你是否也患上了點贊依賴症

How many times do you check your Moments or Facebook page in a day to see whether your latest post has got another "like" or "thumbs up"?

你一天會檢查多少次你的朋友圈或臉書，查看你最新發布的狀態是否得到了他人的喜歡或點贊呢?

Although you might be embarrassed to admit how many times you do this, don't worry - psychological findings have shown it's completely normal.

也許你可能會不好意思承認自己刷了多少次，其實不用擔心，心理學家研究證明，這種情況完全正常。

In fact, the pleasure we derive from getting a "like" is equal to that of eating chocolate or winning money, and we can't help wanting more.

其實，當我們得到一個“贊”時感受到的快樂和我們吃巧克力或者贏錢是一樣的，而且我們情不自禁地想要更多。

According to the findings of the UCLA Brain Mapping Center, which observed 32 teens aged between 13 and 18, the feedback circuit in the teens' brains are particularly sensitive, and the "social" and "visual" parts of their brains were activated when they received "likes" on an Instagram-like social network.

根據加利福尼亞大學洛杉磯分校的大腦圖譜中心對32位13到18歲的青少年觀察進行研究，結果表明這些年輕人的大腦反饋迴路都極爲敏感，而且當他們在Instagram這類的社交網站上被點贊時，他們大腦中的社交和視覺部分會活躍起來。

The research also showed that though the thumbs up might come from complete strangers, the good they derive from it worked all the same.

研究還表明，即使點贊來自於完全陌生的人，也能給他們帶來相同的愉悅感。

So, does it mean we should try our best to win as many thumbs up as possible?

那麼，這是否意味着我們要儘可能獲取更多的贊呢?

Not necessarily so if we know the reasons behind our desire for attention.

如果我們知道原因是在於我們渴望被關注，就沒有必要了。

In "Why do people crave attention" by uk Radwan, he explained several cases in which people naturally longed for attention.

在M.法魯克 拉德溫所著的“爲什麼人渴望被關注”中，他解釋了幾種人們生來就渴求關注的情形。

Radwan said people who were an only child, who were used to being the center of attention in their house, may try to replicate these conditions. Feeling "overlooked and unappreciated" might also lead you to crave for attention. Other times, the state of being jealous, or wanting to cover your mistakes may also contribute to such longings.

拉德溫表示，獨生子女們常常是其家庭關注的焦點，所以他們可能會試圖複製這種情形。當感到“被忽視或不被欣賞”時也會試圖獲取他人關注，其他諸如嫉妒，或試圖掩蓋錯誤時也會產生這種渴求。

In fact, too much desire for attention can create anxiety, and in turn ruin your happiness even when you get it.

事實上，太過渴求關注會導致焦慮，甚至會在你得到關注的時候反過來破壞你的幸福感。

So what can we do about it? The answer is quite simple.

那麼，我們該怎麼辦呢?答案非常簡答。

"If people could adopt goals not focused on their own self-esteem but on something larger than their self, such as what they can create or contribute to others, they would be less susceptible to some of the negative effects of pursuing self-esteem," wrote psychology professor Jennifer Crocker in the Journal of Social Issues.

心理學教授詹妮弗克羅克在《社會問題週刊》上寫道，“如果人們能夠不只關注自尊，而是將焦點放在比自身更大的目標上，比如能夠給別人創造或貢獻什麼，那麼他們就能減少自尊心帶來的負面影響。”

Crocker suggests that "it's about having a goal that is bigger than the self."

克羅克建議，“在於有一個大於自身的目標。”

So perhaps the answer to our addiction to "likes" is simply to focus on something larger than ourselves - a tall order, but a worthy one.

所以，若想戒掉我們對於”贊“的上癮，只需關注比我們自身更重要的事情，一些艱難，卻有意義的事。