Why Are People So Addicted To Facebook?
Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Facebook plays a big role in many people’s lives. In fact, some people consider themselves Facebook addicts. And, even if they don’t see it personally, their friends and family may be concerned about how much time they spend on the popular social networking website. What is it that makes Facebook so addicting? Well, there are several features ingeniously built-in to the website to keep users logged in.
Notifications
Not only does Facebook send notifications via email, but many users opt to receive notifications via text message on their mobile phones as well. Facebook added this feature very early on and it has proven to be a successful way to lure people in. When someone sees his or her friends’ status updates on a continual basis, it is nearly impossible not to comment. Let’s be honest, even if you’re using Facebook on your mobile phone, it’s still the same as logging on the website. Unless you turn off notifications completely, you’re bound to respond to at least some of them.
Wall Posting Fever
One of your friends posts something on their wall that you just HAVE to comment on. Someone else comments on your comment. Well, of course, you have to comment back. Comments turn into conversations and before you know it, you’ve commented on one wall post ten times or more; and that’s not counting the other comments you’ve left on other posts. When you start bantering back on forth on wall posts, it can be difficult to walk away from the conversation.
Tagging
Whether it’s a photo, a comment, or a status update, as soon as you get the notification that someone has tagged you, it’s nearly impossible to resist the urge to see who, what and why. Users can un-tag themselves from photos, but not from comments or status updates. Anyone on your friends’ list can tag you at any time they want and curiosity almost always wins out once you found out you’ve been tagged.
Games
Games can be an addiction of their own, but social networking games are even more addictive. In addition to the desire to level up and/or complete the next achievement in the game, Facebook games pretty much require you to involve your friends who play games. There are very few games on Facebook that you can play without requesting items from your friends or having social interactions within the game. The more your friends play, the more requests you get, and as you answer requests you end up playing the games more yourself. Games are probably one of the most addictive features of Facebook.
In most cases, Facebook addiction is pretty harmless. However, you do have to be careful that your virtual life doesn’t start to interfere with you real one. If you find yourself not getting things done because you’re spending too much time on Facebook, then it’s time to cut the cord for a while until you have better balance in your life.
(Source: sitetrail.com)
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