How to get rid of addiction to social networks. Social media addiction: causes, symptoms, consequences

Just ten years ago, the term “social network” did not evoke any associations in us. And the Internet was not so firmly included in daily life person. Behind necessary information we went to the library, and communicated with friends and family either in person or by phone (home phone, with a wheel). Remember this time? In fact, it is very difficult to imagine that communication was once so “alive”.

Today you won’t surprise anyone with the names “Vkontakte”, “Odnoklassniki”, “Facebook”, “Twitter” or “Instagram”. Surely everyone is registered in at least one of these social networks, and maybe in all of them at once. But everyone’s time and purpose for being on social networks are different. Someone goes to their page solely to chat with friends, someone to listen to music, and someone strives to learn as much as possible about their friends and acquaintances by looking at photos and news (“news feed”).

Social networks began to gain popularity around 2003-2004. Around this time, there were the most famous sites to date, such as Facebook, Odnoklassniki and VKontakte. Although the first such projects were launched around the mid-90s, of course, in America.

Social networks are blurring the boundaries between cities, countries and continents. Thanks to them, we have the opportunity to constantly be in touch with our family and friends. Here we can find old friends and acquaintances with whom we once lost touch. In addition, social networks allow us to stay informed important events in the country, and not only. Some of them make it possible convenient search and listening to music, watching movies. In general, social networks are quite useful. However, as time has shown, it is not useful for everyone.

Today, psychologists, along with alcoholism and drug addiction, increasingly mention addiction to social networks. Indeed, with the advent of such “benefits” as the Internet and social networks, those who began to abuse these “benefits” immediately appeared. Moreover, every day they began to become more and more numerous. Why is it that so many people, once “caught in the net,” can no longer get out of them?

Causes of addiction to social networks

The first reason why social networks are so attractive to humans is that when we “wander through the open spaces” of social networks, the pleasure centers in our brain are activated. This is greatly facilitated by positive ratings (“likes”) and pleasant comments on our photos. What do we do when we receive a pleasant emotion? Right. We return to the network to get it again. So it turns out that the more a person is approved on a social network, the more time he spends there.

The second reason is related to the peculiarities of a person’s perception of information posted on social networks. We get it quickly and little by little. Moreover, this information is extremely diverse and heterogeneous. For example, when visiting the VKontakte website, we can immediately turn on the music, while simultaneously viewing brief news, small notes and articles, comments, and at the same time still have time to respond to messages from friends. Our brain begins to quickly adapt and get used to this pace. It's like a quick and easy process of "clicking" seeds.

Here it is also worth emphasizing the heterogeneity of the information received. This distinguishes it from information in search engines Oh. To find something in a search engine, such as Google or Yandex, you need to at least know exactly what to look for. Moreover, you still need to formulate a fairly clear request. And this, of course, requires some time and effort. In turn, to find something interesting on a social network, no such effort is required - you just need to open the news feed. Thus, social networks attract people mainly due to their accessibility, simplicity and diversity.

Negative consequences of social media addiction

So, we found out why social networks are so attractive to people. Now let's figure out what, in fact, is the danger of being too active use social networks? Why, in this case, do scientists increasingly use such a harsh word - “dependence”? This is due to the fact that dependence on social networks causes a whole range of negative consequences, both for the person himself and for his loved ones. Let's look at them in more detail.

Firstly, very frequent and prolonged stay on social networks leads to the so-called attention deficit disorder. This means that a person loses the ability to concentrate on one thing for a long time. To explain this, it’s enough to remember how we receive information on a social network - quickly and in small portions. People dependent on it become so accustomed to this “portioned” mode of receiving information that after a while they can no longer, for example, spend a long time solving any given task. After all, on the Internet we often have to switch our attention from one thing to another: here we are listening to music, then reading a short article, and now writing a message. Over time, even reading your favorite book can become difficult because the brain, out of habit, begins to constantly “look” for reasons to switch to something else.

Of particular concern in this sense are the younger generations, who have been “involved” with the Internet and social networks almost since childhood. Their thinking is very flexible and very easily influenced. Therefore, dependence on networks poses a particular danger for children and adolescents, which should be avoided in modern world it becomes extremely difficult.

