Facebook my biggest addiction

Quiet_witness

Am I alone here or are there any other facebook addicts. What bothers me the most with this addiction is that I am almost always completely uninterested in what is posted. What are your thoughts?

zenone

I too have struggled with this. I think it is serious because the activity stands very opposed to the teachings of the buddha regarding anatta and mindfulness. Facebook is little more than a digital representation of our egos, or something even less. Little wonder why we spend so much time on it?

I recommend you do the same as I did: click on "forgot my password" and then enter in the code they send you. Next, enter a random string of letters into your word processing, and copy that as your new password, and copy it again for the re-enter box. Now click submit and delete the word processing document.

Should you ever need to return to facebook, you can always repeat the above process. But it should serve as a good reminder that the suffering caused by your addiction to facebook has been penetrated by your insight.

fivebells

Delete your facebook account. I did, and I've never looked back. (OK, I created a dummy account, so that I could look at facebook content when it comes up in google searches.)

Quiet_witness

You deconstructed my addiction in a perfect Buddha-like manner. Facebook is a mini-samsara filled with dukha.

I see you can deactivate your account without deleting it so all the info on there like photos etc.

StaticToybox

Meh. I like things like Facebook and MySpace. They help we keep in touch with people. They've also allowed me to re-establish contact with people (old friends from school and such) who I had lost touch with over the years.

martinlawrence

I too was very much addicted to facebook...but from the 1st onwards, I have decided to spend only 1 hour everyday on facebook...let's see how far this resolution goes!!!

Jeffrey

facebook is a way to commicate with loved ones... We bring any ego... Don't blame facebook, sorry.

buddhafoot

I agree. It's not FaceBook's fault.

I think it might be a good practice to KEEP your account and work on letting go of your addiction to it. I think it makes one stronger when you can willingly end an addiction without removing the source. Removing the source doesn't mean you've removed the addiction.

If you want to, that is. My opinion is worth about as much as a pile of doggy doo.

-bf

P.S. I personally have an account and can't stand logging into it. I find that reading updates like, "I just wiped!" or "I made the bed, it must be time to drink!" or "I just did a load of whites!" to be incredibly aggravating. Do people have so little to do that they need to give us a blow by blow account of the mundane?

Quiet_witness

Buddhafoot, I am right with you. I am completely disinterested in most of the posts people make which is why I questioned my addiction. Since the post I have not cared as much to log on. It is a fun tool to have but can be a distraction.

buddhafoot

You know... sometimes I even question what an addiction is. I know that sometimes something becomes a habit. Just something that you get used to doing - like playing on newbuddhist at work - even though I really should be working - but I get used to checking it to see if anything has been updated.

But is that an addiction or a momentary habit or general "let's waste a little time"?

I have a friend who is addicted to EVERYTHING. The best one I heard was, "oh yeah!, i was totally addicted to ice. if I was drinking something, I would eat the ice - every last piece. I was addicted to it."

He was addicted to an non-addictive substance like "water"...?

Come to find out - he has a physical condition where his body was craving water.

As with many things, if you just change what you do during the day or at a certain time of day - some things pass and you may pick up new things.

It might be easier to just play with or change the things you do and watch yourself change. Unfortunately, we can't get away from change.

-bf

Quiet_witness

BF,

Interesting point. However, one can form habits that become an addiction with otherwise healthy things like water or this forum (yes, I called it healthy). I believe that addictions become addictions when an unproportional amount of time and energy is spent on the activity. I realize that unproportional amount of time is a rather ambiguous term but what is a lot for one is a little for another. So the proportion is to be determined by the user.

-QW

buddhafoot

Could be.

I'm just a layman so I'm only thinking in terms that I can identify with.

Addiction to me is something physical. Becoming addicted to nicotine or alcohol or cocaine. I think of the other as being "conditioned". For smokers, once they get rid of the chemical addiction, they still have to deal with getting rid of the oral fixation or the smoking conditioning they've developed.

But then, people are addicted to sex - which seems like a "mental", and therefore, a non-physical thing - so I've completely blown my argument out of the water

-bf

Quiet_witness

Exactly as you pointed out. There are physical and chemical addictions, and there are mental addictions. My definition could be refined but like you I not a specialist. There is credence to your point that the term addiction is over used (like the title to this thread) I am not neccessarily addicted to facebook but my habit was becoming an addiction.

BTW, is that your cat or just a picture you found? I love it.

krahmer

Although my wife has a facebook account, and I tease her often whenever she wastes time on it, I refuse to facebook or twitter. Much like what zenone said, I feel that way too much of the content is just ego polishing. I think the reason that so many people use these types of sites is because it primarily allows them to waste time in a way that's enjoyable to them, but it's also interactive, which keeps them coming back. If I normally watched 5 hours of TV per day, facebook probably would be an improvement in entertainment options for me.

brian

Jeffrey

I think an addiction is something we use to dull out the uneasiness or itchiness of experience. In this view I was influenced by Pema Chodron's teaching on shenpa (itch). We use material things, beliefs, and states of mind. A good way to fight back is mindfulness. If you need a drink a cigarette or a post at least sharpen your awareness and be very present and open to the experience (and what comes after the experience is over).

Quiet_witness

Jeffrey wrote: »

I think an addiction is something we use to dull out the uneasiness or itchiness of experience. In this view I was influenced by Pema Chodron's teaching on shenpa (itch). We use material things, beliefs, and states of mind. A good way to fight back is mindfulness. If you need a drink a cigarette or a post at least sharpen your awareness and be very present and open to the experience (and what comes after the experience is over).

I like that thought. Thank you.