Romanian PM admits Facebook addiction and need to have latest gadgets, be up to speed

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta welcomes his dependency on Facebook and his need to have the most modern phone, the newest tablet, saying this keeps him up to speed with what is happening. He said all the ministers in his cabinet have his email address and use it and that he is often contacted via text message. "I am addicted to Internet, to Facebook. I often communicate with ministers via email or SMS. It is the Government with the lowest average age in the history of Romania, so many of the ministers are connected this way," wrote the PM on his Facebook page after giving this statement to the journalists.

The PM previously said that if somebody took his tablet and mobile phone it would be very hard for him to do anything. Ponta's love for gadgets and technology could have a positive outcome for Romanian citizens should his proposal to introduce electronic votes for Romanians living abroad become a reality. The PM uses his official Facebook account to share photos of his recent meetings and trips, to comment on timely news, such as congratulating Romanians for their sports victories. Some of the posts on his Facebook page are most likely posted by a social media team, while others have a more personal tone. His official page has raised almost 78,000 likes. On his second account, which appears to be a personal one, with some public updates, the PM sometimes posts pictures from his youth. Facebook, which has become more and more popular in recent years, exceeding 1 billion active users, was found to cause addiction, with many users feeling compelled to check the social media website several times a day. Facebook itself admitted that too much Facebook isn't healthy. A recent study found that about 350 million people are actually suffering from Facebook addiction, which also has a scientific-like name, Facebook Addiction Disorder or FAD. Some studies link Facebook use to unhappiness because it makes users think everyone else is more beautiful, having more fun, or more popular. The fact that a significant percentage of people check Facebook even before they get out of bed is an indication of the social anxieties and pressures that have been created by this new medium, according to Dr. Sreedhar Potarazu. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: gov.ro)