Social media has become embedded in every aspect of our lives, including the workplace. I would even go as far as to say working without social media seems impractical. Why wouldn't you take advantage of it if it could potentially aid in the advancement of your career? There are no doubt some disadvantages to allowing social media access during work hours. It seems, however, the benefits of social media use at work outweigh any of the negatives, according to the results of a recent Pew Research Center study.

Check out these five uses of social media in the workplace and determine for yourself if they can help advance your career.

1. Take a mental break from work

While it might appear as procrastination to your boss, taking mental breaks throughout your work day is important. If you continuously burn yourself out day after day, your job performance will never reach its full potential. Breaking up your day with social media breaks can refresh your mind and inspire new approaches to old problems.

2. Connect with friends and family at work

Who better to brag to about your company's successes than your family and friends? And they are more than willing to share your successes with their social media friends as well.

3. Networking

Networking is everything these days. Hook-up with your co-workers and employers on LinkedIn. They can endorse you, introduce you to their connections, lead you to new job opportunities — you name it.

4. Get information that helps solve problems at work

If you're trying to appeal to the general public, why not ask their opinion? I got this article idea by asking my Facebook friends for article topics. Ask and you shall receive.

5. Build or strengthen personal relationships with coworkers

If being an Editor-in-Chief for Odyssey has taught me anything, it's that the culture of your workplace is KEY. Being comfortable with your co-workers makes sharing ideas less threatening. Add them on Facebook and Instagram. Find out what they like to do and bond over similar interests. You never know how many great ideas can arise from a positive work place.

Now these probably aren't the only benefits of using social media in the workplace, but even trying these five uses can make a difference in your success. What's missing from the Pew Research Center's survey that I think is important to know is which job fields are encouraging social media use during work hours and how it has affected the success of the employees and companies.

Social media is more than the future — it's the present. It's time to jump onboard before you fall behind.