INTRODUCTION:
Facebook is the world's most widely accessed social network, where millions of people intercommunicate. Behavioral and psychological changes relate to abusive and uncontrolled use creating severe impacts on users' life.
METHOD:
A critical revision was performed through MedLine, Lilacs, SciELO and Cochrane databases using the terms: "Facebook Addiction," "Social Network Sites," "Facebook Abuse." The search covered the past 5 years up to January 2015. Articles that examine dependence on Facebook in the general population were included; we analyzed how this concept evolved over the last five years, and hope to contribute to the better understanding of the issue and its impacts.
RESULTS:
Although controversial, published reports correlate Facebook addiction to mechanisms of reward and gratification. Some users developed an abusive relationship stimulated by the false feeling of satisfaction or as a way to feel better or more self-assured (increased level of excitement or escape). Studies from several countries indicate different prevalence, probably due to lack of consensus, and the use of different denominations, giving rise to the adoption of different diagnostic criteria.
CONCLUSION:
Social Networks are modern communication tools; however, not only benefits, but also subsequent damage caused by its abusive use must be monitored. Many users with abusive usage and dependence recognize significant losses in their personal, professional, academic, social and family lives. Further investigation is needed to determine if abusive Facebook usage is a new psychiatric classification or merely the substrate of other disorders.
KEYWORDS:
Facebook Addiction; Facebook Abuse; Social Media Addiction; Social Media Abuse; Social Networking Sites Addiction.
