Facebook Addiction

[Guest]

Hi, I want to share my nonsense addiction to Facebook. I've tried to get rid of it but I feel antisocial when I do that. The nonsense part is, I've deleted all of my friends but I still feel that Facebook makes me social maybe it's because people can reach me when they want. I always check my messages when there is no notification. Check my profile if it looks good. And I check people's profiles to see what is going on with their lives. Sometimes I compare myself with them. Crazy stuff! I don't even know how to describe it... I don't use phone or any other social media but like a phone user waiting a text message, checking his/her phone all the time. I check facebook all the time and I can't do anything else for more than 10-15 minutes without checking facebook. Did you have any addictions similar to this? How to replace Facebook with anything beneficial for myself? 

[A way to Actualize]

This is such a good topic. in this video the speaker talks about addiction. You use the law of attraction. When you are on facebook, you say to yourself: I intent with this action to act from my highest wisdom. There are many intentions you can use. You brain (as a tool) will act on it; in about three weeks it will be fixed. He really goes deep on addiction here. 

 

 

 

[Valium]

Facebook is such a waste of time ^^ unless you don't need facebook for marketing-intentions, it is not very much usefull imo. the only thing I find good about it is to find local meet up groups to meet new people. what I avoid: discussing in facebook groups, posting silly comments, likeing stuff all the time.

 

I don't need facebook to stay in touch with people around me! I can call or text people, I can meet people in person, send an email (oldschool!)... so facebook is not usefull for that matter, as with all the silly discussion groups and advertisement it disctracts oneself from the really important aspects of life, making it difficult to focus on the meaningfull details.

facebook is just like  a drug. you feel reward for getting messanges or likes, than you crave more and do anything to get likes. try to get rid of that habit.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Valium

[Guest]

This is an illusion. I never really was active in facebook altough I had a profile for quite a while and even found Actualized.org through facebook. I still think it's silly. It's the zoo full of chimps. You simply suffer from an addiction, I don't think facebook has to do much with it, even if it's the subject of your addiction. It could as well be instagram, world of warcraft, porn and so on. You need to identify the addiction and break out of it. remove the facebook habbit, maybe even quit it and replace it with something amazing.

Every time you want to check facebook, listen/watch a video from leo instead. Just an example.

[Dangirdas]

I have been addicted to social media before. I used to post a lot of controversial stuff on facebook, and i got banned a couple of times, eventually permanently banned. I had to start of fresh, but with that perma ban, i realised that being so attached to a media is a weakness you don't want or need. I still use social media, but i do take 1-4 week long breaks when i feel the time is right, and sometimes i take a even bigger radical option where i delete everything on the media. It help me stay not attached and not needy of the media. 

You just have to find something else to do, something that takes 100% of your time, where you just simply can't check in every 10-15 minutes. Playing video games, ironically using other media in the meantime like youtube, working out, taking walks, just doing activities that will benefit you.

[Guest]

Thank you guys a lot! I see how useless it is to be addicted to a social media tool again and again and I am determined to stop it by your suggestions. I will turn this nonsense action to a beneficial habit.

[Gurunext]

Yeah it seems just by posting here you're slowly getting rid of the social pressure imprint that Facebook is. Because here you will obviously find people that don't find Facebook useful. Now replacing a habit like this could be really hard, you would want to improve it instead with something much more social and rewarding. You have to look from the perspective that if Facebook is so useless why is it there, what kind of void it fills up? Most addictions are void fillers for certain type of need. And its hard to get rid of them unless you aknowledge what the need is and how to replace or improve addiction along with serving or suppressing that need.

[Vaishnavi]

I know how that feels.

Well first of all, its a good thing that you've realised that you've got a problem. Now what you can do is, you can make a list of all the things you can do with that time, i mean instead of wasting your time on facebook, just think of all the good stuff you can be doing, and it can include some really important stuff or even the not-so-important things. It can be anything from cooking to cleaning your room or even doing your laundry. Literally anything. Cooking is something which i personally enjoy a lot, its quite fun so i recommend you to try it, like pick out the recipe of your favourite dish and just try it, that might help you. You can even learn a new language or anything which you are genuinely interested in. Another thing you can do is simply deactivate your account because once you deactivate it, you'll have this thing in the mind that you can't get any notifications or messages, so now you cannot come up with the excuse of checking any messages or notifications. Plus when you realise that you're having an urge to check your facebook, immediately try to distract yourself. Try to find out what exactly it is that you find attractive about facebook, for example, if its checking the post of a certain page, unlike the page. Plus there are various apps and sites which you can use to block sites so that might help you.

Be patient and stay motivated.  

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Gurunext said:

Yeah it seems just by posting here you're slowly getting rid of the social pressure imprint that Facebook is. Because here you will obviously find people that don't find Facebook useful. Now replacing a habit like this could be really hard, you would want to improve it instead with something much more social and rewarding. You have to look from the perspective that if Facebook is so useless why is it there, what kind of void it fills up? Most addictions are void fillers for certain type of need. And its hard to get rid of them unless you aknowledge what the need is and how to replace or improve addiction along with serving or suppressing that need.