Thirdly, very often “abuse” of social networks causes constant fatigue syndrome, as well as stress. Although scientists say that the possibilities human brain are practically limitless, he still needs some rest. At a minimum, in order to process and structure the information received. When a person is constantly online, information flow to the brain practically does not stop. This causes the brain to become overloaded. Therefore, a person begins to feel constant fatigue and is in a stressful state.

Fourthly, too much active communication on social networks often leads to the loss of “live” communication skills. This is perhaps the most obvious negative consequence of this addiction. Constantly communicating on social networks, we very often lose the emotional component of our communication with friends and loved ones. There is simply no time for emotions online. Music, comments, “likes”, news, and only in between – a message written by touch.

And finally, fifthly, as a result of all the above consequences, a person receives a general decrease in intelligence. Here, of course, the same features of “network” information play a decisive role. A person loses the ability to concentrate on one thing or find a solution important problem or seriously think about the task at hand. His brain can no longer work effectively. He gets used to simply receiving an endless stream of information without analyzing it in any way. It turns out that a lot of information is received, but it is not absorbed and as a result the person knows nothing.

These negative consequences are enough to imagine and slightly appreciate the seriousness of the situation.

“Symptoms” of social media addiction

It is well known that any addiction is also a kind of disease that has its own symptoms. Social media addiction will be no exception here. It also has certain “symptoms”, although not as categorical as, for example, the flu. So, how can we “diagnose” this disease in ourselves?

The first and most obvious symptom is that you spend a lot of time on social networks. In a good way, longer than an hour It's not worth staying there every day. Although this is a very relative figure. If you work tirelessly from early morning until late at night, and before bed you only have an hour of free time, which you spend on the Internet, this is something worth thinking about. This symptom also suggests that a person constantly wants to be “in touch” (“online”). He can’t shake the feeling that while he’s not online, something extremely interesting will happen there: unique news will appear, someone will comment on his photo, or one of his friends will post their photos from a recent trip.
The second symptom is the appearance in your colloquial speech the most typical jokes and expressions for the network. For example, expressions like “thank you” instead of “thank you”, “preved” instead of “hello”, and other popular jokes on social networks can serve as an alarm bell.
Symptom number three is an overgrown photo album. If you daily publish photographs of your loved one (“selfies”) in absolutely ordinary life situations, or photographs of food, legs, arms, nails, eyebrows - in a word, everything you see around you - this is also a cause for concern.
The fourth symptom is to “sit” all day on some social network without communicating with anyone. Remember why they were originally created? For communication.
And finally, the fifth symptom is that turning off the Internet causes you to panic, feel isolated, lonely, cut off from the world, and even feel depressed. Although in fact, only when the Internet is turned off and there is no access to social networks do we truly live and communicate. We must try not to forget about this.

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, it is very likely that you have some form of social media addiction. In this case, it is worth changing your lifestyle and daily routine a little.

How to “cure” social media addiction

As is known, in the case of any addiction, the most main step to recovery is her recognition. In the case of social network addiction, this is extremely important, since it is often difficult to even notice that a person spends too much time online. It is even more difficult to admit that this order of things is somehow dangerous for him. So, if you have studied the signs and discovered this insidious disease in yourself, then we can consider that half the battle has already been done. And now a little about the plan for further action.

Take yourself a short vacation without the Internet. A great option for such a vacation is to go to the village. Stay there for at least a week.
During these “vacations” you will have a lot of free time. Try to spend it talking to people, walking in nature. Also during this time, try to find a hobby. Think about what you would like to do. You can try drawing, embroidering, knitting, sculpting with clay, playing the guitar, making furniture - something will definitely captivate you.
When you return home, when accessing the Internet, try to search for information using search engines rather than social networks. You should look for what interests you, and not read everything in a row, creating “information noise.” It will be a little difficult, but you can do it.
The next step is to try replacing your social media posts with live communication, at least by phone. You don't have to do it abruptly. Start by calling a close friend. Gradually you will understand that hearing the voice of the person you are communicating with, and even more so seeing him live, is extremely pleasant.
Remove your profile photo. This will allow you to break the association of the “real self” with the “virtual self.”

