Are you happy?

Happiness. This words means so much to us and is a necessity in our lives regardless what age, gender, or ethnicity a person may be. It is something we are constantly in search for and when found, its wonderful. Happiness can be linked to many different things. For some, its family or a week long vacation in the Greek Islands and for others its meeting that special someone. The answer really differs depending on who you ask. But research has shown that happiness is tightly liked to a sense of belonging and community. People who are involved in a community and are active with others are proven to be more happier than others.

Interestingly, (as a recent article points out) web 2.o technology has recently played a great part in today’s user happiness. Social networks like Facebook, twitter, MySpace have been shown to contribute to a persons happiness and well-being. It does not matter if its just touching base just once in a while or keeping in touch on a daily basis, social network have made it easier for people to connect and feel a sense of belonging. But with this increase, there has also been an increase in Internet addition. People just cant seem to get enough. People are hooked onto their blackberries and constantly checking email. You know what I am talking about. I have seen it and experienced it. When having a conversation with someone and every few minutes they get a Facebook update. So ANNOYING. I digress. Web 2.0 technologies have created communities for people and aided in making users attain happiness but at the same time, they have take time away from the “real” word. Addition to the Internet is a real phenomenon. Worker productivity has gone down. Valuable time parents could be spending with their kids is now spent catching up on email on their PDAs. Or even worse, parents may be using the Internet to baby-sit their kids?!?!?!

There are key things to look for that can signal that you have some level of Internet addiction. Below are a few.
1. Some signs that you are online too much:
2. Personal Relationships are deteriorating
3. Increase in Conflict with Family
4. Decrease in time spent with Family
5. Job Production Loss, Leading to Threat of Job Loss.

We all should be aware of signs that you are online too much. Its good to have a balance and go outside sometimes to get fresh air:)