As the Facebook fad sweeps through the nation’s high school and college campus scenes, some of us more grounded Facebook users worry that we might soon see a breakout of serious facebook addictions.
Maybe you or someone you know has an obvious Facebook addiction. Maybe he/she is a Facebook stalker.
I have identified some of the common warning signs of a Facebook addiction.
Remember, the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem.

You might be a Facebook stalker if . . .

10. You search through a list of first names to pick out the picture of that random person you met last night when you were out—you don’t know their last name.

9. You look up names you hear of or find in the newspaper just so you can assign them a face—even though you could care less whether or not that person falls off the face of the planet.

8. You are disappointed when you click on a person’s picture only to find that you can’t access their personal information because you are not their “Facebook friend.”

7. You randomly search through your friends’ friends to find more people to add.

6. You look up people’s screennames and add them to your instant messenger but never message them—just check their away messages.

5. You spend hours of precious study time viewing photo albums and pictures of people you went to high school with but haven’t talked to since.

6. You get in a fight with your significant other because he/she doesn’t want to be officially “Facebook dating” yet.
5. You throw yourself a little Facebook party when you reach the big marks: 50 friends, 100 friends, 200 friends. . .

4. You regularly read through the list of groups so that you can be sure to add yourself to clubs such as “We love Boy Meets World” and “Cut the Mullet.”

3. You make your first priority to check your e-mail in the morning, just in case someone added you or messaged your Facebook account overnight.

2. You find yourself frustrated when you search for someone, only to find that they are not (yet) a Facebook addict like yourself.

1. You feel faint or shaky during work or class—and other times when you don’t have access to Facebook.

Reach Laura Greene at LMGreene4525@winona.edu.