Facebook addiction in Nigeria

Are You Suffering from Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD)?

A growing body of research in the area of addiction suggests that Internet Addiction Disorder is becoming a real problem, it is a psycho-physiological disorder involving tolerance; withdrawal symptoms; affective disturbances; and interruption of social relationships. The most common one is Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD).
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To be diagnosed as having Facebook Addiction Disorder, a person must meet certain criteria. At least 2 or 3 of the following 6 criteria must be present at any time during a 6-8 months period:

1/. The first thing is tolerance. This refers to the need for increasing amounts of time on Facebook to achieve satisfaction and/or significantly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of time. They often have multiple Facebook windows opened at any one time. 3 is usually a sign and over 5 you're helpless.

2/. After reduction of Facebook use or cessation, it causes distress or impairs social, personal or occupational functioning such as wondering why your Vista is so fast and improved etc. These include anxiety; obsessive thinking about what is written on your wall on Facebook etc.

3/. Important social or recreational activities are greatly reduced and or migrated to Facebook. Instead of sending an email you post a message on your friend’s page about canceling a lunch appointment. You now stop answering your phone call from your Mom and insist she should contact you through Facebook chat.

4/ This is getting serious if you start kissing your girlfriend's home page or a VRML virtual walk through a park is your idea of a date.

5/ Your bookmark takes 20 minutes just to scroll from top to bottom or 8 of 10 people in your friend's list you have no idea of who they are.

6/ When you meet people you start introducing yourself by following "see you in Facebook" or your dog has its own Facebook profile. You invite anyone you've met and any notifications, messages and invites reward you with an unpredictable high, much like gambling.

As we spend more and more time online no questions it can be addictive. Some say that there is no such thing as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). I am not sure we have any answer for that yet. I am sure the pharma companies will be quick to say that there is medication solution out there with psychoactive drugs.

So how many kinds of disorders are out there? Are they really disorders of just the pharma companies want us to believe there are. Here is my list and don't count that they will make it to the medical dictionary. Maybe a start-up can come up with an idea to help solving this problem.

* Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD)
* Youtube Addiction Disorder (YAD)
* Google Search Addiction Disorder (GSAD)
* Widget Addiction Disorder (WAD)
* Twitter Addiction Disorder (TAD)
* Blackberry Addiction Disorder (BAD)

I did not include the Mac Addiction Disorder (MAD) as there is no cure for this. I have many friends who are suffering from this and there's no sign that they are getting out. When we walk into an Apple store we realize that there’s nothing else for us to buy. That’s the first sign of MAD and I know many people suffer from this one without knowing it. The only cure is keep buying the next Mac products, whatever it is. Is addiction a problem or information overload is the bigger problem? Between blogs, RSS feeds, Twitter, Facebook, MSN, LinkedIn, Digg, and whatever next new social networking apps, we can keep ourselves busy 24 by 7. There is still much hand-wringing and second-guessing among those who spend a lot of their lives online both at work and at home as to whether their online activities is any addiction problem. When telephone was available for the mass for the first time, a lot of people started spending a lot of time on the phone, was that an addiction problem? Is iPod an addiction? There are people in my office listening to their iPods while at work and my teenager sons pretty much using their iPods 24 hrs, they listen to it even when they go to bed. Is that also addiction? Or it is just a fetish?

Call it Facebook addiction or fetish, I see this as progress of enlightenment for the modern life. Our modern culture is unconsciously penetrated by the information (useful and useless) and we are all struggling with it. Social networks collapse the difference between culture and practical life and our culture is codified and distributed through the Internet. As a result the ‘culture’ industry is now being expanded beyond fashion, music and magazines.

Much of this information that we’re exposed to on the Internet does not at all ‘signify’ true information or freedom from deception but it has reduced significantly the impact of any mass deception. The people's need to connect, along with the growth of social connectivity, would raise the quality of the social whole to a new and higher level.The organic composition of our social networks is growing. That determines networks as means of finding self-identities and not only as resources. Addiction may not be such a bad thing after all.

