Technology is becoming more advanced every day. Having technology is great and definitely useful, but is there a stopping point? With all these new phones, computers, and televisions coming out, it’s getting hard to keep up with. And on top of all those, we have all of these new apps. Social media, games, and anything else you could possibly want at your fingertips. You might think that these are made for us, and our enjoyment, but are they?

Lets begin with social media. Around 40% of the world’s population uses social media. Whether you know it or not, social media is constantly used to compare ourselves to others. Everyone on social media pretends to be perfect and tries to brag about how exciting their lives are. This causes people to question if their own lives are interesting enough, which is proven to lead to depression, anxiety, stress, and mood changes. We think that these apps were created to help us connect with friends, but in reality, the goal of these apps is to make money. The more time you spend on the app, the more money the app’s creators make. Coincidentally, they are continually adding new features for that exact purpose. Don’t believe me? Instagram and Snapchat stories, explore pages, Instagram’s new IGTV, to give just a few examples. Snapchat even has streaks, which cause you to get on the app first thing in the morning, and right before bed at night. These updates cause us to get trapped in the app and forget about any other responsibilities. Instead of worrying about how many likes we have, or how many followers, or the number of comments on your new selfie, try putting down your phone. You might find your self-confidence coming back, or maybe you will be in a better mood or have more time to get what you need to be done.

Next, we have video games. Video games have advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start with the good news. First, these games allow kids and teenagers to practice social skills while they work with fellow players to complete the game’s objective. It can improve decision making speed and spark interest in new ideas or subjects to explore. I think most gamers enjoy playing games because of the satisfaction of winning. For example, I see Fortnite wins posted all over social media, and generally, everyone likes winning. However, when we don’t win, we tend to get upset, and this is where the disadvantages come in. Video games tend to cause stress, limit academic progress, and even though they can help social skills, they have the potential to ruin social connections. As these games take over your life, you have no desire to hang out with friends in person, do chores, do homework, or spend time with your family. Keep in mind, not everything is free. The Xbox One costs around $300, plus all the games, gift cards, headsets, electric bills, and anything else extra you might need to purchase. It all adds up. Basically, you’re paying all this money for you or your child to experience the downsides. Ask yourself, is it worth it?

Phones are simply distractions. People can’t even drive without having to use them! In my opinion, we are bringing this on ourselves. We choose to download social media, check our phones while driving, play video games, even though we are aware of these consequences – and it will probably only get worse.