Written by:
2009/12/11 12:47 PM 

OK so it’s a very strange question, but stay with me because it is a vital question. I am not asking you if your blogging is bad, nor am I questioning your character. I am asking are you BAD. No, not in the sense of Bad Boys, but BAD. Confused? Well read on for better explanation.

Blogging Addiction Disorder (BAD)

The Internet is such an all pervasive thing in so many people’s lives. Me particularly and after beginning to blog it seems to have gotten worse. A New York Times article called "Hooked on the Web" says some specialists believe 6 to 10% of Internet users have an unhealthy addiction to the Internet -- and they are ready to offer addiction recovery services. Some are even calling it Internet Addiction Disorder or IAD. And, of course, blogging is listed as one of the addictive Internet activities in the article.

....Researchers who concur that the Internet is addictive have already established that the disorder develops into a dependency for the person; they experience tolerance and withdrawal affects (Ferris, par. 1). Similar to what an addict of any other substance goes through, and becomes just as isolated as them. Rejecting the real world and adopting the Internet as a route of escape to a mood altering experience (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 8). (excerpt from AIIPsyc Journal)

So I wonder if there is not a disorder for blogging addiction. Perhaps it is called Blogging Addiction Disorder or BAD. Hence my question, are you a BAD blogger? Let me rephrase, are you addicted to blogging? So you suffer from Blogging Addiction Disorder, or BAD?

You know you’re addicted to blogging when …

1. Your closest friends know the easiest way to communicate with you is by submitting a comment.
2. You write posts to your family instead of speaking to them.
3. In order to answer some questions, you sometimes have to search your own blog.
4. You don’t know your anniversary but you know your Technorati rank.
5. You were relieved by the WordPress 2.1 autosave feature because you could finally take bathroom breaks while posting.
6. You understand acronyms like IMHO
7. You have trouble sleeping without posting.
8. You identify yourself as a blogger rather than the actual profession that you make a living on.
9. You consider taking a road trip and visiting your favourite bloggy friends.
10. You threaten family members with "watch out or you'll end up on my blog!"
11. You do a little happy dance every time you get a new reader.
12. The first thing you do in the morning is go check your blog.
13. You think Nike should make a shirt that says “Just blog it”.
14. You’re considering naming your first-born child Scoble.
15. You refuse to wear black hats because you think it will affect your SEO.
16. You can't call your mother...she doesn't have a blog.
17. You turn on your computer and turn off your spouse.
18. Your wife drapes a blond wig over your monitor to remind you of what she looks like.
19. Your spouse makes a new rule: "The computer cannot come to bed."
20. You think the 3 “R’s” are Reading Writing and RSS.
21. Your dog has it’s own blog with a ghost writer.
22. Bloglines, Google Reader or some other RSS reader is constantly open on your computer’s desktop.
23. You sign your check with @yourtwitterid
24. Your family has ruled that “Blog” is a four letter cuss word.
25. You’re reading this blog.

While some are hilarious, there is definitely some truth to all this. So much so that there are loads of internet sites set up to help with Blog and internet addiction. Whether they are legit or not I do not know. Here are two to look at in your own time

• Netaddiction.com
• Blogger Anonymous

Take the Blog addiction test.

So are you BAD? Only one way to find out. Take the blog addiction test. Over at Oneplusyou there is a Blog Addiction Test. Take it and let us know your score. Once you’re finished with the test, just click on the link at the bottom of the page. I took the test. My score is 87% addiction. Oh yeah I’m addicted to blogging. Now I need to join Blogging Anonymous.

87%

Are you BAD? Are you addicted to blogging? Do you suffer from Blogging Addiction Disorder?

Let us know in the comments below. Believe me it will help with getting this off your shoulder. Anyway if you do not leave a comment, you can’t be that addicted.

Perhaps you have a few more points on “You know you’re addicted to blogging when …”, why not share them with us.

I found this cartoon on the net. It’s not mine, I’m not that good.

Remember you can win a weeks worth of free ad space just for commenting. The best comments during the week will get a weeks free advertising space. Check out: Win free advertising for your blog

New here, or perhaps you've been here a few times? Like this post? Why not subscribe to this blog and get the most up to date posts as soon as they are published.

TrackbackPrint

Tags:

Categories:

Location: BlogsThe Brave Programmer