Try following these simple tips, and very soon you will feel that more emotions, impressions, and interests have appeared in your life. And social networks will no longer take up so much space in it.

Do you always keep your phone within sight of you so as not to accidentally miss an important message?

You can stick to VKontakte for hours just reading news feed? Then this article is for you.

What is the worldview? Find out about this from ours.

Psychology of online communication

We live in century of unprecedented development of IT technologies, science is moving forward by leaps and bounds, opening up more and more opportunities for humans every day.

Just recently, no one would have thought that communicating with people could be so simple.

After all, what could be easier than sending a Viber message to a friend who is abroad or to a mother living in the village and instantly receiving a response? But any medal, as usual, has two sides. Here's about the second one, called social dependence , we'll talk.

There is evidence that a modern person spends an average of 5 years and 4 months on social networks in his life. For comparison: food costs 3 years and 5 months.

For example, how does a person with alcohol addiction see the world? As a rule, for him there is only one joy in life, for which he lives, works (he needs to earn money for alcohol), for which he happily goes home in the evening.

He does not notice all other things or they are of secondary importance to him. And so with any addiction.

At first you log into your account once a day, after a week three, and after a month, perhaps several times an hour. Even to the detriment of your daily activities.

Where you can get away from your problems at least for a while and feel like you’re part of it bright successful society. Where you can fantasize a little yourself, show yourself better than you really are.

After all, a former classmate living, say, in Minsk or somewhere else far away will not be able to check whether this is really your Mercedes or you just took a photo in front of someone else’s car, and a former classmate who has not seen you for 15 years will not really understand do you look that good or is it photoshopped.

Unfortunately, the return from social life in real life this could make it even more painful. After all, not everyone here is so bright and interesting, and you yourself are not quite the same.

As a rule, the predisposition to addiction to social networks is observed more often in people who are lonely, withdrawn, those who have problems with communication in real life, as well as people who do not have any hobbies or interesting activities that can distract them from the Internet.

But they are most dependent.

Signs of addiction

What's interesting is that few people can admit that you have an addiction.

But in vain. First important step To solve any problem is the awareness of its existence.

Sound familiar? If you find at least two signs in yourself, it’s time to take charge of yourself and nip this rather harmful addiction in the bud.

What to do for this, you ask?

How to get rid of it?

How to stop surfing the Internet? How to stop being addicted to social networks:

If all of the above tips don’t help, then you might want to consider deleting your social media pages.

Even the word “network” itself suggests that it is a sink of free time, a net that pulls you into the abyss.

The method, of course, is radical, but, as they say, “in love and war...”. And here it is war, war for one's own free time and mental state.

What do psychologists say about this? Are there any psychological techniques that help in the fight against addiction?

So, to all of the above experts say it will help:

healthy 8-hour sleep;
a timer set to control your Internet presence;
confidence that addiction can be overcome beyond any doubt;
daily walks to fresh air and live communication for at least 2-3 hours;
eating, sleeping, hygiene procedures at the same time every day;
Warm up every 15 minutes at the computer.

How to wean your neighbor?

You’ve sorted yourself out, but what to do if it’s not you, but someone close to you who is susceptible to this addiction? Husband, wife or even child?

The advice is similar. The child needs to be captivated by something, perhaps enroll him in some hobby group (after, of course, asking if he would be interested in it, otherwise the result could be even worse).

You should also keep an eye on social activity child and, if possible, limit it.

Well, in the end, maybe communicate more your baby just doesn't have enough attention. If absolutely nothing helps, you should consult a psychologist.

As for other loved ones, they also need to pay more attention, because, as we remember, people plunge into social networks in order to escape from problems in real life.

Maybe your husband is having problems at work?

Perhaps your mother is not feeling well, and you are completely don't care about her health?

In any case, the first stage in solving all sorts of problems is an honest, sincere conversation. The conversation is real.

Of course, social networks are not completely evil, but a great opportunity to establish contacts between people, an excellent way to meet people and then create (everyone among their acquaintances has at least one happy couple created through), for some, a good platform for developing their own business.

