What if Social Media were a Disorder?
As I was waiting with my son in his Doctor’s waiting room I started reading one of the many pamphlets that they had sitting around. I happened to pick up one of the pamphlet’s titled Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I smiled as I read it as I always felt that I was obsessed with Social Media. And, even though I haven’t been diagnosed with OCD I suppose having it might be a possibility. That possibility got me thinking… What if Social Media were a disorder?
And, the inside of the Pamphlet would read….
What is Social Media?
Social Media is the interaction of people on the Web. Unlike traditional media such as newspapers, TV, magazines, Books, Cds, and radios where there is no interaction between others… Social Media is human conversations via Internet Communities.
What are the Symptoms?
The use of, but not limited to, one or more of the following:
- Blogging
- Instant Messaging
- Participating in Forums & Message Boards
- Photo Sharing & Video Sharing
- Podcasts
- Social Networking
- Commenting on Blogs
What Causes Social Media Disorder?
The Need for:
- More Traffic
- Incoming Links
- Visability as an Expert in your Field
- Moving up in the Search Engines
- Interaction between Business Owners and Potential Customers
- Branding your Products Name / Business Name
- Passing the word around about your product or Service.
How is Social Media Diagnosed?
An Increase in one or more of the following:
- Traffic increase illustrated on Website’s Stat Counter (Visitors, Pages, Time Spent)
- Your Website being Mentioned Online
- Incoming Links / Trackbacks
- Increase in RSS Feed Subscribers
- Improvement in SERPS
- Sales Increased
- Comments Increased
Treatment
Once you have caught Social Media it is a Chronic Disorder. There is no way to rid it from your system. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Social Media. Fighting Social Media is extremely painful. The best treatment is to learn as much as you can about Social Media, so you can accept it and learn to live with it.
18 Responses to “What if Social Media were a Disorder?”
By Glen Allsopp on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
If it is then i think I have it as well.
Great post, original!
By Shana Albert on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
@Glen - Thanks, Glen. I’m glad you liked the post
By Tim Nash on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
Indeed we could be looking at a pandemic :)certainly on this blog!
By Shana Albert on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
@Tim Nash - Haha…. that’s for sure.
By Kristen on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
I have accepted it and am living with it very well. It’s the family that can’t handle my disorder too well. They seem to think I love social media more than them rather than seeing it as something I was born with. LOL
By Michelle Montoya on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
I’m in the advanced stages of the disorder, and my family is thinking of staging an intervention. You might be seeing me on A&E soon.
By SearchBuzz on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
Shana, You may need to develop a 12 step program for SM disorders!
By Shana Albert on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
@Kristen - Trust me when I say…. I completely know where you are coming from on that one.
@Michelle - Hmmmm…. I wonder what a Social Media intervention would be like. You will have to let me know.
@SearchBuzz - haha…. could you imagine that 12 step program? I love it!! Maybe I will, Mr. Buzz.
By Michael Martine on Jan 16, 2008 | Reply
Does this mean I can ask my doctor for a free sample of something? Thanks for the humor!
By Stephanie on Jan 16, 2008 | Reply
Damn, I don’t have insurance for medications yet.
I guess I will have to suffer!
By Chris Estes might have the same disorder on Jan 16, 2008 | Reply
I may have this disorder. But Mine is a split with multiple personalities and compulsion.
By Masked Bandit on Jan 16, 2008 | Reply
(1) Mass communication of all forms damages the human identity forming process by a quality known as hyperreality. Things in mass comm, being massively shared experiences, trick the mind that they are “more real than real” — these hyperreal experiences are preferentially incorporated by the ego, just like the body preferentially incorporates (radioactive) Strontium-90 rather than Calcium in your bones.
(2) Social media gives people a great opportunity to express narcissistic needs (ex. to be seen.) The effect is similar in magnitude to that of television, but it’s different in form — on TV you’re continuously watching people who are obsessed with their bodies, and it rubs off on you (the commercials on a sports game feature aging sports heros pushing hair replacement clinics.) Children are forced to think about themselves, their family and how they fit into the economy — they know there are different classes of people, so this does damage to their narcissistic equilibrium (self-esteem.) Is your family too poor to buy the $19.99 tub of gimmicky art supplies or too rich?
Social media will have new effects that will only become obvious after years of exposure.
By Robdogg on Jan 16, 2008 | Reply
HAHA, very true, I am absolutely addicted.
By Joy on Jan 16, 2008 | Reply
That’s oh so true..I myself is also a hopeless case..I’m just so addicted on social media sites..^^
By veronicaromm on Mar 10, 2008 | Reply
I enjoyed reading this. Your diagnostic technique is well grounded and I believe you are on to something. Where is the line b/w addiction and obsession?