When you go to work or you get onto your iPhone while riding the bus, what's the first thing you do? If checking your Facebook is the answer, we might have a problem.
We've heard that restricting Facebook profiles is smart--after all, employers are checking social networking sites these days.
What we haven't heard are the dangers of social networking abuse (i.e., how overuse can lead to harmful addiction). Take for instance a 2009 Twitter post after a job interview:
"Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”
Shortly after, he was met with this responding post:
"Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web."
I think it's safe to say the "Cisco Fatty" wasn't hired, and despite the obvious repercussions, he posted unnecessary information to appease his Twitter habit.
Whatever your "i-drug" of choice (Twitter, Facebook, online gaming, etc.), there are signs to help spot addiction, such as:
- Posting party pics online after requesting time off for "family emergencies"--one intern was fired in 2008 after posting Halloween pictures of his fairy costume.
- Playing Farmville during business meetings--a Bulgarian politician was recently fired for tending his virtual farm during budget debates.
- Paying real money to obtain virtual credits--a 12-year-old boy racked up over $1,400, emptying his own savings and a fair portion onto his mother's credit card. (He used the money to progress his virtual farm in Farmville.)
- Letting online habits affect your family life--a Jacksonville, Florida, woman killed her infant son when he would not stop crying. The noise interrupted her Farmville concentration, so she shook him until he stopped… permanently.
The people in these incidents suffer from seriously addictive habits, such to the extent that their personal lives, careers, and loved ones were negatively affected. If you find yourself dipping into addictive territory, just cut back. These sites are not harmful if used appropriately, so be smart about your online activity.
--Chris
Photo taken from this photostream and used with permission of a Creative Commons license.
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