Pete Edochie kidnapped in Anambra state

A Popular Nigerian actor, Chief Pete Edochie has been reportedly kidnapped at Nkpor, a suburb in the commercial town of Onitsha.

Details were still foggy at press time, although the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka confirmed the development when Vanguard called him. He however, said that the state police command was still trying to get a clearer picture of the situation.

Vanguard gathered that shortly after the kidnap, somebody called his sister in-law, Mrs. Rita Edochie, who is also an actress, asking her to call her Edochie’s number, adding that the number rang several times, but was not answered..

It was then that the family got the information that three people were allegedly shot during the scuffle to kidnap him before the kidnappers were able to take him away.

State Police Commissioner, Mr. Uzor Amankulor said in a telephone interview that he immediately relocated to the area with a view to rescuing the popular actor, adding that he and his men have started combing the bushes in the area to rescue him.

Pete Edochie, a devout Catholic, is considered one of Africa’s most talented actors, by both Movie Awards and Movie Magic’s Africa Magic Cable network.

Although a seasoned administrator and broadcaster, he came into prominence in the 1980s when he played the lead role of Okonkwo in an NTA adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s all time best selling novel, Things Fall Apart.

Edochie descends from the Igbo people in Nigeria.

He has two sons that take to his acting traits; Linc and Yul Edochie.

Edochie got into radio broadcasting in 1967 as a junior programmes assistant after which he was elevated to the level of a Director.

He was director of programmes, but doubling sometimes as Deputy Managing Director and occasionally acting as Managing Director.

He quit ABS because the government decided to politicise the affairs of their FM station, thereby resulting in the entire management being asked to move out, including him. He was to be the immediate successor to the MD but had to leave and enrol into the movie industry.

Prior to that, he had featured in Things Fall Apart and had won an International Award. The BBC flew into Nigeria to interview him for his role in Things Fall Apart .He lived with his wife and two sons in Enugu, Enugu State in south-eastern Nigeria.

In 2005 the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria placed Pete Edochie and several other actors, including Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Nkem Owoh, Ramsey Noah, Stella Damasus Aboderin,Chinwe Okeke and Richard Mofe Damijo on a one year ban from filming after they were said to have been collecting huge fees from producers due to their A-list celebrity status.

The ban placed on these actors was seen as doom in the Nigerian film business, but currently, the actors are back in filming.

Mobil National Undergraduate Scholarship Awards 2009/2010

As part of its support to educational development and human capacity building, Mobil Producing Nigeria, operator of NNPC/MPN Joint Venture awards annual scholarships to qualified students in Nigerian Universities.

Applications for NNPC/MPN Undergraduate National Scholarship Awards are based on the following criteria:

GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE

Awards will be made to qualified and suitable students from every state of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

DISCIPLINES

Applications in the following list of approved disciplines will be considered:

1. Petroleum Engineering

2. Chemical Engineering

3. Mechanical Engineering

4. Electrical/Electronics Engineering

5. Civil Engineering

6. Geology/Geophysics

7. Medicine (MBBS Only)

8. Agricultural Science (And related fields)

ELIGIBILITY

1. Candidates must be holders of the SSCE or its equivalent with at least six subjects passed at a sitting with a minimum of 5 Distinctions.
2. Applicants must be registered full-time undergraduates in their 1st or 2nd year of study in any Nigerian University.
3. Students who are currently on similar scholarship awards from other oil and gas companies need not apply.
4. Dependants of employees of Mobil Producing Nigeria, Mobil Oil Nigeria plc and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited are not eligible for this scholarship.

METHOD OF APPLICATION
Visit www.mpn-esssoscholarships.com
Applications not received within 2 weeks of Advertisement will not be accepted.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to come with the original and a photocopy of the following documents for screening prior to taking the qualifying Test:

1. Evidence of SSCE result or its equivalent
2. Evidence of admission into a Nigerian University.
3. Evidence of current year of study
4. Current University Identity Card.
5. Current Passport Photographs.
6. Evidence of State of Origin obtained from the appropriate Local Government Area and duly signed by the Chairman or Secretary.

Names of short-listed candidates for the qualifying Test will be published on this website and in National Dailies.