Facebook addict?

Is Facebook simply a part of your daily or weekly routine, or do you find yourself compulsively checking your feeds and updating posts? Researchers from Norway have said they've created a tool to determine whether or not a person is addicted to Facebook.

Take the test



ARE you a Facebook addict? Use the Bergen scale to assess yourself on the statements below:

1 = Very rarely; 2 = Rarely; 3 = Sometimes; 4 = Often and 5 = Very often.

You spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or plan use of it.

You feel an urge to visit Facebook more and more.

You use the site in order to forget about personal problems.

You have failed to cut down use.

You become restless if you are prohibited from visiting Facebook.

You use it so much it has had a negative impact on your job/studies.

A score of 4 or 5 on at least four of the points could mean addiction.

Did you respond "often" or "very often" to four or more statements?

Andreassen's study suggests those who answered "often" or "always" on four or more of these questions may have a Facebook addiction. The lead researcher indicated the symptoms of a Facebook addiction resemble the same indicators that arise in addictions relating to drug, alcohol and other substance abuse.

In January 2011, Dr. Cecilie Schou Andreassen performed a study on 423 students (227 women and 196 men). The scale was then developed at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen (UiB) in collaboration with the Bergen Clinics Foundation, Norway

One interesting factor when examining demographics with Facebook addiction was the Norwegian team found women "are more at risk of developing Facebook addiction,".The scale is based on the same six core elements of addiction used by doctors to identify alcoholics and drug users.Lead researcher Dr Cecilie Schou Andreassen, of the University of Bergen’s Faculty of Psychology, said addiction is more common among younger users.

However, women are not the only ones who are more susceptible to Facebook addiction. Andreassen also found that dependency occurs more frequently among younger than older users. What's more, Facebook users who are anxious and socially insecure are more likely to develop a need to maintain their social presence on the site.And users who are late to go to bed and get up are more likely to be addicted as those with a ‘delayed sleep wake rhythm’ scored highly,

In relation to the same topic a study reported in The Wall Street Journal confirms this theory. Researchers at Harvard revealed this week that talking about ourselves triggers the same sensation of pleasure and satisfaction that we get from food, money or sex.Bragging is so closely tied to pleasure, it's not surprising that so many of us flock to Facebook to fulfil our crack-like addiction to telling people how great our lives are .

The findings of the study appear in the Psychological Reports.