Social Media: The silent killer?

Imagine this, you're 18, at a gathering to celebrate a friends birthday and no one has their phone out! Can you believe it?!

Not that long ago this was the norm before the rise in social media started to implement itself into the daily routine of adolescents and young adults. I say this population mainly because those who are older are not as invested in social media since it was not present when they were growing up.

Now I'm not saying social media and phones are the devil, heaven knows I'm on mine quiet a bit, however there have been studies conducted showing the adverse effects being on your phone has to your mental health. There has been connections made between scrolling through apps such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snap-chat with higher depressive episodes and bad body image which to me is a scary, yet relevant finding.

The human mind doesn't fully stop growing until well into your 20's and by exposing our brain to such harsh content, there's no wonder many young adolescents are developing disorders usually associated with populations later in life.

How can we have the good affects of technology while also limiting ourselves to the underlying problems with it?

Well I think it's a simpler solution than to go on an all out tech band.

1) For me I'd start with limiting the amount of time spent on your phone during the day. Instead of going on it first thing in the morning, try going for a walk, or completing your morning routine before you even peek at the phone.

2) Delete any unnecessary apps, un-follow the accounts you are comparing yourself to, and try to limit the amount of exposure to negative people or internet "trolls"

3) If you have children, they do not need a phone....period. Until there has been an extreme need for a child to have a phone into being a teenager, I believe they do not require a phone at that age and giving them one is essentially exposing them to these potential mental health disorders.

4) Social media is great for connecting and getting out a positive message and should be used with your discretion

Your life can be a whole lot different if you use social media in a smart, effective way.