I think we can all agree that social media has definitely grown exponentially in popularity over the last 5-10 years or so, and has changed the way we as human beings tend to communicate with one another. Even so, social media has many positive implications, but there are also many negatives to go along with it just like everything else in this world especially regarding our emotional and mental wellbeing.

Like I said, social media does have many great uses for all us, especially since we are able to stay in contact with people from all around the globe. However, so many of us are known to over-use the internet and social media way beyond what it is intended and that is where all the problems come to play a huge factor in our daily lives.

Since so many of us are on social media platforms, this means that even children are starting to become accustomed to that lifestyle as well, especially if they are given a smartphone to use at an early age. Children who are young as 6 years old are streaming the web and that can cause problems with remaining attentive and focused on daily tasks.

However, I believe more of the problem rests in both adolescents and adults hands since they are the ones who wish to stay in contact with friends and family on a more consistent basis. Spending so much time engrossed in social media can ultimately affect not only our emotional wellbeing but our mental health as well in negative ways that can lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression as a result.

Some even start to develop addictive habits regarding utilizing social media because they become so wrapped up in what other people are doing all of the time that it keeps them from living their own lives. People begin to stare at a screen, whether it is a computer or phone screen, more than staring at the beautiful world around them and embracing real-life as it is happening.

It is a little sad when you truly think about it because why do we really care about what other people are doing so much? Social media acts as an unhealthy distraction for most of us when we are not using it wisely, so maybe now is a time for all of us to become aware of our habits and learn to change them, even if it is just a small difference.

Try limiting the time you are browsing social media every day and see what positive impacts it has on your daily life. You may even become more productive and slowly realize that you do not have to rely on looking at a screen so much.