A Facebook time-out

As entertaining as social media is, it’s also addictive, a source of anxiety and consumes much of our time. So journalist Otje van der Lelij decided to go on a Facebook sabbatical.

Checking Facebook: it was the first thing I did every morning and the last thing I did every night before going to sleep. Even when I was writing for my work, I couldn’t stop refreshing my timeline. If I had posted something myself, it became even worse and I was continuously distracted. After all, it wouldn’t do to ignore any of those little beeps. I had to read any new messages immediately—not later, now.

I did this even though they seldom contained anything surprising or inspiring, and I increasingly felt as if I was absentmindedly thumbing through a brochure. So why was I doing it, 
all this mindless lurking? I was equally eager to read books about the drawbacks of social media, about 
the destructive influence it has on our powers of concentration and on productivity in general. And still, an hour later, there I was again, clicking through the vacation album of the neighbor or cousin of a friend. Enough. I decided to quit Facebook.

Love that reward

According to Dutch cognitive behavioral therapist Debbie Been, I am not the only one who continuously checks their timeline. “I often hear people say that they have no difficulty with alcohol, smoking or drugs, but they can’t leave their smartphone alone,” she says. “This seems to indicate that the smartphone has a wider range than other addictive substances. Which is understandable: Social media, like Facebook and Instagram, are specifically designed to tempt us over and over again. And if you are actively present online, you’re particularly susceptible to this addiction. Every like, every share, every ‘LOL’ is a confirmation that you are seen and appreciated. That social reward is pleasant for us, so we come back for more.”