Is Your Social Networking Feed an Addiction?

Over at Live Science "A new study found that the brains of people who report compulsive urges to use social networking sites show some brain patterns similar to those found in drug addicts." Yikes, that's saying something.

One of the problems seems to be that we all love the positive reinforcement we get from social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Tumblr. Another may be that most people don't see social networking as a harmful addiction. After all it's not like huffing cocaine or mainlining heroin.

But are our beliefs true? There's no harm? What about body image? Seriously, who posts a picture when they look like something a dog just vomited on the floor? We see fabulous pics of our fabulous looking friends doing fabulous things. How does that affect our self-image? And what about being left out when your friends post party pics? There's even an an acronym for that--FOMO (fear of missing out) leaving one feeling depressed and alone.

Here's how researchers measured social networking addiction:
The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the participants' brains while they looked at a series of computer images — some Facebook logos, and others of neutral traffic signs. The students were told to either press or not press a button in response to each image.
The higher people scored on the Facebook addiction survey, the more likely they were to quickly hit the button when viewing Facebook images compared to neutral images. Similarly, the participants were more likely to mistakenly press the button when they saw a Facebook logo versus a neutral traffic sign. Essentially, the Facebook cues were much more potent triggers in people's brains than the traffic signs.
That means that, if you're driving on a street next to someone who has a compulsive relationship with Facebook, they are "going to respond faster to beeps from their cellphone than to street signs," one researched told Live Science. "That's the power of Facebook."
Sheesh, no wonder there are so many car wrecks. Are you hooked? Do you have to respond to those not-so-subtle dings that announce a post to your feed of choice? Can you avoid responding? Any advice for those that are hooked?

Not as bad as cocaine? Tell that to the person hospitalized by a texter on the freeway.

Comments

  1. Hi, I am Maung Thaw Htet (yx5489) from English 3850-01.
    I agreed that many people need to control their visits to social media websites. Although I have hard time comparing them to drugs, I believed that the need of attention from other people may contribute to this phenomenon. As a result, they gain stimulus when they checked them in social media.

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  2. I completely agree with this, social networking has become a huge part of our culture in our society. sites like facebook, twitter, and instagram have become so addicting to the younger generations. saying that these sites aren't addicting is ridiculous because for most of us its the first thing we check in the morning, and thought the day we find ourselves checking it sometimes over 20 times a day! I think we have become addicted to these sights because of the stimulus that we get from the likes and comments on our posts.

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  3. I find that social media in today's society is in fact an addiction, but comparing tweeting to tweaking seems outlandish. Walking into a room of young adults,often more than half of them appear to be praying as their heads are bowed, scrolling on their phone screen. In this sense, society has become reliant on social media and texting for social interaction and it has become an aspect of everyday life. From this, it is clear that society as a whole has become "addicted" to the use of social media. However, this addiction is hardly comparable to true drug addiction. While the brain may process in a similar manner with the two behaviors, drug addiction is a far more serious problem than checking Instagram one too many times a day. Even though being involved in one's phone may lead to dangerous choices, such as texting and driving, it is hardly as harmful as a cracked out meth addict with aggressive tendencies. Overall, phone reliance is a problem in today's society, but it has yet to progress to the level of intense drug use.

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  4. Social networking is an addiction. Most people, myself included, wake up to our notifications like it's the morning paper. I am most likely to respond to a tweet I was mentioned in, then to a text. Parents always complain that we spend too much time on our phones, however if you get them a smartphone, and create a facebook account for them, they would do they same exact thing. I've witnessed it, in both my parents. How funny that I can scream out for my dad, and he won't hear me, but he can hear his phone ding from his bedroom to the living room. I have also seen people crossing the street from the dorms to campus, and hear their phone ring, but won't hear the cars honking at them. Social networking is done so often that it's seen as harmless, that is until the other person realizes how much they neglect because they are always on their phones. We miss out on so much, and don't even realize it. Most don't even think it's a problem, it's one of our biggest!

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  5. I also agree that many people have an addiction to social media websites. I've seen people who are perpetually on their phones, using the internet to go onto Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, and so on all the time. Because such websites are literally at the fingertips of today's generation, it's easy to get distracted and even easier to lose yourself for hours surfing the posts of social media websites. Humans seem to be social creatures by nature and they become obsessed with everything that mentions them - or that is supposed to. I know someone who posts something on her wall about every little thing she does because she wants someone to respond, some sort of acknowledgment and feedback. Social networks are a kind of addiction that can be also be life threatening when driving, although I don't think that it is as bad as cocaine. People, however, still shouldn't look at their phones while driving.

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  6. Although I do not personally use social media to the point of addiction, I do know people who do and it is an addiction. These people can't seem to go five whole minutes without their phones buzzing and them rushing to them. Many know that they are addicted but seem to classify it as a harmless addiction (as if there is such a thing). They simply see it as a way to always feel connected whether it is a truly worthy connection or not. These people with their "harmless" addictions to social media probably don't know anyone who got into a car accident as a result of taking a I'm-driving-home-selfie for Facebook.

