How exactly is Facebook and Internet addiction affecting our minds? Or is it something you've even thought about? Chances are it hasn't even crossed your mind that constantly checking for new notifications or spending hours a day on the Internet is actually an addiction in the making.
Every time you receive a notification on Facebook it could mean a new professional, social, or even sexual opportunity. Once you answer the little red box signaling a notification, it results in a hit of dopamine. The same dopamine that recharges our addictive compulsion and is similar to people who have addictions to abusive substances such as heroin, meth, or crack. However, as you probably know, these notifications are hard to resist.
On average, most people are spending around 8.5 hours looking at a computer screen. With that much time spent on a computer, it's no wonder more and more people are becoming addicted daily. Not only are people becoming addicted to the Internet and Facebook, but it's causing a significant drop in the average attention span of people. In 2000 before social networking and mobile phones were as popular, the average attention span was around 12 seconds. Since 2000, the attention span of people has dropped by 40%.
Don't let Internet addiction take over your life. Plan off-line activities as well as using the computer and Internet for legitimate purposes.
Check out the infographic below presented by Best Master's in Psychology to learn more about internet addiction.