Social Networking Part 3: Curbing the Obsession - WVNS-TV - WVNSTV.com

Social Networking Part 3: Curbing the Obsession
Posted Thursday, May 5, 2011 ; 05:00 AM Updated Thursday, May 5, 2011; 09:38 AM

It's OK to log in, but be sure you check out. By Courtney Clark BECKLEY -- It may be more commonly accepted than alcoholism, but experts say it's no different than any other addiction. Therapist Hamlet Smith defines an addiction as something that you continue to do obsessively, despite the negative consequences. "Teens are communicating with their friends, they're on Farmville or Cityville or all these kinds of things," Smith, director of Life Stragies Counseling Services, explained, "and they're using large portions of their lives and not even realizing the negative consequences." So how do you know if you're addicted? Experts say there are several red flags signaling digital addiction -- such as logging on first thing in the morning, spending more than an hour per day on social networks, or bidding your friends "goodnight" through Facebook. "Several of my friends, they're up there pretty much around the clock just about, or they're constantly checking it," Ashley Dziok, a college senior, said. Updating from the bedroom or bathroom could also be symptoms of addiction. "I don't let them know where I'm at, but I let them know what I'm doing when it's something interesting," said Andre Barrett, a sophomore at Mountain State University. "Like I said, on the weekend when I go on my Florida trips and stuff like that and I'm buzzing about it. I share it with people, but I don't wake up and go 'Good morning Twitter,' or 'I'm just in the shower.' I don't do that kind of stuff." Smith said it's creating an environment for almost un-real relationships, relationships that could be devastating to our social networks. But there are ways to curb your obsession. If you think you may have addictive tendencies, he recommends spending more time with family and friends and deleting cell phone applications for social media. "Part of social etiquette is turn your cell phones off, turn them to vibrate, don't respond to text messages," Smith said. "You know, you're with real people." Remember, it's OK to log in, but be sure you check out.