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  7. Back in high school I was addicted to social media. I wasn't stupid enough to be checking my phone while driving or anything like that, but I would occasionally check my phone in the middle of class. It was really difficult to break the habit, but around the middle of senior year I managed to cut down my time on social media to about 1 hour to 1 hour and a half a day and I'm hoping to keep it that way.
    The only thing I can say to people who are still addicted is to start doing simple things like turning off the notifications for those apps. Another option would be to keep the phone screen facing down and have the sound and vibration turned off. Or simply find something else to occupy your time with and distract you.

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  8. I do occasionally check my Facebook feeds a few times a day, however, I don’t consider myself to have an addiction to Social Media. Some of us used FB as a way of communication between family and friend that is on the other side of the world, or a portfolio for work. It’s not a need that we check FB when there is a notification that is posted on the feed of our choice, but we check just in case of subtle event that needs us to be there or to reply. With everything happening around the world and FB is one of the fastest news feed to area around us, we want to check to make sure people around us are safe. Yes, I can avoid responding for news feed. However, I choose to quickly responding or check my feeds for subtle event that might affect the people around me. My advice to those that are hooked that might affect the environment around them badly likely during driving mention in the article, it’s to be caution of when, where and reason you used social media. Social media can be a big impact tool in positive and negative way.

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  9. Social media is an extremely present thing right now. Since a huge amount of people have access to their social pages through their smartphones it has made it easy to get hooked on constantly checking what's new on your down time. What seems to get people addicted to social media is it's accessibility and with that easy access comes a lot of information. Information on people you admire, love, dislike and people who are just intriguing that you don't personally know which is really fasinating. A lot of the younger crowd gets scolded for looking at our phones in the presence of company since it's seen as rude, but really a lot of people take boring or situations that they aren't fully invested in as cues to look at their phone and check Facebook. It is a dangerous thing and maybe we should value other ways to communicate and stay up to date. Always having access to information kind of dulls it's value, so put down the phone.

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  10. Social media has definitely become an addiction for the younger generations. If you don’t have an instagram profile and you’re under the age of 30 you’re an anomaly. I am one of the few that has turned away from instagram and the constant updates. People usually don’t post about their challenges and they make their lives seem unrealistically perfect. Almost every post has a certain level of brag worthiness, meaning that they are posted with the intention of making others envious. I personally cannot stand these sites because of those reasons. It pains me to see people at concerts holding up their cell phones to record the show, people taking pictures of their food before they eat it, and people walking into inanimate objects because of their phones. I am an advocate for experiencing life without your phone. I challenge anyone hooked on social media to go to a concert without their phones and observe how ridiculous everyone else looks holding their phones above their heads.

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  11. I agree that people are constantly on their phones nowadays. I'm not sure if I am hooked on social media or not because I find that I don't feel the need to always respond or refresh a feed, but there are times where I'm bored and I go on social media. Often times, I forget to answer my text messages. I would suggest that a person who is hooked on their phone or social media should go a week without social media to prove to themselves that they really don't need it. People feel like they are missing out on the fun because they are too attached to their phones and social media. They might notice that they can actually focus on the people they are with and enjoy themselves if they would just put the phone down. I agree that some may use social media for the attention and a boost in self esteem, but I think that people could find things about themselves they could be proud of without social media, too. Some people think that their value is measured by the number of likes they get on a post, but I do not believe that is a measurement of one's value.
    It's quite scary to know that people respond better to Facebook signals instead of traffic signals. I think that everyone should avoid using their phone while they're driving. Using a phone while driving isn't any safer than drunk driving, in my opinion. I would never want to hear that someone I care about got into an accident because of texting while driving.

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  12. Our generation arguably seems to be gravely addicted to social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It really is true that the most addicting concept about it is the positive feedback you get from people when you post only the things you want them to see. I would say that I am fairly addicted to these social networks that I have to constantly check my feed. Even when it's not important, I find myself closing and reopening the same social media over and over again. However I do know that there is a time and place for being on social networks. The classroom, library, and behind the wheel are definitely some places where I avoid being on my phone at all cost. Most people just text when they're driving without considering any of the consequences that they can face or the danger that they can cause. People just have to realize it is not that serious and it is not that important for you to distract yourself from what's going on around you. Sometimes you just have to take your time to turn your phone on "Night Mode" so it won't notify you of anything, and put your phone down so it does not keep distracting you. One thing we can also do is to tell our friends not to text and drive when they try to do it! It's up to us to make a change and to set an example for others and for the next generation to follow.

