Ever feel compelled to stay online when you know you should be doing something else? It’s very common. And the reason is straightforward: we get addicted to the easy pleasure of the Internet (you know, the little red notifications on facebook;)

Here’s a graphic from BestMastersInPsychology.com (hat tip Bitten & Bound) that explores the addictive nature of Facebook and social media.

Some of the more fascinating points:

- Our brains literally get rewired by the instant feedback we get online
- Internet addiction is a real thing, now being diagnosed by professional psychologists
- Our attention spans have been cut by 4 seconds in about a decade, thanks to the Internet and sites like Facebook

What do you think? Is Internet addiction a thing to take seriously? Do we need to cut back on our Facebook addiction? Or is it all harmless fun? Let us know in the comments.

Written by Hot Mess on November 1st, 2012 | Tagged as: Popular Culture