Can social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, be considered drugs? I mean, they're addicting, right? drug-addiction Drug AddictionMany people have become addicted to browsing and monitoring their social networking accounts, like Facebook or Twitter. |
It's hard to imagine a social networking site like Facebook as a drug. The only real connection I see is the fact that many people claim to be addicted to browsing and monitoring their social networking accounts. Some people spend more than half of their day fiddling with Facebook in one way or another. Some people have legitimate panic attacks if they are without their phone or computer for a given duration, just because they might be missing out on recent updates via Facebook. That's two characteristics of drugs: addiction and withdrawal. Interesting debate.. |
I agree with Jack. I usually think of drugs as physical substances that, once ingested in one way or another, alter your mental and/or physical state. But I see how something like Facebook could be a drug. You may feel stimulated by someone sharing a video or song, get pleasure out of uploading new photos of yourself and your friends, or even feel more relaxed as you ease your "fear of missing out (FOMO)" through checking friend's statuses. It might be a stretch, but Facebook sure feels like a drug. |