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  13. Social networking has, somewhat, become an essential in today's world. Nearly all of us have some type of social media account. The addiction levels, however, vary from person to person. I would definitely say the younger generations are quickly becoming more and more addicted, but as the older generation, the addictions vary. The younger generation has practically grown into this social networking generation, so can we really blame them? With everyone's favorite celebrities and idols just a click away, social networking becomes an addiction. We begin to want to know what everyone is doing, what they are wearing, what the new and hottest trends are, we want to envelope ourselves in everything we want to be. This is how the addiction gets worse and worse. As for the older generations, they are allowed to reconnect with old friends, and it is a new way to keep in touch with everyone from around the world. I wouldnt go as far to say social networking addictions are like a drug addictions (although i do see the comparison since for some people social networking provides great joy), because they are two different wants/needs. Drugs provide a sense of euphoria while social media keeps us linked to everyone around us. We shouldnt blame people for feeding their desire to be linked in to social media because for some of us, it is essential. Social media provides great advertisement for all over the world, you become linked to the whole world on your little screen. Social networking also provides us with happiness, which we like, by providing a sense of confidence. As the blog mentioned, we are allowed to see all the "fabulous" things everyone is doing, and everyone is allowed to see all the "fabulous" things we are doing.The addiction can become a problem though. As we see laws like no texting or talking on the phone while driving, these laws keep us away from the addiction. Afterall, it is an addiction, right?

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  14. The study that was established regarding people who overuse Facebook having a link to symptoms of that within drug addicts is quit overwhelming to think about. That means that they can't go a day yet hours nor minutes without being on social media. I think the fact of people constantly being on social media is ridiculous because yeah I can see the fact of knowing what's going on around you and the world is important, but at the same time you have to take a second and realize what your priorities are in life. And you have to take a step back and be more productive in what you do because looking at social media will not do any justice for yourself. It will only lead you to feeling more so addicted to it and leave the things that matter the most behind and neglected.

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  15. I totally agree that social networking is an addiction that makes people wanna check their phone or laptop the first thing they do in the morning. Other people priority changed because of social networking. Yes, its the new addiction of a new generation. I am sure that social networking killed many peoples ambitions and motivation. However, i don't think social networking is there with the drugs zone. The only similarity between them is the excessive use of both. All in all, social media is becoming dangerous and a priority changer for some people of this generation. But i would still call it addiction.

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  16. Facebook or other Social Networking Sites such as Instagram are a must have tool for my generation. I have to admit that I am the one of many people who is hooked to Instagram. As soon as I found out that my favorite celebrities were on the Instagram I made my account and in 2 years I have never gone a day without checking my Instagram. I used to feel guilty before because I was on Instagram at least 4 hours a day. However after I got annoyed by my friend checking her phone the entire time while we had dinner together, I noticed that that was exactly what I did to my friends while I was hanging out with them. I thought how ridiculous I was and I now spend less time on Instagram. My advice for people who are addicted to SSN is to turn off the phone while you spending time with your family and friends and also when you are in class or at event. For the reasons that first of all it is rude and secondly of all you are missing out on a lot of precious moments happening right in front of you. Living in the moment is much more valuable than watching it though your cell phone screen.

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  17. in the world, everything has two sides: bad and good. I believe the original purpose of social networking is positive such as open people's minds an d make more friends, but with the development of Internet the negative of social networking has been more and more obvious. the bad effects appear in the young more than in the old. I agree that social networking like cocaine is addictive easily. I saw a young girl who could't leave her ipad more than one meter no matter eating or sleeping. when she eats, she takes pics and post; when weather change, she posts pictures. she post everyday life in the social networking. the first thing after waking up is opening ipad and read messages. social networking takes over her most time and energy and she loses any interest in others, which is similarity of addicted to drug. social networking is a kind of communication tool rather than main part of life, we need control the frequency of use then make social networking producing the best positive functions.

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  18. in the world, everything has two sides: bad and good. I believe the original purpose of social networking is positive such as open people's minds an d make more friends, but with the development of Internet the negative of social networking has been more and more obvious. the bad effects appear in the young more than in the old. I agree that social networking like cocaine is addictive easily. I saw a young girl who could't leave her ipad more than one meter no matter eating or sleeping. when she eats, she takes pics and post; when weather change, she posts pictures. she post everyday life in the social networking. the first thing after waking up is opening ipad and read messages. social networking takes over her most time and energy and she loses any interest in others, which is similarity of addicted to drug. social networking is a kind of communication tool rather than main part of life, we need control the frequency of use then make social networking producing the best positive functions.

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  19. I personally do have social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram) but I do not let it take up my time. I am very good at avoiding it because it never really crosses my mind when I am doing something. It may be a distraction to others because it is so easy to access it on smart phones now a days, but I usually won't use the apps until it is the end of the day and I am about to go to bed. Something I would suggest to those who are addicted would be to turn off the notifications, delete the app when doing something important, then reinstall it after on your free time, or just set a time aside during your free time where you just go through social media.

