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Channelionline.nagad-15.03.24

Two hapless mothers: Is facebook addiction similar to drugs?

Half of the world population is now connected with internet and half of them are active in facebook. The social media is now something so big that one can’t deny its influence.

With one fourth of the world population is active in facebook, the rest 75 percent can’t live without its influence in their daily life, in their social life and even in taking a decision that who will rule the country. The latest US election is one good example.

What do the users do in facebook? The answer is — all we know– giving posts, photos and videos, liking posts of others in different emotional modes, sharing other posts and commenting, including news links of mainstream and parallel media.

Newsfeed is nowadays so important that 75 percent of mainstream media reach online audiences through facebook.

Facebook in such a way became part and parcel of many who share almost everything of their daily life and are influenced by other posts and news links. A major part of the facebook netizens in fact eat, drink and dream facebook.

With half of the Bangladesh netizens, approximately 30 million people, are active in the social media particularly the facebook, here comes the question: are many of them addicted to facebook?

Yes, some of them are so.

We came to know about two hapless mothers through a newspaper report that their sons became so addicted to facebook that they are acting like drug addicts– unleashing domestic violence and threatening to go for a killing like in the case of Oishee who allegedly murdered her parents.

Once very good students and known as good boys in their schools, the eleven graders are now doing everything to have money for data purchase, and remaining with facebook through smart phone almost 24 hours a day.

These are two cases we came to know from press reports.

There are many not reported in the newspaper. Ask yourself or give a deep look around you. You will see there are many facebook users who are acting like addicts.

Yes, research found that facebook addiction sometimes is similar to drug addiction.

Quoting research findings, a report of the daily Telegraph says: Endless Facebook feed scrolling affects our brain in a similar way to taking cocaine.

Academics told the daily: facebook addiction may show up in brain scans of those who can’t stay off the site, affecting our grey matter in a similar way that cocaine does.

“The impulsive system can be thought of as a car’s accelerator, while the inhibitory system can be likened to a brake,” explained Professor Ofir Turel of California State University.

“In addictions, there is very strong acceleration associated with the impulsive system often coupled with a malfunctioning inhibitory system.”

Two mothers appeared in public to describe their ordeals. Nobody wishes so, but not unlikely that the list will be longer in future.