Thank you for your amazing suggestions! I played chess and read a book today to see if I can stop my habit and it got better after I posted this. Now I am going to delete facebook apps on my tablet and phone to stop checking notifications. I am gonna try to distract myself and continue what I am already doing instead of checking facebook. If these don't help I will try your other suggestions like deleting the pages. I hope everything will be good. Thank you!

[bazera]

This is such a hard thing for me too. It's been 8 days since I deactivated my Facebook account, and I finally feel free  literally, I was scrolling it all day long and it was such a time wasting thing.. The thing about socializing though, I keep in touch with friends, whom I talked with on Facebook, without having a Facebook account. You may not be able to meet your every friend every day, or every week or even every months, but there are so many things you can use to keep in touch with them, if that's the problem. You must look at Facebook as a tool for keeping in touch with your friends, that you are not able to meet everyday. Just that.. Gossiping, looking at who liked what, who shared what and worrying that you don't have many likes on profile picture, I think that is far beyond the thinking of a rational mind, and is childish and foolish thing to do. But meeting people with same interests, getting news about upcoming interesting events, and so on.. that makes a Facebook a useful thing, but if it becomes an addiction, and if it creates psychological issues in you (like in me), and if it wastes your precious time, you must eliminate it, regardless of it's positive sides, but if you feel alone after that, remember that there are a lot of ways of communicating with your friends

[qt]

I can't comprehend how someone could feel antisocial when not using Facebook. The so called social media is the most antisocial thing I can think of. Instead of sending short instant messages containing funny cat pictures and various acronyms how you are 'laughing out loud' with some acquintances, have an actual conversation or exchange emails with your actual friends.

Facebook is really simple to get rid of: deactive your account, learn some self control and find something better to do. It might not be easy, but it's simple. I used to waste countless hours playing video games (we're talking ten to fifteen hours a day) and I was able to stop doing that in an instant.

[Argue]

11 hours ago, Sarper said:

Hi, I want to share my nonsense addiction to Facebook. I've tried to get rid of it but I feel antisocial when I do that. The nonsense part is, I've deleted all of my friends but I still feel that Facebook makes me social maybe it's because people can reach me when they want. I always check my messages when there is no notification. Check my profile if it looks good. And I check people's profiles to see what is going on with their lives. Sometimes I compare myself with them. Crazy stuff! I don't even know how to describe it... I don't use phone or any other social media but like a phone user waiting a text message, checking his/her phone all the time. I check facebook all the time and I can't do anything else for more than 10-15 minutes without checking facebook. Did you have any addictions similar to this? How to replace Facebook with anything beneficial for myself? 

Hi Sarper. 

I'd recommend you read 2 books:

• Awaken The Giant Within 
• The Power of Habit 

In summary, the first book I suggest, the author explains how to use pain and pleasure to your advantage. 

For example, you need to associate pain with using FB in someway so you can break that addiction. 

The second book I mentioned, the author explains that habits can be associated with: 

routine > cue > reward 

Try to replace your routine FB use with something else, but something that you can associate pleasure with (something productive). 

When you try new habits, seek a reward. This will get you to keep the habit going. 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Argue said:

Hi Sarper. 

I'd recommend you read 2 books:

• Awaken The Giant Within 
• The Power of Habit 

In summary, the first book I suggest, the author explains how to use pain and pleasure to your advantage. 

For example, you need to associate pain with using FB in someway so you can break that addiction. 

The second book I mentioned, the author explains that habits can be associated with: 

routine > cue > reward 

Try to replace your routine FB use with something else, but something that you can associate pleasure with (something productive). 

When you try new habits, seek a reward. This will get you to keep the habit going. 

 

Thank you for the suggestions! I'll read the books as soon as possible. Now I am reading "It's All About Change" by Osho than I'll read the books that you have suggested. I believe they will help me in my life a lot because this fb habit effects my school life badly too. Thanks  a lot again!

[Argue]

3 minutes ago, Sarper said:

Thank you for the suggestions! I'll read the books as soon as possible. Now I am reading "It's All About Change" by Osho than I'll read the books that you have suggested. I believe they will help me in my life a lot because this fb habit effects my school life badly too. Thanks  a lot again!

No problem, I'm happy to.  

[Guest]

2 hours ago, qt said:

I can't comprehend how someone could feel antisocial when not using Facebook. The so called social media is the most antisocial thing I can think of. Instead of sending short instant messages containing funny cat pictures and various acronyms how you are 'laughing out loud' with some acquintances, have an actual conversation or exchange emails with your actual friends.

Facebook is really simple to get rid of: deactive your account, learn some self control and find something better to do. It might not be easy, but it's simple. I used to waste countless hours playing video games (we're talking ten to fifteen hours a day) and I was able to stop doing that in an instant.

That's a really good way to quit addictions. But I cannot deactivate my account instantly because I need to communicate with my school mates and teachers on facebook. But I can talk to them via e-mail. Thank you for your comment it really helped me!  