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  20. I feel that I am not addicted to social media. I haven't met a person who is addicted as much as to compare it to a drug addiction. That's crazy! But I do get happy when I get a notification and yes I try to respond fast. But only to important stuff, but I do look to see what it is. That would probably fall into the same lines.. but I could avoid social media for a long period of time. Or at lease try to avoid it by deleting all my social media apps off my phone. That made me not want to check it as much and I would only get on through my laptop. That would be a great thing for people who are addicted to try to break the habit. To deleted the apps off your phones because i'm sure you are not going to drive while on your laptop..and when the apps are off your phone it will stop you from being on your phone. Most peoples lives are based off their phones mostly because of social media. That's just my thoughts..

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  21. Back then, my addiction to social networking sites were really bad. I really felt like I needed these social networking to keep me sane. I had Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I would be on social media sites all day; every minute and hour of the day. Whenever I was in class and even the places you would never imagine, I was on it. I was updating my status on Facebook like every 30 minutes. Every time I felt some type of emotion, I would update my Twitter. I would also post stupid pictures or selfies on my Instagram like every day. It was just so easy to have your phone 24/7 wherever you go. When I read this article, I couldn't help but agree with what its saying. It made me think about how I was acting before. I honestly never thought that social networking would be an "harmful addiction" till reading this article. Social networking is good but you need to maybe lessen on how many you have and pay attention the real world.

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  22. In my opinion dependence arises from the excessive feelings of satisfaction, rewards that our brain tends to feel more and more. In social networks such "rewards" are presented, as they say, in an assortment of "likes" to update notifications content. And while we do not know when and how to update this happens, when and who put the "Like" and such uncertainty in anticipation of receiving the award and the strongest way forms a habit to repeat some action from which are also very difficult to get rid of then

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  23. In my opinion dependence arises from the excessive feelings of satisfaction, rewards that our brain tends to feel more and more. In social networks such "rewards" are presented, as they say, in an assortment of "likes" to update notifications content. And while we do not know when and how to update this happens, when and who put the "Like" and such uncertainty in anticipation of receiving the award and the strongest way forms a habit to repeat some action from which are also very difficult to get rid of then

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  24. In my opinion, you cannot be addicted to Social Media. Social Media is only there to occupy your time when you get bored. You can become obsessed with it checking it all the time. You want everyone to see what you are doing all the time , so you constantly update your status. I think social media has cause people to act like something their not. In this generation many of the people today rely on it to keep up on the latest news.

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  25. I do not think social networking is an addiction. I check my Facebook, snapchat, and instagram several times a day but it is not because I have an addiction. The reason behind my checking on social networking is I am bored throughout the day. I do not agree with the article that is telling me I am addicted to social networking. I am addicted to drugs because I am addicted to social networking. Drugs and social networking are not the same thing. It is difficult to get rid of social networking; if one starts to get old, a new one pops out. There was yearbook, then myspace, facebook, twitter, instagram, and snapchat. Many more will come throughout the years.

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  26. I believe that social media is like a drug addiction, you can't stop from being on it. Ninety percent of the people now a days have phones and happen to be on their phones 24/7. All they care about is what they are going to post and how can they post something better that will get a lot of likes. I have been without a phone for a week and let me just tell you that I felt extremely left out. I was going insane the first two days, but after that I got used to it. I do agree how social media takes over everything today, it's all about social media. You can meet your significant other online, take classes online, pay your bills and many more things. It's crazy how you can do everything online even work! But the worse part is that people really revolve their world around social media. Humans are becoming more and more lazy each day.

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  27. Social media is most definitely an addiction. It's the easiest way to get some kind of interaction with the people around you and the people around the world. No matter when you go onto a social media site,you can see new things that everyone is doing and it's addicting. You constantly want to see what others are doing. It's easy for social media to take over your life and make it part of your daily routine. While my active posting on social media has greatly declined over the years, i still check it several times day to see what others are doing. While i don't use social media at important times such as class and driving, it is still a part of my daily routine and i don't see it going away anytime soon.

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  28. Social networking sites have become incredibly popular not just for younger people, but for older people as well. I have aunts, uncles, and even my parents are very much into Facebook or Instagram. I myself will admit that there were times when I would be scrolling through my Instagram feed for hours. I definitely agree that social network sites serve as positive reinforcements. Likes and comments can make someone feel good about themselves. Social networking has become so important that people feel the need to share every event that happens to them. It's become a mindset of, "If you didn't post it, then did it really happen?" A way that I have dealt with using social media less is by going to my phone's settings and turning notifications off for a specific app, like Instagram. I no longer see the constant reminder of a like or comment, which would usually lead to me opening the app.

