The New "Drug" of Facebook

We can't live without it. It makes us feel good. Just have to use it - several times a day...We are addicted. I'm talking about Facebook. Here are excerpts from an article I just read entitled "Facebook is Making Us Miserable". Feel free to comment:

When Facebook was founded in 2004, it began with a seemingly innocuous mission: to connect friends. Some seven years and 800 million users later, the social network has taken over most aspects of our personal and professional lives, and is fast becoming the dominant communication platform of the future. But this new world of ubiquitous connections has a dark side.

Behind all the liking, commenting, sharing, and posting, there are strong hints of jealousy, anxiety, and, in one case, depression. Said one person about a Facebook friend, "Although he's my best friend, I kind-of despise his updates." Said another "Now, Facebook IS my work day." Here are disturbing and distressing ways in which Facebook is fundamentally altering our daily sense of well-being in both our personal and work lives.

1. It's creating a den of comparison. We want to look good and present ourselves to others as though we have it all together.

2. It's fragmenting our time. How often and where do you access Facebook?

3. There's a decline of close relationships. Gone are the days where Facebook merely complemented our real-life relationships. Has it become a substitute for the "real thing"?

So, what should we do to avoid these three traps? Recognizing that "quitting" Facebook altogether is unrealistic, we can still take measures to alter our usage patterns and strengthen our real-world relationships. Some useful tactics include blocking out designated time for Facebook, rather than visiting intermittently throughout the day; selectively trimming Facebook friends lists to avoid undesirable ex-partners and gossipy coworkers; and investing more time in building off-line relationships. The particularly courageous choose to delete Facebook from their smartphones and iPads, and log off the platform entirely for long stretches of time.

Is Facebook making you miserable? What other tips can you share?