We are all guilty.

Checking our phones, scrolling through Facebook, creeping on an ex’s page...we have all been there, done that--regardless of whether we want to admit it. Social media has altered the way we see the world and the way we live our lives. In fact, younger generations will never know a time without Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat.

So how is all of this affecting us? Is it really as good--or bad--as everyone claims?

Without social media, you would not be able to read these words as I present them--nor would they be relevant. Many bloggers/ internet sensations receive their following through online communities. Social media has also paved the way for intellectual discussions and psychological research. Luckily, social media at least gets people talking. Debating. Questioning.

Facebook, for one, boasts about “staying connected,” a theme it strongly emphasizes. And, society, I think, puts a lot of emphasis on this, too. On not losing touch. On strengthening relationships; on keeping up.

Ah, keeping up. The term “FOMO” had to have come from somewhere.

FOMO, otherwise known as Fear-of-Missing-Out, is a legitimate issue. Especially affecting teenagers, FOMO induces self-esteem issues and feelings of isolation, and the effects are often long-term. This occurs whenever a person, usually unoccupied, sees pictures or statuses about what everyone else is doing. In turn, this person begins to feel left out, ignored, and sometimes worthless.

Like most other people, I have been a victim of FOMO, before I even knew what it was. I just felt left out and behind: further and further behind social media’s constant demands.

I am, when it comes to social media, so unbelievably torn. On one hand, I treasure all the friendships I’ve kept and built by keeping in touch. People who moved away. Friends I had in elementary school but lost contact with, only to communicate again through Facebook or Instagram. Opportunities I’ve received, such as Odyssey, only through the internet. Expanding my mind and perspective on so many issues, all at once. When it comes to social media, the possibilities are truly endless.

Both from a positive and negative standpoint.

I would be mortified to know just how much time I spend online, instead of actually living. Projects and ideas I procrastinated. Times I felt burdened and simply exhausted by everything digital. Situations where I felt a little too upset by someone’s status or unanswered message. My creative muse shunned by distraction, time and time again.

So how do we stop this? How do we alter these patterns of behavior?

I wish I knew the answer; I wish I could reach that balance. While I don’t want to be ignorant or disconnected, I also don’t want to be brain-washed or taken captive by social media.

One solution could be to limit time spent on the sites we know and love. Realistically speaking, checking our profiles has become a psychological habit--an addiction. Don’t think so? Try going 24 hours without any digital communication--I’m sure you will understand, almost immediately. There will be an intense need to see what everyone else is up to; what, exactly, you are missing.

That being said, deactivating your account completely seems unrealistic. If you succeed for more than a week, I applaud you--but the truth is, most of us wouldn’t. Most of us would crumble to our own curiosity. Humans, by nature, love to investigate and ask why; this is no reason to feel ashamed.

Like most things in life, I guess this issue boils down to a test of balance. Balance and will-power. You are allowed to check your notifications, but don’t allow someone’s comment or disinterest ruin your day. You are allowed to see what your friends are doing, but don’t allow this to belittle you. You can post about your experiences and share pictures, but don’t shift your attention away from the experience itself.

After all, there is a world out there.