And I in no way urge you to completely abandon this type of communication. Just remember that everything is good in moderation.

I wish you all an interesting life and a useful, fruitful time on the Internet!

Will a clinical psychologist tell you the reasons why a person cannot part with the Internet? and ways to solve them:

According to medical criteria, Internet addiction is not a mental disorder, although most of the population of our planet suffers from it. Communicating on social networks seems like an innocent activity, a safe hobby, but it can lead to stress and mental disorders.

The essence of the problem

Addiction to social networks is comparable to drug addiction and today occupies one of the first places. People who are lonely, shy, insecure, or suffer from serious nervous disorders are susceptible to addiction. Most Internet addiction occurs among teenagers. During adolescence, serious changes in the body begin, and a certain line of behavior is formed.

The bonus of the social network is anonymity. A modest, shy person in real life can be anyone on the Internet. He can freely communicate with any Internet user. Many people try to increase their self-esteem through the social network, leaving offensive comments under photos unknown people, sharply condemn films and books. As a result, a person begins to feel like a completely different person - significant and significant. Over time, he loses the desire to appear in public, to communicate with them live, so as not to destroy his mythological image created on the Internet.

This addiction is called Internet addiction. And such behavior primarily harms the human psyche, impairs memory and significantly reduces intelligence.

Growth trend

The global network was created so that people could quickly get the information they need. On the Internet you can find any film or book, rare publications that are difficult to find in free access, to know last news and find a job in any city in the world. And also the creators of social networks pursued good goals - to establish lost connections with family, friends, classmates, the ability to quickly contact them. It was predicted that a person using the Internet will be able to quickly find necessary information, significantly saving time. According to scientists, with the help of the Internet, humanity can reach a new level of knowledge.

Not much time has passed since the creation of the first social networks, literally 20 years, but what do we have today. This innovation has not only gained popularity, but has caused serious addiction among many people. Just look at the photos that people post on their pages. They strive to flaunt everything that happens to them, without missing out on any details, even intimate ones. Psychologists call the pathological craving to go online an addiction to social networks. This is one of the symptoms of Internet addiction.

Sweden – 64%.
Denmark – 54%.
Norway, Switzerland, South Korea – 47%.
Australia – 44%.
Israel – 38%, France – 30%.
UK, Italy – 25%.
Spain – 20%.
Argentina, Brazil, Russia – 9%.
Mexico, South Africa – 6%.
India – 1%.

Social surveys have also been conducted that show what people can give up for the opportunity to visit social networks. About 70% of men and 40% of women are ready to give up hot water in favor of the Internet. 45% of men and more than 50% of women are ready to limit themselves in food. 20% of men and 25% of girls are ready to give up sex life completely for 3 weeks. From 80 to 90% of people prefer the Internet to TV and radio. These statistics are terrifying.

Signs of abnormalities

obsessive urge to log into your account and view messages or news;
time spent visiting social networks takes up most of your life;
an obsessive desire to update your statuses, write in detail about your life, post photos of food, places you’ve visited, and selfies for everyone to see;
all communication comes down to correspondence on social networks, neglect of communication by phone or in person;
all kinds of games on your account can last for 3–5 hours: every time you want to go through even more levels to increase your ratings;
when the internet doesn't work, dependent person experiences anxiety, irritation, and feels cut off from the outside world.

Main stages

Independent. Such people rarely appear on social networks; they use the Internet only when necessary - to find a phone number, someone’s address, necessary information. They post a minimum of information about themselves on their pages; there may be no photographs at all.
Transitional type. Such people visit their accounts every day and more than once. They go online without any particular need, just to look at photos of acquaintances and friends, to “wander” the Internet, to relieve boredom.
Dependent. The most common type. Every half hour, or even more often, they update their page; the resulting correspondence can take a long time. for a long time, taking a person away from work or household chores. And if suddenly they don’t write to him, a feeling of uselessness arises, which plunges the addict into despondency and melancholy. Real relationships are replaced by virtual ones, close people cease to be close and do not hear each other. According to some data, every fifth or sixth family breaks up due to social networks.