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  29. After reading this post, I think it is very possible to have a social networking addiction. The report showed some similarities between a drug addict’s brain and a person who uses social network too much. I think that’s crazy how a simple website that can connect you with your friends can have you engaged for hours and pay attention to the site more than what’s going on in reality. There have been times where I stay on Facebook for a long time doing nothing but scrolling down my timeline. It was a great thing to do if you wanted to pass time. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m an addict because
    I don’t check my Facebook every day. However, my phone does go off a lot from other social networking sites like Instagram. I would say I’m addicted to that because I check Instagram every day. It’s bad to think that when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is check my phone. I want to make sure I didn’t miss out on anything. When I saw that the survey responses about people who are quick to respond to their phone rather than pay attention to the street signs, I started to worry about my generation. There are a lot of accidents that could have been avoided if people were to silence or not answer their phones while they are driving. For those who are hooked out there, I want them to try and put their phone away somewhere and don’t touch it for a whole day. They should know whether or not they can have a productive, possibly fun, day without their phones.

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  30. I agree with this post saying that social media is very addicting. Social media is today's generation like if it was attending school. People are on it daily and every minute they can. I personally know that I am addicted to social media because usually right before going to bed or right when I wake up I go on my phone to check if my friends and family have posted anything up new that I hadn't checked. I would refresh my page at least every couple of minutes or whenever I had the chances. I can be on Instagram and not like a picture or I can take 20 years to respond to a message but I like seeing what other people post or write on their status. I currently try to be off social media but it tough because I can be sitting down and not doing anything and have my phone close by and I just get my phone and start seeing what my friends have posted. I rarely post pictures or update my status but one thing for sure is I can be on snap chat all day. I never knew or thought of social media as an addition reading this post made me agree with it because it is true, we don't know how harmful it can be. There are some people that cannot be without their phone for at least 5 minutes because they say they feel naked now that I would consider an addition. Social media can be helpful and good at times but not all the time and if you want to be on it maybe not as often.

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  31. I am a firm believer that today's biggest social problems is being too connected to technology such as phones and computers. Personally, my website vices (in order of importance) are Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter. I agree that the main drive behind the addiction is the positive reinforcement we receive from other people through the sites, whether it be a Like, a Comment, a Retweet, a Favorite, a Share, etc. In high school, I remember I would post anything I enjoyed on Instagram until I looked at the things that people who were getting hundreds of 'likes' on their pictures. That experience certainly made me change the things I posted. Nowadays, I post certain things at certain times in order to get a lot of 'likes'. Sad, but true.
    On one hand, social networks are great because it allows you to stay in touch with someone who may live half-way across the world. On the other hand, it has made our generation less social IRL (in real life). They use social network profiles to find information about a certain person instead of asking the person themselves. This leads to assumptions (which are often misunderstandings) and often lead to someone getting hurt.
    I know I have self-control over my usage of these sites. I'm not always on these sites, but I just always have to have my phone on me simply because my mom paid a lot of money for me to get an iPhone and it's my responsibility to take care of it. I hope my generation soon learns know when to put the phone down or shut the computer off and interact with one another face-to-face!

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  32. From personal experience, social networks can become very addicting because there are so many and each of them have different purposes. Although one can simply be looking for something specific it is not realized that so much time can pass by because of the other things are looked into because it is so easy to get distracted with in the social network. When people are bored they no longer think “I should go to the park” “I can go for a jog” “maybe I can walk my dog” “I should start reading a book” instead people usually decide to lay on their bed and scroll through the networks even when there are other peers around. Most say the reasons why they are on their social medias is because they are bored but not many realize that there are many other activities, the problem is the lack of creativity that we are having now.

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  33. I agree, social media as become a big part of society. For me I was addicted to social media. I had twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, and once I woke up that was the first thing I did. I would go check every social media to see what was going on because I felt like I was going to miss out on something if I didn't check. I didn't matter what I was going if I got a notification from something I would stop what I was going to see what was going on as if it was an Emergency. I literally had my phone in my hand 24/7, in class, in the restroom, ect. Its was like if I didn't check my phone to see what was going on I would be left out on important things. I always needed to update my status and tweet every little thing I was doing as if the world really needed to know that I was in class or that I was going to get food. But later on after I graduated from high school I realized I had a really bad problem and that social media wasn't really that important because its not going to help me with school and help me in college. Once I started college I wasn't on social media that often because I did have a lot of schoolwork, and being on social media is a really big distraction that is not going to help me in life. I just feel like to overcome social media addictions you just need to keep yourself busy and just limit your self on how many hours you want to be on social media.

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  34. The title “Is Your Social Networking Feed an Addiction?” caught my eye instantly. I already had a bias opinion on this topic before reading it. I feel that social media is an addition. I believe that people don’t know what it does to their mind as we read opinions of others and look at images. I can’t understand how we are able to post the things that I see on the internet. The World Wide Web is such a powerful tool that is taken advantage of by many people to do evil things. Through social media, people are persuading our views by pathos all the time. I think this article is interesting to show how we are responding to traffic signs.
    “That means that, if you're driving on a street next to someone who has a compulsive relationship with Facebook, they are "going to respond faster to beeps from their cellphone than to street signs," one researched told Live Science. "That's the power of Facebook."
    This is absolutely CRAY CRAY but interesting. Wait my FACEBOOK NOTIFICATION JUST BEEPED…….Glad I’m in class and not driving.

