I don't believe in Facebook addiction

I don’t believe in Facebook addiction, I just think people need to go outside more. I wanted to look up how much time people procrastinate on Facebook but I came across something far more interesting: information on Facebook addiction and Facebook addiction treatment centers.

Really? A Facebook addiction treatment center? Come on people. When people talk about the “wimpification of America” this is the kind of bologna they are talking about. I realize that any addiction is serious, and can take a serious toll on someone’s health. But Facebook is a website, it's not real. Just because Facebook tells you that you have a life doesn’t mean that you actually have one. Go outside, hang out with some actual, real-life people. Maybe then you’ll be more productive.

In an interview conducted by AddictionIntervention.com, Kimberly Young, a psychologist who is the director of the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford, P.A. said of people with a Facebook addiction:
“A lot of them are finding their own balance,” she said. “It’s like an eating disorder. You can’t eliminate food. You just have to make better choices about what you eat… and what you do online.” Wrong. Facebook is not comparable to food. Facebook does not equal sustenance or nutrition or fulfill any basic needs.

Really, in the grand scheme of things, Facebook is not that important. People just need to man up and get offline.

Other studies suggest that students, specifically in college, have lower grades because of Facebook use in class. This I can believe, because I must admit I bring my laptop to classes I hate and surf the web, which includes going on Facebook. But some people just need to exercise some control. What is the point of paying for college when you are going to spend all four years of your time there on Facebook?

Dr. Jane Morgan Bost, associate director of the University of Texas Counseling and Health Center, highlights the problem is not Facebook itself, but the disconnect people are able to achieve when they use the platform. The warning signs are easy to spot when social networking usage starts to interfere with the daily routine.
“Could be a student’s grades start tanking, they could be losing sleep, they’re often unaware of how much time they’ve spent on Facebook,” said Dr. Bost. “They’re not really making the choice to do it, they’re just feeling this sense of compulsion and having to do that behaivor.”

Facebook has become somewhat ingrained into our social functions, but let me reiterate that Facebook is actually not real, and our interactions through Facebook aren’t as meaningful as our face to face interactions. Sherry Turkle is a psychologist, the director of the Initiative on Technology and Self at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of the book “Alone Together” about our generation’s obsession with social media. She talks about one 18-year-old boy for whom “Facebook wasn’t merely a distraction, but it was really confusing him about who he was.“ She said he couldn’t handle trying to live up to his own descriptions of himself. Why are we taking Facebook so seriously? You’re online persona is not as important as your happiness.

I just feel like we need to get back to basics. What sounds better to you: going for a walk with a friend and catching up, or stalking them on Facebook to figure out what’s new with them? Facebook might be good and useful in some ways, but it is not something to be addicted to. People should be addicted to their real lives, not the online version of themselves.