Consequences of Internet addiction

Like any other addictive behavior, constant use of social networks has Negative consequences for the body and nervous system.

The first thing that begins is social degradation. For many, loneliness is an excuse, but if you avoid people, it is quite difficult to find friends. And communication on a social network is not real, it is virtual, and in most cases people remain unknown Internet users to each other. People who flirt on the Internet are able to give up everything: family, work, home, just to communicate with their virtual lovers. Many companies have long begun to block Internet access to prevent such incidents.
Next step - problems with memory and concentration. When spending a long time on social networks, a person receives information in small portions at a fast pace. As a result, the brain cannot concentrate attention on large volume information. And big flow information gradually begins to displace what, according to the brain, has become unimportant. Hyperactivity syndrome appears when a person begins to do several things at once: writes, looks at documentation and communicates on the Internet. Doctors call this “floating attention.” This is especially dangerous for children and teenagers.
Reduced intelligence is one of the characteristics of Internet addicts. Long-term communication on social networks and viewing mostly meaningless information leads to a decrease in the ability to think rationally and completely eliminates empathy and a sense of compassion. The person develops an aversion to real people, he often experiences aggression towards them, because, as it seems to him, no one wants to understand him.
Pathological fatigue and stress. The flow of information and overvoltage lead to the destruction of nerve cells. A person exposes himself to stress constantly and purposefully. If the problem is not detected in time, a person may fall into clinical depression.
Another danger is the gullibility of social network users. Addiction to social networks in teenagers often leads to fatal consequences. Under the guise of a sympathetic interlocutor, there is often a dangerous maniac hiding who is trying to throw the individual out of mental balance. different ways impact. The Blue Whale organization alone was able to take the lives of 720 children in 2016. In addition, many bloggers offer their subscribers on the Internet, and these are children and teenagers, to do something extraordinary and post it online. Recently, there has been a fashion among children to eat gel capsules of Ariel laundry detergent on camera. It’s scary to imagine what will happen to the child after such a “delicacy”. You can give as many examples as you like, there are too many of them.

Treatment methods

The first thing you should do is limit your time on social networks and try to communicate more in person. Make a schedule of your activities and include a visit to a social network as a separate item. Turn off notifications that come to your email or phone.
Spend more time outdoors and focus on the world around you. Read an interesting book instead of a news feed that has nothing to do with the real situation. It is important that the individual understands what reality is and what the virtual world is. In case of serious addiction, it is better to consult a psychologist, especially if the Internet addict is still a child.
In addition, it is very important to prevent addiction to social networks among young people at the state level. The government should monitor and verify information on social media. In the programs of many educational institutions Various seminars have already been introduced on rationalizing the use of social networks and correct behavior on the Internet. It is important to understand that addictive behavior directly threatens a person’s safety and health.
Adjust your diet and sleep patterns. Stop thinking of yourself as a flawed, useless person. There are millions of people around you who also feel lonely. You just need to find the strength to communicate live. There are special psychological courses that help raise self-esteem and learn how to present yourself correctly in society. Unfortunately, if a person does not want to admit the problem, then treatment will not be successful.
In severe cases, when serious mental disorders, such as split personality, schizophrenia, aggression, patients require inpatient treatment. Patients are isolated because they can already harm not only themselves, but also those around them. They are prescribed tranquilizers and undergo psychocorrectional treatment.

Conclusion

Social media addiction is a disease modern man. Almost everyone has pages on various social networks, but not everyone makes a cult out of it. Lonely people, overly emotional, vulnerable people with low self-esteem are at risk. Virtual communication poses a real danger to life and health. The distance from reality only gets worse in the future.

If Internet addiction is not identified in time, a person may develop serious mental disorders.

In the modern world, a child with early childhood knows how to use a computer, and therefore masters the Internet very quickly. People have long mastered the most hidden corners of the World Wide Web. And this creates addiction to social networks. As you know, there are currently many sites designed to search and communicate with people who know each other in real life, or aimed at virtual dating between men and women. Such sites are extremely popular and have millions of users.

