How we know if we suffer from an addiction to social networks

Feeling the need to publish and photograph everything that happens to you is one of the keys to recognizing an addiction to social networks.

Social networks are part of our lives. For some they have become a lifestyle, and even a job. But how do you know when the passion for social networking has turned into an addiction? Experts call it "addictive Internet behavior.

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-Am I hooked to social networks?

While they are very fun, and even help drive major changes in personal and professional life, social networks also have some dangers. Almost 40% of young people use social networks for at least two hours on a normal school day, says the study 'Research on addictive Internet behavior in European teenagers'. This behavior is called by the experts as "addictive Internet behavior". How do you know if you suffer? These are, according to experts, the keys to recognizing an addiction to social networks.

• The first and the last.

The first thing you do when you wake up a user hooked to your social networks is the same thing you do before bed: check the news on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.

• The need to measure everything.

Frequently reviewing network profiles and hoping to get positive feedback from published posts forces you to be aware of the number of likes, comments or retuits or other factors to determine the success or failure of a publication.

• impersonal conversations.

Face-to-face conversations are replaced with Internet chats. The user prefers digital life to real life, since the feeling of loneliness never exists and it is much easier to interact with other users.

• Anxiety and irritation.

This is most likely to be the clearest and most worrying sign of addictions to these platforms of social interaction. The reason? Be in a place where there is no coverage or the battery runs out and there is no possibility of recharging it at the moment.

• Post several times a day.

When the user feels the need to publish and photograph everything that happens to him, from his daily meals to his pose before sleeping; That is, to be present in their different networks with daily and banal content.

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-How to combat an addiction to social networks?

• Recognize addiction.

Accept the fact that there is an addiction and be aware that you must overcome to achieve a better lifestyle. This is the famous "First Step of Alcoholics Anonymous," and it is for something. If it is not admitted that there is a problem, there is no possibility that it can be solved, since the fact of admitting it creates within oneself the intention to overcome it.

In the case of social networks, the consequences are not as disastrous as with alcohol or drugs, but they can have a rather negative effect, above all, on productivity.

• Skip the notifications.

Often, notifications are the culprit that users are constantly looking at the mobile, so silencing them can become a first step to reduce the use of social networks.

• Disconnect from social networks for a while.

According to some experts, being disconnected for some time allows the brain to create new neural pathways, which means that new behaviors and routines begin to replace the old ones. However, this can also happen in the opposite direction with habits that are not good.

• Establish moments of daily connection.

Out of those moments, it is appropriate not to connect to any social network. When you enter only when you decide to do so, a message is being sent to the brain that you have control.

• Block social networks or delete applications.

It would be the last resort. It is not the ideal solution, but for extreme situations it may be an option that should be valued.

Thank you very much for your attention and for reading this article I hope it is to your liking and help you fight if you suffer from this kind of addiction attentively Fanny Mendoza. (Fannyamor).

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The images shown here were downloaded from the following pages:

http://www.consumer.es

https://www.kistoy.com.ve/redes-sociales-2/

http://grupogeek.com/los-distintos-tipos-de-adictos-a-redes-sociales-cual-eres-tu/

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