first direct has commissioned a research project involving the addictiveness of social media. This aimed to reveal how some Facebook and Twitter users can suffer severe withdrawal symptoms when forced off their networks.

It focused on an experiment involving 40 people from across the UK. A number of self-confessed Facebook and Twitter addicts suffered a range of withdrawal symptoms after being forced to deactivate their accounts for a month. Many described extreme feelings of isolation because of the reduced contact with friends or family, while others said they were frustrated at losing their key communication tool. Some users lost contact with friends and family because they had no contact details other than a Facebook address. To quote one of the volunteers: "I've felt alone and cut off from the world. My fingers seem to be programmed to seek out the Facebook app every time I pick up my phone."

The enforced abstinence meant social media addicts had to find other ways to spend their time. A woman from Wales said being taken off Facebook had allowed her to focus on household chores, while another volunteer confessed the 'ban' had allowed her to spend more time with her daughter. Twitter addicts found the 'cold turkey' approach easier to cope with than their Facebook counterparts, largely because Twitter is less 'social' in nature and users can find other sources of news and information. Even social media "virgins" - trying out Facebook or Twitter for the first time - confessed to finding the experience addictive, spending several hours a day tweeting or posting updates, and many confirmed their intention to maintain their activity levels after the experiment.

Dr David Giles, an expert in social media psychology and a reader in media psychology at Winchester University, says: "Some people would argue this addiction to social media is eating away at people's lives, but what most of these so-called addicts are doing online is profoundly social. The average internet user today is not the bedroom hermit of the 1990s but a savvy individual with a smartphone who openly manages his or her entire social life and personal relationships online."

Rebecca Dye, social media manager at first direct, says: "The experiment gave us a detailed insight into how and why people use, or don't use, social media, and how their behaviours - and even their personalities - can be affected if they're forced to change their social media habits. We're always looking for ways to improve the overall customer experience and how we engage with customers - both online and offline - and the knowledge we've gained from this study will help us do that."

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