Addiction develops gradually, and often a person will not even be able to recognize its first signs. Each user has his own reasons why he gets used to it. But, as a rule, the main impetus is still loneliness. At the same time, the development of the World Wide Web and its widespread distribution makes it even more lonely. After all, many entertainments can be replaced with people you like, and the value of live communication has long faded into the background. This is no wonder, because in local network you can be anyone, create any image, close to a person, that is, anyone can become what they have long wanted, but for some reason could not.

Unfortunately, people do not understand that addiction to social media. networks pose a huge danger to society as a whole. After all, interest in a particular site or even several subsequently develops into a pathological need to follow all its new products, that is, to be constantly online. You can expect that people will become so interested in life on the Internet that they will hardly talk in real life. In addition, many sites designed for communication become a good place to make money, as they host various toys and services that are provided for an additional fee.

Some scientists compare addiction to social networks with diseases such as alcoholism or drug addiction. That is, it is almost impossible to control it and recognizing the presence of the disease on your own is extremely difficult. That is why this kind of addiction can be conventionally called a disease, because the desire to use the Internet never disappears. And if suddenly access to the local the network will disappear, then a person may experience despair.

Internet addiction: treatment

In order to get rid of a bad habit, you need to gradually wean yourself from spending most of your free time at the computer. The best cure would be to replace the local network; for example, you can entice yourself with walks with friends in the fresh air. Who knows, maybe in this way you will wean not only yourself, but also help someone you know. In addition, every person in life has things or desires for which there is never enough time, and now there is a great reason to complete it all.

Show your friends your interest in communicating with them, try to call more often, find out about their affairs in real life. You can make plans for the evening together, for example, visit different unfamiliar places every day. If, nevertheless, without your favorite social network. network cannot be used, then you should set a limit for an hour or two. And once a week you can spend time in the fresh air and surrounded by your loved ones, completely excluding the World Wide Web from your life. In addition, addiction to social networks can be easily cured by a new hobby, for example, reading books with an exciting plot. These simple rules will help you get rid of your bad habit without much difficulty, and you will be able to fully experience the beauty of live communication.

In our age computer technology Everyone is familiar with the concept of the Internet. Today even a child has access to information resources World Wide Web. All kinds of online communities have become perhaps the most important attribute of the modern world; people are increasingly giving preference to virtual communication. Social network is universal remedy communication and search for people, with its help you can always stay in touch, find out news about friends, and for many people it is a very convenient way of self-expression. The development of social networks began almost from the moment the Internet itself appeared in 1969. At first these were communities of people who were united exclusively by professional interests, then associations based on hobbies and hobbies appeared. It is believed that the very first official social network resource in 1995 was Classmates.com, which translates as Odnoklassniki; this network operates and develops to this day and already has more than 50 million users.

The problem of communication on a social network

Everyone has their own reasons for registering on social networks: some try to find old acquaintances and friends, others dream of restoring old relationships, and for some it’s just convenient way keep in touch and make new acquaintances. The demand for social networks is growing every day, drawing everything into its embrace. more people very different age categories. Cannot be fully appreciated network resources as positive or negative. On the one hand, this greatly simplifies the life of a modern person, but not everyone understands the degree of danger that online communication carries.
The main problem is that many people become completely dependent on the social network; they can no longer imagine their life without it. Constantly interacting with each other through online correspondence, they forget about personal communication, for some users this reaches the point of fanaticism, they begin to spend their money on paid resources, sometimes without realizing it at all. Over time, a person may develop a pathological need to constantly stay on the site, which he can no longer get rid of on his own. This addiction is very similar to drug or alcohol addiction. An acute craving for using network resources is a kind of illness that can arise due to any personal or psychological problems, due to unfulfilled desires, as well as hidden complexes and difficulties in communication, because in virtual world it's much easier to express yourself, create perfect image, the awareness of one’s own security and anonymity is of particular importance, which is not the case in the real world. Happening complete replacement real relationships to virtual ones. A large percentage of users try to leave the networks, but after a certain time, they return there again, this suggests that people are aware of their direct dependence, but cannot overcome it. Although there are those who were still able to give up constantly being online, they lead a fairly vibrant lifestyle, preferring live communication and are quite happy with it.
So what leads people to voluntary addiction? Psychologists have long been faced with such a problem in the modern world as “loneliness in a crowd”: a person, being in a group, still remains lonely, spending most of his time alone with a computer, and this, of course, cannot but leave its mark on features of personality behavior. Meanwhile, a person needs not only the opportunity to feel part of society, but it is also very important to stand out as an individual, which is greatly facilitated by being on social networks. The time a person spends viewing photos and videos from the lives of acquaintances sometimes greatly exceeds the time allotted for performing professional duties, this leads to a decrease in productivity, which is why many managers prohibit their company’s employees from using the network and block access to Internet resources and corporate networks .

