You are worried. Is this addiction going to come between the two of you? Should you be looking for an accountability group? Why can’t she stop doing this? Please put down that IPAD and look at me!

Sounds like someone tying to kick a drinking habit doesn’t it? Well it’s not. These are the thoughts of a person fed up with someone who constantly checks social media. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that people had more problems resisting social media that a drink or a cigarette!

In fact, researchers  found that kicking the social media habit for a day brought on on withdrawal symptoms!

And we know from studies on eating that resisting a craving frequently results in giving in to it! Willpower eventually wears down and you find yourself diving into the cupcakes you tried to resist.

However, if you can temporarily resist the urge to eat, you may eat less and be satisfied with less.

So what is a person to do when the pull of social media constantly calls you name and login?

If the food studies hold true to social media, temporarily resisting may result in fewer social media checks. Maybe this is a step towards putting down that Blackberry and paying attention to the person next to you.

For the sake of all our relationships, let’s practice a little restraint. The next time you are having a conversation with a friend and that familiar tone rings to tell you that you have an update, temporarily resist checking. Look at the person you are having real conversation with and smile. Tell yourself, you can wait and enjoy the moment.