12 Signs Your Social Media Use Has Become An Obsession
Seeing 50 reactions on this morning's selfie can really be rewarding, but if you find yourself to be more social on social media than in your real life, you might have a problem. Here are 12 signs that your social media use become an obsession:
1. You put A TON of thought into what you're going to post next.
Your day is consumed with thoughts about your next 140 character Twitter status, and you've actually gotten pretty good at guestimating how long 140 characters actually is. You keep an ear out as you walk down the street for quotes that would make for good photo captions or Facebook statuses, and you always try to look your best in case you come across a good selfie moment that day.
2. You know exactly what your friends respond to the best and when.
Tuesdays are when your friends are most active on Tumblr. Your Twitter followers retweet your stuff around 8pm, and people love your Instagram photos when you use the Slumber filter. You're like your very own social media analytics program- only better.
3. You order certain foods just because you know they're photogenic.
No one dislikes a beautiful dessert. Snap a photo of it, add the caption "food porn is the best porn," and you have yourself 5K likes. But the thing is, you didn't even want dessert. You just knew it was beautiful. But you don't regret your decision. Not one bit.
4. You know exactly what to do to make sure your photos turn out flawless.
Your checks are perfectly flushed with the right color of rouge, and you've already pinpointed the perfect place of nice lighting. You raise your eyebrows slightly to widen the eyes and snap one or two shots at the perfect moment. You know exactly what to do to make sure your photos look phenomenal- professional, even- and you take a lot more pride in it than anything else you've done lately.
5. You have friends and family take pictures of you all the time.
Everyone knows that selfies and photos of food aren't the only thing social media followers want to see, right? You make a point when your out with your family and friends to make them capture you doing something really cool and/or photogenic. This really spices up your profile and gets you tons of "favorites." It also annoyes the hell out of whoever is with you at the time.
6. Your friends know most of what's going on in your life before you tell them.
When you go out, you actually don't have that much to talk about. Your friends know you recently went to the new restaurant on the other side of town and that yoga has really been your thing lately. They know about the new shoes you bought and the handbag you're lusting after. They even know some details about your dating life, and this makes you think two things: 1) They themselves must spend a lot of time online creeping, and 2) you need to consider cutting down on the amount of time you spend in the virtual universe.
7. Everyone knows all your opinions on everything.
People know you hate Clinton and Trump as well as your stance on gun rights and transgender bathroom issues. They realize that you're type is more blonde-haired and slender than brown-haired and muscular, and they are sick of you complaining about the weather. In fact, everyone seems to know about every thought you've ever had.
8. Likewise, you know a lot of things about everyone else.
While you can't go as in depth about other people's lives as they can about yours, you know the highlights. This person had a baby. This person got engaged. You know your freshman roommate finally got together with the guy she's been hooking up with for months. Being in the loop makes you feel good.
9. You check your notifications every single time you unlock your phone.
Checking your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, and even your LinkedIn notifications is like second nature to you. Every time you unlock your phone to read your texts, you magically wander to those social media platforms. Want to check the time? Nope. You'll find yourself tagging your friend in a post about cute puppies and forget to check the time all together.
10. You know exactly how many followers/friends you have on each social media platform.
You admit, you have a crazy big following on social media- most of which are complete strangers to you. Who is Hugo from Brazil? Or María in Peru? You don't know, but you do know that they always interact with your OOTD photos. You appreciate that about them.
11. You've set a goal to reach a certain amount of followers.
It's impressive, but 957 followers are not enough for you. You need to up your game. By the end of this week, you want a solid 960 followers. That's a nice, round number. And next week, you'll aim even higher. Nothing makes you feel more accomplished than increasing your fanbase.
12. You experiment with different kinds of social media platforms.
Even though you aren't the most active on the accounts, you've tried sites like Cyworld, Faceparty, and Fotolog. Since they are popular in other parts of the world, it's fun to experiment with different audiences and see what people in South Korea and Spain are really into. But, your heart will always beat for the classics- Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Video: If You Were Honest On Social Media
Credit: BuzzFeedViolet