The age of the Internet has enabled people across our entire planet to communicate with each other quickly, at the swift click of a mouse. Thought meant as a tool, a facilitator of progress even, some have taken the birth and popularity of social networks to a new, abusive extreme: addiction.

They live on Facebook and off their favorite tweeters’ tweets. They’ve forgotten the sunshine and what it’s like to live in reality. They’re addicted. It’s not uncommon either, According to this infographic, 57% of people talk to people more online than they do in real life. Are you one of the digital druggies?

1. You have more Twitter friends than real life friends

Social networks were made to connect people who already knew each other when they couldn’t physically be together. But, the order seems to be reversed; they get to know people on the Internet and then meet in real life, if at all. Others take it even further and rely solely on the Internet to meet people.

If, at the end of the day, the majority of those who you call your friends were met on the Internet, then you’re one of these people we just talked about.

2. Your friends complain about how much you post

Your friends on the Internet all post regularly and with high frequency. You do the same. Your friends from real life, however, criticize you for “flooding their timelines.” But all your Internet friends do the same, you think to yourself, and conclude that your real life friends simply aren’t acquainted with don’t get social media.

But you’re really just posting too much, you just don’t realize it because your Internet friends all post too much as well.

 3. You post too much and too often

Social networks, especially sites like Twitter, are stereotyped as over sharing centers. The stereotype isn’t necessarily false, either. Though some users keep private what should be kept private, there is a significant bulk who do say too much. Maybe you’re one of them. And if you are, then you’ve no doubt experienced that over sharing phenomenon seeping from your Internet life to your real life. You’ve likely caught the “why did you just say that?” eyes of friends.

4. You RSVP for Christmas

RSVPing for Christmas, or using a social network to accomplish any useless task or announce any obvious activity for that matter, is a sure sign of addiction. Social networks were made to ease our lives, to segway them if you will, but if you’re instead relying on networks as if your life depended on them, well, you’re unarguably addicted. Imagine it as a drug user: drugs can be used for occasional good times, or as addictives.

5. You search for new social networks to join

Because you use your social network as a lifeline instead of a segway, you, in time, grow bored of it. Then you grow bored of the other thirteen networks you’re registered to. Then, in a desperate scramble as you don’t have any new and exciting buttons to click (dear god!), you go crawling the Internet for solutions, for new networks to join.

5 clear signs youre addicted to social networks

About Dylan Taylor

He’ll have you know that he has big feet and sexy hair. When not posting pictures of his oversized shoes on Twitter, Dylan is either writing, socializing or sleeping. He lives on the East Coast and loves design, technology and new media. The man has quite the female fan following, maybe even a tad too much if you ask us. On wwwireframe, he covers new media and pop culture.