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  35. Personally, I think this blog post is unfortunately true. When I first joined Facebook, I instantly became an addict. I would waste hours posting, scrolling and liking pictures. Later, I came to my notice that I could not stop and social networking had highly affected my self esteem. Social networks are meant to share moments and interactions with other people around the world but it has downsides to that. Many people like to abuse the social networks by posting hateful and unnecessary comments and it leads to others being hurt. Although social networks may seem like a horrible place but yet people are stuck to them. The addiction to social networks has gone to the extent of people imagining they hear a notification or feel the vibration from their phone (phantom vibration syndrome). Every time some post something on a social network, they are adding to their egos. To overcome these problems, people need to balance their time spent on social networks and their social life outside the internet.

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  36. A social media addiction is just as bad as a drug addiction. We have our phones on us 24/7, and we rely on social media too much. People like social media networks because it is a way to connect with different people without meeting face to face. We entertain ourselves with what others have to say about their lives and about ours. We rely on other people's opinion too much. Some people will be able to respond to social media notifications so quickly because they are used to receiving notifications, and it has become a part of every day life. We should pay attention to the world around us and focus on ourselves instead of what is happening with others.

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  38. I strongly agree social media has become a big part of the society's culture. It is really harmful for the brain on this kind of addiction because it is so hard to control over such a thing that satisfies a person every 24/7 It makes people to feel competitive by viewing other people's life images to want to do things others are doing or either do more crazy things to post them online for others to see that person is having a good time too. Social media can even make a person to suicide out of feeling lonely knowing they are missing out with others posting great amount fun times. On the other hand it can also be helpful sometimes to get your voice heard throughout posting on social media, like if there is nobody to listen to you or how you feel you can just post online and whoever comments can make you feel better. But it can be worse than it could help. Personally I am constantly checking Instagram and whenever I got nothing to do I am scrolling down the Instagram which most of the time my get low self-esteem by not being a part of my friends’ life or not having what they are having. I think people must hold their heads up to the real world instead of their phones and share with their family and loved ones than making phones or social media their best friend because family is more important than what’s being posted by others online.

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  39. Alexis Gomez / ENG 122May 2, 2015 at 8:39 PM

    I completely agree with your post. Sad, but true. I am constantly checking my Instagram and Snapchat throughout the day to see what my friends or even what famous people are doing. It’s the first thing I do in the morning and also the last thing I do before I go to sleep. If you’d ask me to delete my social medias I wouldn’t do it. For the simple reason that I wouldn’t want to miss out on what everyone else is doing. I like being being able to check up on how my friends, see how they’re doing, and what they’ve been up to. These social medias have us feeling connected, it lets us update our friends, families, and unfortunately even strangers to what’s going on in our daily lives. You can’t tell me any person doesn’t check their phone if and when it does ring. It gets your attention, you’re going to check your notifications and respond. I have to hold myself back from being on it all the time because I should be living real life and enjoying what I’m doing when I’m out. I do refuse to check my phone at any type of sit down meals I have. I don’t want my phone running my life, but I also couldn’t live without it. Ironic. My only advice is to set boundaries. I don’t let my social medias be a reason I don’t get my homework done, or get to class on time, or even ignore people in real life. You should have your priorities straight. There’s a time and a place for checking your social media accounts. Shouldn’t be when you’re face to face with anyone. Just common curtesy.

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  40. The post is true for the most part. social network nowadays make young people addict to it but it not as bad as drugs in my opinion. if you know how to use it the right way you can take advantage from it. The only social network i have is facebook and i can say that i'm not addict to it. Most of the time i don't post anything thing on facebook. i only use it to keep intouch with my family and friends from another continent. social network can be good or bad depend on how you use it but sadly most young people nowadays use it in a wrong way

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  41. Social media is an addicting lifestyle but we need a balance to be happy. Basically, we need to be able to take break and not just be on the computer. Its interesting how we are so connected to a television screen or a laptop. The only reason we get addicted is because we see blogs or post as a newspaper. Anything we could say online might not necessarily be said in person. We use our freedom as a way to express our feelings without any true consequences. Well we do have to be careful but no cop will knock on our door. So I advise to all the young computer users, to stay on social media only for a limited amount of hours per day.

