By Lee Ha-na
Do you start your day off by logging into Facebook? Do you constantly think about what your next status update will be?
If so, you maybe be suffering from FTAD (Facebook Twitter Addiction Disorder). The social media pandemic in the past decade has contributed directly to the birth of this phenomenon.
A businessman named Jung, 42, is a very active user of Facebook with just over 300 friends, but his day goes by quickly as he spends the bulk of his time “liking” pictures, updating his status, and replying to comments on his Wall.
However, Jung realized he would find himself randomly wondering if anyone replied to his comments and would spend ten minutes constantly checking his Facebook. This became a routine, which started interfering with his daily life. He has even admitted to feeling depressed if he was not able to check his Facebook for a long time. Jung is a prime example of someone who suffers from FTAD.
People with FTAD frequently check their accounts on social networking sites. They do this even when they are in the middle of a task, such as writing a paper. Many feel the need to check for that one last possible notification before falling asleep and that first possible update upon waking up.
The number of smartphone users in South Korea hit the 20-million mark in October. Over 10 million people use social network services (SNS) in the nation, contributing to the emergence of social media addiction.
According to sickfacebook.com, there are 350 million people worldwide who suffer from this addiction. Many even seem incapable of performing everyday activities if they cannot check their accounts. One mother in the U.S. let her baby drown in the bathtub while she was sharing videos and playing a game on Facebook.
Experts declare that students who are addicted to social media networks are linked with poor performance in the classroom and displays of erratic behavior. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University reported that teenagers who spend most of their time on social networking sites are five times more likely to use tobacco than those who do not.
There has not yet been a study conducted in South Korea regarding addiction to social media, but there have been groups formed to help cure addicts. There is a website dedicated to the rehabilitation of Facebook addicts: ko-kr.facebook.com/Addiction.lab, where there are over 150 “patients” who are part of a community devoted to helping others. There is also a similar community on Twitter, which can be accessed at: @curetwitaddict.