The following scale can be used to assess individuals’ level of Facebook addiction. For information on its factorial validity and reliability see the following article. The scale is copyrighted but you are free to use it without permission as long as you give credit to the authors of the scale by citing the following article:
- Masur, P. K., Reinecke, L., Ziegele, M. & Quiring, O. (2014). The interplay of intrinsic need satisfaction and Facebook specific motives in explaining addictive behavior on Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 39, 376-386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.05.047 [PDF]
Loss of control
- While surfing on Facebook, I often think ‘‘Just a few more minutes’’ and then I cannot stop anyway
- I often spent more time on Facebook then I intended
- I often tried to cut down my time on Facebook, but without success
- I sometimes wonder how much time passes when I am using Facebook
Tolerance
- By now, I am spending more time on Facebook then at the beginning
- The amount of time that I spent on Facebook has continuously increased
- My desire to spent time on Facebook has continuously increased
Withdrawal syndrome
- If I am off Facebook for a longer period of time, I feel nervous
- If I am off Facebook for a longer period of time (e.g., because of vacation), I feel anxious and want to know what happens on Facebook
- My thoughts often rotate around Facebook, even when I am not online
- When I am not online I often ask myself what happens on Facebook
Negative consequences for social relations
- Since I am using Facebook I do less with my friends ‘‘offline’’
- People who are important to me tell me that I changed for worse since I am using Facebook
- People who are important to me complain that I spent too much time on Facebook
- Since I am using Facebook some friends have withdrawn from me
Negative Consequences for work and performance
- I am regularly on Facebook while being at work/school/university
- My concentration at work/school/university suffers because I am on Facebook
- I often neglect duties because of Facebook
Note: Measured with a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from ‘‘Strongly Disagree’’ to ‘‘Strongly Agree’’.