People who lead a rather boring lifestyle are most susceptible to dependence on Internet communication; through networks they increase their self-esteem, trying to pass off the information presented on the page as real; some believe so much in the image they have created that they begin to avoid personal meetings and communication, so as not to destroy the existing opinion about yourself.
In Europe, there are specialized centers for helping people suffering from addiction to online communities. Here in Russia, it is more difficult to find a specialist who could help cope with such a condition.
It is worth noting that communication on social networks is, rather, imaginary communication, apparent, but it is beginning to increasingly take the place of live communication. And, unfortunately, when meeting people, people more often began to give the addresses of their personal page, rather than phone numbers, and for many it is much easier to ask a simple “How are you?” via the Internet, rather than calling and asking in person.

Signs of addiction

There is a constant compulsive need to look at your inbox, even knowing that no one should have written, you still feel drawn to turn on your Personal Computer and check it out. Or perhaps you are constantly online, even without turning off the Internet at night, so as not to miss anything interesting.
You spend too much time in front of your monitor screen, and every time you go to a social network, you promise yourself that you will only be there for a couple of minutes, but in the end you are horrified to discover that half a day has passed. You are drawn to look at your friends’ pages dozens of times a day, hoping that at least one of them has updated the information.
You feel a strong desire to regularly update the status on your page, discuss your every step with friends, take pictures of yourself anywhere and everywhere, and post new pictures more often. You care about how many people visited your page during the day and how they commented on your updates.
All communication with friends occurs mainly through a social network; you have already forgotten the last time you saw them.
- Game of various applications is a good alternative to other everyday activities, you are drawn into this process, it is important for you to complete more levels and increase your rating.
- You experience terrible irritation if for some reason you cannot get to your page on a social network. You become as if cut off from the outside world.

All this suggests that you are definitely prone to prolonged dependence on network resources. But, even if you find all the signs in yourself, don’t despair, you always have time to pull yourself together, you just need to be able to tell yourself “Stop!” in time.

How can you get rid of your addiction?

First of all, limit your time on a social network, set yourself a time frame. It’s better to spend your free time to your benefit; you probably have a decent amount of unfinished tasks that you’ve been putting off “for later.” I also advise readers of MirSovetov to turn off all social network notifications received by email, so you will be less tempted to visit your page at an unplanned time.
Try to meet your friends in person more often, call them more on the phone, invite them to visit, visit some cozy place together where you can have a good time, and you will understand that this is much more interesting than spending your evening in front of the monitor. Choose for yourself at least one day of the week that you can certainly devote to live communication.
Spend your time outdoors more often, find yourself an interesting activity that will distract you (for example, buy a subscription to sport Club, physical activity will help not only keep yourself in shape, but also always be in a good mood).
Replace reading news on a social network with reading interesting books and expand your knowledge. Perhaps you have long dreamed of changing your job or improving your qualifications - this is a great chance to change your life for the better and devote time to your career.

Understand that only what is happening to you here and now, and not in the virtual world, is real; network resources will not even notice your disappearance, but you will see how much freer and easier it will be for you without them. Believe that your imaginary world will never replace the real one. And if it so happens that you don’t have the opportunity to communicate with friends often, get yourself a pet - and you will have a much more enjoyable time caring for it.
And remember one thing, you shouldn’t sacrifice your real life, because the world around us is much more interesting, learn to use the resources of social networks to your advantage and only when absolutely necessary.