Technology is an amazing thing. The constant connection we have to one another is incredible and allows us to communicate even when we can't physically be with one another. Social media not only gives us a look into the lives of those we love and miss but also gives us the chance to express ourselves in ways we feel we can't in the real world. And hey, writing and editing for Odyssey, a good part of my life is on social media. It's a wonderful innovation that makes life and communication easier. But that's not to say it doesn't have its major downsides.

Of course, technology itself isn't the problem. It's the way we use (and sometimes abuse) it. It's determining our self-worth based on how our posts and profiles are interacted with online. It's sitting in a circle with friends and instead of talking, scrolling through our own individual feeds and timelines. It's looking at posts of other peoples' lives and comparing them to our own. It's absorbing the feelings and reactions of other people from a simple click and failing to separate our lives from the lives of people that quite frankly, we only care about when we're watching their stories or statuses.

And the research reflects this connection-fueled disconnection. A 2016 study showed that those who use the greatest number of social media platforms (seven to 11) had more than three times the risk of depression and anxiety than people who used the least number of platforms (zero to two). Anecdotal evidence in your own lives alone can back up this idea that we're starting to cross the line of how helpful we're allowing this technology to become.

So what do we do? Throw our phones in the ocean and live in the woods? While recently that idea has been tempting me a little bit too much, it's not the answer. We are living in a world that's very fabric is intertwined with that of technology and social media. And that's fine. It does a lot of good. But we need to reevaluate our limits.

One development that's helping in this effort is the introduction of screen time and app limits on Apple's latest operating system. With these features, not only can you look at daily insights that tell you how much time you've spent on each app (including the number of notifications you receive and the number of times you pick up your phone), but you can also set limits on how much time you spend on each app throughout the day.

For example, if you set your social networking limit for an hour a day, once you hit that hour, a screen will pop up when you open the app telling that you've hit your limit. From there, you can choose to ignore your limit, ask for a reminder in 15 minutes, or exit the app. The hour resets every day at midnight.

I've been using the app limits for about a week now and honestly, it's been a really helpful experience. The thing that I find most valuable is the reminder. Sometimes when I'm sitting there watching TV and a commercial comes on, I'll just mindlessly click Snapchat or Instagram and start scrolling and clicking.

While I'm not doing anything that requires my attention, I also don't need to constantly be seeing other people's online lives and updates, and it affects me more than I realize. When the screen pops up telling me I've hit my limit, it's a reminder to put the phone down and take a break from social media.

We all make resolutions and goals, January 1st or not. I'm sure an increasingly common one is to spend less time on our phones and social media. These new features for iPhones make it easier than ever to hold yourself to this commitment and stay more present instead of sacrificing flesh and blood connection for WiFi connection.