I was perusing the interwebs just now and I stumpled upon a headline that grabbed my immediate attention:

FIVE CLUES THAT YOU ARE ADDICTED TO FACEBOOK (according to CNN Health)

So I thought I’d take this time to let us discover together whether I, MrBillGeorge, am addicted to Facebook:

1. You lose sleep over Facebook

What they are referring to here is not losing sleep due to anxiety over what occurs on Facebook (but the fact that that was my initial impression of the headline, might in and of itself be an indicator). Instead, they are asking if you stay up late on Facebook when you should be sleeping and thus lose sleep because of it.

Before Twitter and before the latest Facebook update: definitely, yes.

Now I spend more time interested in tweets, but I use a program to read my tweets and rss feeds and status updates all in one place (EventBox) so I find myself visiting Facebook less and less.

However, because I visit it less often, when I do visit, there are lots of new things to look at, people to stalk etc. So I spend more time per visit. Whether those visits occur before bed depends but, yes, they do occasionally. Count it.

2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook

Hmm… in college: yes. Now? No. (One for two so far, for those keeping score at home.)

3. You become obsessed with old loves

The article specifically refers to friending old flames and getting back into unhealthy relationships or even breaking up that person’s current relationship in order to rekindle your own romance. But I’m guessing becoming obsessed with any love interest through Facebook would fall into this category of addiction.

Which begs the question: does masturbating to people’s photos count? (More specifically college photos around Halloween time?) If so, I… I have a friend who would be guilty as charged…

4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook

Oh yea, this one is a gimme. Chalk up another point.

5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in a cold sweat

CNN says, “Try going a day without Facebook. If you find it causes you a lot of stress and anxiety, you really need to get some help.”

As previously mentioned, I go many days without actually visiting the site so this one does not count against me.

RECAP: I show 2 signs out of 5. Not addicted but not totally independent either.

How’d everyone else do? Sound off in the comments section.