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I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves up at 10:00 checking our Instagram or watching that latest viral video, when we should probably be sleeping.

While you my not be addicted to social media, there are better more beneficial uses of your valuable time.

95% of teens ages 12 to 17 use the internet, 81% use social media at least 3 hours a day. Studies show that sharing information about our daily activities, achievements, and thoughts via social media releases dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that activates the brain’s reward system. Your brain craves this reward and repeats the action of using social media. Using social media has similar effects to drug usage, eating your favorite food, receiving a paycheck or seeing somebody you like.

Social media is obviously a task that demands your attention. Here’s an example of the way social media can distract you from something as simple as walking. An Australian tourist insisted on checking her Facebook while strolling down the pier at Port Phillip Bay. All of the sudden she fell off the pier into the freezing waters below. She was rescued and taken to the hospital all while holding on to her phone.

Once you get into the habit of using social media daily, you can develop a phenomenon called “FOMO” also know as “Fear of Missing Out”. This causes anxiety when you miss out on an event or update. Studies also show after using social media such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest some people feel uncreative and unintelligent.

Social media often leads to multitasking. This causes the brain to switch between activities simultaneously, reducing productivity levels. Closing Pinterest while doing homework can get a lot of work done.

Now we know what causes social media addiction, what efforts can we make to stop it?Acknowledge that you may be spending a little too much time on social media and revisit the reason you got social media in the first place.Delete unnecessary followers/friends of friends and just step away from your electronics. Find other activities to occupy your free time. Activities like baking, reading, spending time outdoors, and spending time with your friends & family in real life, are better uses of your time.

In conclusion social media is a great way to connect with friends and family, but excessive use can lead to more harm than good.

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SOURCES• http://marketing.wtwhmedia.com/• Harvard study• http://www.wikihow.com/• http://www.digitalinformationworld.com/• http://degreed.com/Academia.edu. Psychological

impact of social networking sites: A psychological theory

• iVillage. 10 (good and bad) ways social media affects your mental health

• Medial News Today. Social media: How does it really affect our mental health and well-being?

• Science Daily. Social networking’s good and bad impact on kids

• Google images• http://www.oddee.com/