status stuff that shows up on your wall.

I've seen facebook destroy marriages, friendships and the self esteem of our youth.

As for texting, I personally hate my cell phone and only use it for calls. And even that I don't like to do.

Yes I think this stuff too can be addicting to the point of being just bad for you.
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Old 06-17-2014, 08:26 PM
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Okay. Sorry but that Google thing is funny. I'm borrowing it Dee. Work should be fun tomorrow.

I've gone in spurts. FB is fun seeing what people are up to and I've been known to download and delete free apps half the night on my ipad.
I'm on SR more than anything. With online shopping a close second.

I would suspect its possible for someone to have an addiction with it. If it helps make your life easier. Great. If it becomes your life, it probably is a problem.
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Old 06-18-2014, 04:27 AM
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I gave up Facebook a few weeks ago and I have never felt more free from bondage. I do still run a public facebook page for a hobby, but I no longer need to log in 58 times a day to see photos of peoples meals, every second of their child's life, etc. Lol. I mean it can be a great tool, but I feel like nobody does personal face to face contact anymore. I miss that.
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Old 06-18-2014, 04:48 AM
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I stay away from facebook as much as possible.

I'm very sensitive to things I become addicted to, so I struggle still with certain things. And I probably do them even less than most . Felt addicted to a video game, zuma, last year. Would waste hours a day playing it, but then when I had enough stopped. Wasn't the hell I thought it was going to be. Had a few minor urges to reload it into my computer, but doing something positive in it's place took care of it.

Not knocking this site, as I know it's a life saver for many... but I actually think sometimes I have a problem here. I'm a musician, and NEED to be writing music. It calms my soul. I find myself instead of doing that, getting involved in stranger's lives here. I get caught up in my fair share of drama at times, too. I noticed that when I'm not involved in threads here, I'm much more present in my day to day activities. I feel a bit lighter, a lot more connected, and get more accomplished. As some already know, I've even quit... only to return as soon as I came back to my senses . Will be taking the summer off. I did, successfully last year, and plan to do the same again. I want to write music, and it's much more important that I spend my time doing that, that this. If ya see me back, please throw this post in my face . D day is next Wednesday for me. It's the first day of vacation. May come back the week of my anniversary, August 27th.
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Old 06-18-2014, 04:58 AM
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If all of your waking time is completely devoted to tweet, text, FB, answering email, posting on message boards etc. to the exclusion of family or friends in real life, then I think you may have a problem.
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Old 06-18-2014, 05:07 AM
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My family is all over the globe. I love facebook. My grandkids are a long drive, five hours and eight hours, so I am happy to see posts of them whenever my daughter has time to post. Some of my brothers and sisters are more then 2000 miles away. Before face book I was really losing touch with them. If it is addiction, I will take it. As far as texting while driving, I think it should carry the same fine as drunk and driving. You are putting my life in danger. I don't think it is an addiction, when I am out of town, it is fine not to check face book. With alcohol, no matter where I was, I needed a drink.
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Old 06-18-2014, 05:21 AM
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Originally Posted by huntingtontx View Post
My family is all over the globe. I love facebook. .
I definitely think it does have it purpose, I think it is like anything else, you need to use it responsibility.

And I had no clue you had grandkids! Being a grandma rocks doesn't it! I am so lucky as I get to live with mine.
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Old 06-18-2014, 05:35 AM
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Sitting at home drinking definitly increased my internet usage, it passed the time as I approached blacking out into bed. I still use plenty of websites to keep in touch with people, but I agree with you LBrain whilst driving it can be dangerous because some people can't survive 10mins without checking that text message/update or phone call, they have to answer it right now!!
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Old 06-18-2014, 05:51 AM
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If you are lying, cheating, stealing, and prostituting yourself for social media--then yes, maybe it's making your life unmanageable and hence, an addiction.

Otherwise, maybe it is just a monumental time waster,
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Old 07-06-2015, 04:14 PM
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I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to post in it again since I've been dealing with it again myself. I re-activated my Facebook account about 6 months after originally posting here and I found myself completely wrapped up in it within a week. I truly believe social media addiction is real and I also believe that I cannot participate in it without being on it all the time. I tried deleting the apps from my phone, but that would only result in me grabbing my laptop and logging in for hours at a time there! Lol.

Today I am happy to report that I PERMANENTLY deleted my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Knowing that they are completely gone eases my mind because it means I can't ever log in to them even if I really wanted to. I have so much more free time now to spend with real people! It's very exciting. Today I actually sat down and did a jigsaw puzzle. Lol. I haven't done anything like that in years. It's nice to live the simple life without all of that constant connection stuff!
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