Facebook-addicts will act similar to drug addicts

anyone Who spends excessive time on Facebook , shows symptoms similar to drug addicts or gambling addicts – which is (to greatly simplify) the result of a study published by the Journal of Behavioral Addictions. Dar Meshi, Andrew Bender and Antonio Verdejo-Garcia of the University in East Lansing, Michigan, and Anastassia Elizarova from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, examined 71 subjects of a non-closer-called "great German University," in the age of 18 to 35.

First, the Participating in the study viewed their Facebook usage. Then it was submitted to a Test where they had to take decisions, supported by some additional information. The study showed that especially in the last 20 of the 100 Test rounds for those Participating in the poor sections, who were classified as excessive Facebook users. You exhibited a behavior that drugs similar to dependent.

The classification of their own Facebook usage was carried out according to the Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS to be about "Bergen-Facebook-dependency scale"), in the case of the six questions of the relation to the Social Media platform will be answered. Each question has five response options from "very rarely" to "very often". For each answer there is a to six points, the higher the total score, the more likely the subject "Facebook dependent".

drug addicts make similar bad decisions

to assess the decision ability of the study participants, the scientists selected the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT, but what does the "Iowa gambling task"), the Participating four-card stack of pre-get. From these, you need to select cards, the goal is to maximize a (fictitious) profit. Two of the stacks of cards offer high gains but also high losses, who uses it, loses in the long term. In the case of the other two Stacks gains and losses are only half as high, but you will win with them for the long term. The subjects are not told which stacks are to be preferred. Nevertheless, a learning curve is shown in the case of 100 Test-runs.

The researchers found in the first four blocks – the 100 repetitions were divided into five sections with 20 passes – no differences noticed however in the last Block of said difference. From this they concluded that excessive Facebook users are worse to make risky decisions. The IGT experimental've had with individuals who have a dependence on opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, Cannabis, alcohol or nicotine, similar results. The Same also applies to people with a gambling addiction.

The experimental set-up of the scientists in this case is not ideal, as you yourself say. The Sample of 71 Participants is relatively small and likely to be very homogeneous (they have been hit by the flyers in Germany, probably in the context of the participating University). The creators of the study relied on the self-assessment by means of the BFAS, rather than the subjects of your actual Social-Media-monitor use. In addition, the study is limited to a social network – someone who has, according to the BFAS no excessive Facebook use could be use, other networks such as Instagram or Twitter is quite problematic in the intense.

excessive use of Facebook-users in order to equate with drug addicts? Probably not, but the study sheds new light on the often jokingly sought dependence of Social Media . You could pave the way for further studies, the understanding of a forced, uncontrolled Social Media use deepen. (Tages-Anzeiger.ch/Newsnet)

Created: 11.01.2019, 19:00 Uhr