[Rosie]

Addictions addictions. Now that I try to actualise myself i realised many things. As i am working on a cruise ship and changing countries like others T-shirts, i use social media to brag. I check in everywhere and post very appealing pictures simply to make others jealous and show as if i had an amazing life what everyone is dreaming of. The background that I have only 2 hours in a port often, or that i had to buy a 7USD worth of coffee just to post the pictures, or that i did not sleep for weeks properly does not matter. I want others to want my life even though i am not satisfied with it myself. Possibly the fact that I get the likes or comment gives me the good feeling to keep the life, the job. At the same time i use it for contacting others and  to be jealous of others although logically I know that it's just a huge fuck over on their sides as well.... it always difficult to give up an addiction. What i do lately is to try to give myself periods of times in a day when I check on it and react on it. the rest of the day I use it as some sort of motivation. Like after a hardcore workout i give myself 15 minutes of Facebook. I don't know if it helps or not, but I think it's always good to think through what exactly are you doing with your precious time: Do you really want to use it to listen to others constant lies and start to lie yourself eventually? I am pretty sure it's not the case

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Rosie said:

Addictions addictions. Now that I try to actualise myself i realised many things. As i am working on a cruise ship and changing countries like others T-shirts, i use social media to brag. I check in everywhere and post very appealing pictures simply to make others jealous and show as if i had an amazing life what everyone is dreaming of. The background that I have only 2 hours in a port often, or that i had to buy a 7USD worth of coffee just to post the pictures, or that i did not sleep for weeks properly does not matter. I want others to want my life even though i am not satisfied with it myself. Possibly the fact that I get the likes or comment gives me the good feeling to keep the life, the job. At the same time i use it for contacting others and  to be jealous of others although logically I know that it's just a huge fuck over on their sides as well.... it always difficult to give up an addiction. What i do lately is to try to give myself periods of times in a day when I check on it and react on it. the rest of the day I use it as some sort of motivation. Like after a hardcore workout i give myself 15 minutes of Facebook. I don't know if it helps or not, but I think it's always good to think through what exactly are you doing with your precious time: Do you really want to use it to listen to others constant lies and start to lie yourself eventually? I am pretty sure it's not the case

I have actually done a small research for that before and asked my friends about their lives how they spend their free time and what they do generally during day. They told me reluctantly about everything. I saw that they use social media as a representation for their ideal self. This can be facebook and Instagram. And twitter is being used as alter ego mainly. Before I deleted all of my friends on facebook (they started acting differently in real life after that) their were supporting and also judging the things that I shared. They were creating an image of Sarper easly by just checking my page. Since I am alone since long time and I take pictures only in my room. They started to tell me that I am antisocial and I have to go out, but they can't go out with me. (I don't know why). 

Like you I also try to do different things and check facebook in periods of times. I also do nothing when I check facebook anymore, I just check it and close the window. I am not even accepting friend requests and message requests anymore. I am 25 y-o and life in outside, on internet and even sometimes the things I do looks to me fake and this disgusts me a lot. It's hard and transient world. Living the moment and being happy with what you have and what you do is a good choice for me.

Thank you for your comment! Take care.

[Dejan]

I suggest installing News Feed Eradicator extension on Chrome. It literally saves me hours per week.

[Scarecrow]

Got the same exact problem

[Rufus]

I suggest that you try to deactivate Facebook for few days, and see how you feel.
seriously being away from people is a great medicine for your inner peace, we are just deluded not to feel this way because we are overwhelmed with a false mainstream idea that we need people to complete ourselves and be entertained.
You probably think friends are important, we all do, some of them are important and they help you in your practical life, I cannot say don't love them, but in fact most of our need to them are egoic miserable need that doesn't physically exist but in your imagination.

I personally once every while I deactivate my Facebook for several weeks up to several months, but I realized that I'm not using Facebook to enjoy being with people, but because I consider it a hub for interested pages I'm following. I unfollowed most of the people and kept these few pages I like, sometimes I do some marketing for my works, maybe someday I will hire someone else to do it for me, If I can remove FB completely from my life I will do it,
Whenever I want to share something, I turn off the notifications, now seriously why would we want to know who liked our posts other than entertaining our miserable egos? 

Not to mention that if you keep reading what your friends and acquaintances are posting, you will get distracted by stuff that is none of your business.
for example, you never cared much about politics, but you see someone writing about it every day you will introduce more crap in your life to worry about and you will become that annoying phony Facebook truth solider who wants to argue with everybody
If you cannot control when to set on facebook you can also take a break during your entire day but dedicate between 30 to 60 mins of your time to check it out and that's it.. if you want I think there is a Google chrome extention that does this (find it at your own pace) 

By minimizing my use to facebook, I made lots of free space in my mind to focus on what is really beneficial to me and most importantly to focus on my talents and what I CAN do.
if you don't know what are your hidden talents yet, maybe it's time to deactivate Facebook so you can find out