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  42. Social networking will doom our generation! I have this conversation a lot with friends and family because it's distracting from other important, real life things. I deleted all social networks for lent which was for a couple months and I kid you not, some friends I don't see regularly thought I fell off the face of the earth cause I didn't post a picture on IG or Snapchat. When I was able to receive my social media back I was hesitant. It's not my thing. If my friends need to get a hold of me they can call or text me because I'm tired of facebook. Today I logged out of Facebook and IG because finals are coming up and it distracts me. It also ruins relationships and I agree about effecting our self image because many people follow the girl the wish they could be etc. But it's not ok. It can ruin people by rumors or anything like that. We don't focus on relationships in person anymore but how many likes we will get on our Instagram picture together. I'm tired of the issues it can cause and honestly without it for those few months I felt more focused on school and the relationships I had around me in the present. It's addicting especially since I see half my peers on it all day even during class. Its distracting and can cause many car accidents by not paying attention. I am so biased on this subject only because there's so many negatives while attending school and work. If it's not to contact family or friends that are far away, there's really no need for it.

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  43. Yes, social media is addicting to most people in today's society especially the youth. The youth are most effected by social media because it is a way for them to be connected with others. Specifically those who have strict parents who will not let them go hang out with friends or go out on their own but allow them to be on the computer or be on smart phones. These youths are the most affected by social media because it is their only way of connecting with people outside of school. If something has been done for a long period of time it becomes second nature to an individual. The saying for sports players that practice makes perfect applies to this same situation. the more often they were online participating on social media the more it became a necessity to them, and maybe this can be an explanation for why teenagers are a risk and often have car accidents because they we're texting while driving.

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  44. Yes, social media is very addictive to almost everybody weather they know it or not. I will admit i am addicted to social medias a lot of the time, but once I realized I'm getting suck into all the social media apps i put my phone down and try not to pay much attention to it for a while. I do know some people that are completely addicted to their phones and social media and when we were talking we both came to the conclusion that you don't realized your addicted to the apps until your spending hours staring at your phone while your with friends instead of have actual physical conversations with them.

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  45. what signify s an addiction? In current society do people spend more time interacting with their peers on the web or in person? Has in person communication become a lost art between humans, is social media controlling the new wave of human beings. Currently I believe that social is an addiction like any other addiction, drugs, alcohol, caffeine all correlate directly to social media addicts. its something that you do countless times a day, something that you cannot live without and for many people the way you connect with the world around you. Social media has the capability to take over lives, lead people into depression due poor social skills and control people lives, much like other harmful addictions such as drugs, alcohol or caffeine.

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  46. I can see why Facebook or most social media websites are addicting. Inside the human mind, we always crave for something new as we are the curious. for example there are times where we always want to know what our friends are doing, which I do find personally to be snoopy, but its how this generation we are taught to be. We are a social beings, so we have to socialize, its pretty much like a drug we intake, only difference is, its not for the body, its more for the mind. The computer is like a teleporter to another world in which we all connect, Generation we are right now, are just experimenting and playing it with the internet currently, thats why its alot of interest in it. Im sure that maybe another 400 or 500 years from now, assuming that another technology comes by, we will get bored of the internet and move on to the next best thing.

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  47. I can completely relate to the study that was conducted- if I'm driving and I hear the "ding" sound go off for Snapchat or Instagram on my phone, my focus will immediately switch from the road to my phone. If I don't check who the notification was from, I will be bothered the whole time I am driving. Sometimes I will open the Snapchat image I got and maybe quickly post a picture with the app's super cool speedometer feature to show everyone how fast I can drive with my phone in my hand- it's a problem. I don't think there's any way to avoid checking or posting, except for being busy. I found that when I work, and can't put my job at risk for the sake of a post, I am less likely to check and be bothered by the notification sounds. When I'm at work, I am simply too busy to check every one of my social media accounts, but I also find that being separated from my phone for a long amount of time reduces my urge to check it at all- if I can go without it for 8 hours in the day, I can go without it for a little while longer. So, for me I can be addicted but also not be addicted. I can go without it if I truly need to, but I won't stop checking it. As for negative images it puts in your head, I consider myself to be very mentally strong and I just don't let anything negative bother me, which could also be feeding my addiction since I only see good in social media.

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  48. A comment by Cristofer Holobetz, ENGL-123-0721

    Social media functions, very evidently, like a drug. The constant novelty of social media provides a dopamine rush that becomes addicting over prolonged use. My generation has been raised dependent on this constant and easy dopamine high. And because the never-ending stimulus of social media was introduced into our lives at a critical time of development (when we're very young and our brains are very malleable), it's extremely difficult to break the habit of checking Facebook or twitter whenever boredom hits. In and of itself, dependence on social media is a waste of time, and the quantification of self that we experience counting likes is either bad for self-esteem (when we don't get enough) or falsely ego-building (when we are positively reinforced for behaviors that aren't beneficial in the long run). Further, the dopamine dependence that stems from social-media addiction is linked to an inability to weigh long-term benefits over short term ones.

