Is Facebook Addictive? The Answer is YES

From a small, exclusive Harvard website to one of the most well known social media platforms today, Facebook has quickly risen to the top of charts. Over a billion people around the world actively use Facebook. But why hasn't the "Facebook craze" died out like MySpace? Many call the site addictive, which is why many use it so actively and compulsively. What is it about Facebook that makes it so addictive? From first hand experience, I can vouch that Facebook is a very addictive website.

I first heard about Facebook when I was in middle school. As an eighth grader I played JV softball on the high school team and, therefore, hung out with the older kids during practice. One day they were talking about Facebook and how it used to just be a college site and that they were all making accounts. I ended up making an account during the first week of high school a few months later. From there my Facebook addiction grew.

During high school I was completely addicted to playing Facebook games. It first started with FarmVille (a Facebook game that allowed you to tend to your own virtual farm) and went downhill from there. I played Mafia Wars, Happy Pets, Treasure Isle, FrontierVille, The Sims Social, and many other games during the first few years of Facebook use. Many of the Facebook games make you do tasks or quests that require you to gather items from your friends or come back on later days to continue. Now, not all of my friends played these games but when I was younger enough did that the games were enjoyable. I could send them item requests and slowly complete levels on multiple games over time. My friends and I would have contests to find out who could attain a higher level on FarmVille or who could complete the Treasure Isle quest first. Just the excitement of opening new quests or gaining levels made playing the games worth while and kept us going back for more.

Nowadays I don't play many Facebook games as I used to in high school but I still check my Facebook account multiple times a day. I have many Facebook friends from across the country who I still keep in contact with. I also am an administrator on a few Facebook pages and groups that I help keep updated. I am constantly checking for new notifications or messages. I like to be updated on what all of my friends are doing or how events like the Super Bowl go.

There also could be a scientific reasoning behind Facebook's addictions.  Multiple articles claim that the sensation of receiving a notification on Facebook causes the brain to release dopamine. This would explain why many people are addicted to Facebook, because the sensation of getting a notification makes them feel good so they crave that feeling and continue their Facebook usage to feel it again. (Example article: http://thecerebralcortex.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/facebook-and-the-dopaminergic-response/)

Do I get good feelings when I have a new Facebook notification? Yes. Could someone argue that I am addicted to Facebook? Probably. So, if someone asked me if Facebook was addictive I would answer with a 100% yes.