CBS views on Social Networking Addictions

CBS News National Correspondent Hattie Kauffman reports that Social Networking is in fact an Internet Addiction. After one interview with CNET.com Senior Editor Natali del Conte, Kauffman finds that the American Psychiatric Association is starting to recognize Internet addiction as a real addiction. This article was published in 2009 and in such a short time the use of social media has exploded.

Natali del Conte offers a few tips on how to prevent internet addiction:

1. Set Limits- Only allow yourself a specific time limit each day to spend on the internet for leisure. I know when it becomes time for finals, a lot of my friends disable their Facebook pages so they can concentrate all their time and energy to their studies. It seems bizarre but it truly does work.
2. Turn off e-mail notifications- Disable direct e-mail notifications so you are not tempted to visit the site for new comments or updates. It will also keep your inbox less cluttered
3. Don't leave your social networks open- I am guilty of this, especially when I am doing homework. It's so easy to leave the Facebook tab open and click it anytime I feel like I want a distraction.
4. Don't network on your phone- This is a hard one for me because looking at Facebook and Twitter on my iPod is so much easier for me than using the computer. Plus both applications automatically save my passwords so I don't have to log in every time I want to check my news feed.

Resources:

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500202_162-4205009.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody