A research conducted by the University of Bergen, Norway, revealed that Facebook addiction occurs regularly among younger than older users. It was also found that people who are anxious and socially insecure use Facebook, probably because they find it easier to communicate via social media than face-to-face

Women are more likely to develop Facebook addiction while ambitious people are at less risk, reveals a new research conducted in Norway. While many of us would accept to be hooked on social media, chances of Facebook being the most addictive networking site are high. And to measure this increasing trend of Facebook addiction, Norway-based researchers have developed a new instrument named the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale.

Cecilie Schou Andreassen, doctor of psychology, who is heading this first of its kind research project-Facebook Addiction-at the University of Bergen, Norway (UiB), explains, "It occurs more regularly among younger than older users. We have also found that people who are anxious and socially insecure use Facebook more than those with lower scores on those traits, probably because those who are anxious find it easier to communicate via social media than face-to-face."  

Ms Andreassen adds, "People who are organised and more ambitious tend to be less at risk from Facebook addiction. They often use social media as an integral part of work and networking."

The research also found out that women are more prone to Facebook addiction and the symptoms of Facebook addiction are similar to those of drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and chemical substance addiction.

According to the research, Facebook addiction was related to extraversion. People with high scores on the new scale further tend to have a somewhat delayed sleep-wake rhythm.

The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, developed at the UiB, Faculty of Psychology, in collaboration with the Bergen Clinics Foundation (Norway), is based on six basic criteria:

• You spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or plan the use of Facebook,
• You feel an urge to use Facebook more and more,
•  You use Facebook in order to forget about personal problems,
• You have tried to cut down on the use of Facebook without success,
• You become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook, and
• You use Facebook so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies.

All the six items are items are scored on the following scale- 1 for Very Rarely, 2 for Rarely, 3 for Sometimes, 4 is for Often, and 5 for Very often.

Ms Andreassen's study reveals that scoring of 'Often' or 'Very Often' on at least four of the six items may suggest that you are a workaholic.

In January 2011, 423 students-227 women and 196 men-participated in tests for the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale. UiB in a release said that, "The scale can facilitate treatment research, clinical assessment and can be used for the estimation of Facebook addiction prevalence in the general population worldwide."