by Crystal deGoede*

In today’s society, everyone is addicted to something whether or not we want to admit it.  Social Media addiction is a growing trend (especially the topic this week) and it is affecting us. Why are most of us obsessed with knowing what everyone is doing and/or wanting others to know what we are up to 24/7?

Exhibit A: My mother, a Facebook junkie. 
My mother just joined Facebook two months ago and whenever I sign-in she has posted videos, Jib-Jabs using the heads of everyone in the family, wishes, pictures, etc. to my wall. But by far her worst addiction is playing Café World.  She sends me multiple requests to help her bake cakes, for example, and I simply ignore them. It’s funny how she doesn’t know how to create a spreadsheet in Excel, but she is all over Facebook.  

When I call home my dad answers most of the time now, and when I ask “Where is mom?,” he always answers, “She’s in there on Facebook.” In fact, there is never a conversation that lacks the mention of why I didn’t accept her request on Facebook or “Which dress did I had on?” (because someone posted a picture) the last time my husband and I logged on to the site. It has become a real addiction for my mother. So much so that I tell her every night to “take a break from Facebook” to which she replies with “It’s so much fun; I’ve connected with people from high school that I haven’t seen in 20 years!”

P.S. I am not worried about my mom seeing this post. Surprisingly, she hasn’t become a fan of BurrellesLuce on Facebook…yet. But since I am part of the “trophy generation” I will probably email it to her though.

So what does the face of a social media addict look like? 
Social media addicts come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities. However, they do all share some of the same traits in common. Here are just a few symptoms of social media addiction:

1. You check Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Ning, etc before you check your email in the morning
2. You believe people that haven’t heard of Twitter are “like, seriously, not people.”
3. You make plans with friends via social media sites.
4. Sad but true, you only go to certain events because they are something you can blog about.
5. Half your “friends” know you only by your username. Ex) @gojohnab
6. Trending topics and status updates are your only source for news
7. You’ve been to a meet-up, a tweet-up, or any other (insert-social-media-site-here)-up
8. You are well-versed when it comes to speaking in under 140 characters
9. You tweet or update your status when you’re stuck in traffic, waiting in line, or stuck at a really boring meeting
10. Your friends are always warning you to not publish “those pictures” on Facebook or Flickr, to not blog about “this incident,” and  to not tweet about “their idiocy.”

Want to see more symptoms?  Click here for ThoughtPick blog.

According to a survey of 1,000 people by Retrevo Inc., a Sunnyvale company that runs a consumer electronics shopping site:

• 48 percent of social media users check or update Facebook and/or Twitter after they go to bed and 56 percent feel compelled to check Facebook at least once a day. 
• 40 percent don’t mind being interrupted for a text message, even during a meal
• 18 percent of those under 25, and 11 percent over 25, said they can’t stay away from Facebook for more than a couple of hours without checking.
• 61 percent under 25, and 55 percent over 25, check Facebook at least once daily.

“While opinions about social media are as diverse as the subjects people tweet about, one thing is certain; more and more people are using and becoming familiar with social media platforms like FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and companies that learn to engage with, or at least monitor their social buzz will be better off than those who burry their heads in the sand.” Vipin Jain, president and CEO of Retrevo 

Do you think companies that are creating new job titles, like social media manager, community manager, etc. becoming “drug dealers”?  Supplying the new hires with an addicting “drug” life-style and making them social media addicts?  

Social media is still a relatively new concept in the arena of addiction, so whether you’re in it for business, personal gain, or family and friends, it might be a good idea, now and then, to unplug and take a break. Of course, when you do, you’ll probably want to Tweet about it.

Exhibit B: So here is where I say “I.” 
I have a little social media addiction. Since helping bring BurrellesLuce into the world of social media, I have grown accustom to checking social media sites hourly. I will admit that I am not always monitoring for mentions of the company (although that is a large part of it), but I am also  interested in what is going on in the world and what everyone else is talking about in the public relations and marketing industries. I think it is important to interact with peers, clients, and prospects, to educate, and to just have a presence. Therefore, with that said, I am not too worried about my social media addiction. I think this addiction is a benefit to BurrellesLuce and my network doesn’t seem to mind either.

Do you see signs that you might be addicted? With the emergence of this worldwide addiction, do you think social media will become our major source for what is going on in the world? Do you think you will ever sit down on Sunday mornings with just Tweetdeck and a cup of coffee?

*Bio: After graduating from East Carolina University with a Marketing degree in 2005, Crystal DeGoede moved to New Jersey. In her four years as a member of the BurrellesLuce marketing team and through her interaction with peers and clients she has learned what is important or what it takes to develop a career when you are just starting out. She is passionate about continuing to learn about the industry in which we serve and about her career path. By engaging readers on Fresh Ideas Crystal hopes to further develop her social media skills and inspire other “millennials” who are just out of college and/or working in the field of marketing and public relations. Twitter: @cldegoede LinkedIn: Crystal DeGoede Facebook: BurrellesLuce