    In some cases, the communication benefits of social media outweigh the detrimental effects. In Turkey and Hong Kong, respectively, twitter and Firechat have allowed for protesters to circumvent government censorship in order to pursue freedom of expression. And I think that the power of social media is a valuable check on the ability for government to monitor what its citizens say. But in developed nations with strong civil societies, (non-governmental communities that engage in policy debate and influence the masses separate from the government), social media ceases to be a tool for free speech and instead becomes a useless addiction, diverting the genius of the individual from productive creation and encouraging the spread of half-baked ideas.

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  49. A comment by Zachary Kanlong, ENG 1002-02

    I do believe that social media is an addiction. People use it to make themselves feel better. They post pictures and statuses so other people will notice them and like them. People are always keeping up with other people through social media. A lot of the kids in our generation today spend a majority of their day with their phone in their hand waiting for people to text them, people to post things on social media, and posting things on social media themselves. As far as this addiction goes with being deadly, I don't believe it is that bad. Most people know not to text and drive. Some social medias like Snapchat know when you're moving and it tells you "DO NOT SNAP AND DRIVE". I think that all social medias should give that warning, it could help save a life.

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  50. Social media does resemble a drug even though some people will not look at it as one. Social media has developed vastly over the years and continues to become more and more advanced. From my experience I can vouch that I am kind of addicted to social media. Whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Pinterest, I always feel I need to check it constantly throughout the day. I do believe it distracts me sometimes and does affect my daily schedule. Even though social media is being considered as a drug, I find that there are some benefits to it. Sites such as Facebook allow you to keep in touch with family and friends. A drug as its high and its lows and this definitely goes for social media. It can be a good thing if that is what you make it or it can ruin your life if you allow it to. Now days, the youth are not the only ones on social media. I find that almost every generation of people use some sort of social media. Kids are able to befriend their parents, and even sometime grandparents, on Facebook. It is not just affecting the youth as some people may believe. Social media is easy to get addicted to for the simple fact that it is fun, it grabs everyone's attention. It allows people to express themselves and opens a door of unlimited possibilities. Although it is turning into a "drug" it is up to each individual to use it correctly.
    -Hazel Sowell

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  51. Erika Castaneda- English 1202-02
    Just as the author, I am also concerned with the fact that some people cannot go two seconds without their cellphones. They want to check who liked their picture on instagram, what the new notification is, or who texted them. I fortunately am not one of those people; I never have been on of those people. Even when I first got my phone I was not hooked on it twenty-four, seven like most kids usually are when they first get a cellphone. Yes, I do go on Instagram, Facebook , and text my friends, but I am not excessive about it. To me it depends on the situation at hand; if I am driving or I am in a meeting, or somewhere someone/ something needs my attention I do not respond to these dings. It is really easy for me to not respond back. Sometimes when I am able to respond, I look at the message and I forget to respond. It is crazy that someone could not go without checking their cellphones. I suggest that they keep themselves busy so that they don't even focus on their cellphones.

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  53. A comment by Breanna De Leon, ENGL 1002-02

    It’s crazy to think people respond faster to notifications from social media rather than honks from other cars because their first priority should be the road and not their phone. I don't believe I'm hooked because if I hear my phone go off I won’t check it while I drive even if it’s a notification from social media or a text message. It might catch my attention for that second but that's it, I'm not hooked to the point where I'm constantly on my phone while I drive and can't resist to check my phone. For the people that are already hooked, just stop checking your phone. Theres not much to it other than stop putting your life at danger and also others. But as far as it being like cocaine, no I don't think the two should be in the same category. Yes it is deadly because being on your phone takes your attention away from your main focus, the road but cocaine is way worse than the addiction of people and their phones.

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  54. I agree. Social media is an addiction. Even the studies they did show that our brain has the same patterns of a drug user. Social media is a huge role of the majority of peoples life now. We post about how we are feeling, what we are doing, venting about our problems, even how yummy our food looks. But it does cause problems for many people. It is an addiction for many. For teenagers it does cause problems and makes them upset to see posts of friends out having a good time, but they were not invited. As well, it is a huge distraction. I myself have experienced the "addiction". I chose to check my my social media apps over completing my homework. Or if i see my phone light up with a notification i stop my work to see what is going on. I try to put my phone on silent and out of sight while working on what i need but it doesn't work. After a while I say i need to take a brake and i go check my social media.

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  55. In reality it is an addiction, I myself have even found that at times I say “I’ll be on Instagram just until 8pm” and look at the clock and its 10pm. Whenever I post something I’ll check who liked it, who commented, or who has posted something. The similarities between being addicted to social media and being addicted to any drug are pretty close to each other, the first step is denial, many social addicts don’t admit to being hooked on social media (just like druggies say they aren’t addicted or that they can stop whenever they want), they tend to use excuses such as “I use it in my free time”, when in reality it’s a constant habit. The second step is not realizing how much time you spend on it (or how much you consume in drug addict cases). It may start as a little as a few minutes and overtime the minutes tend to become hours and the hours tend to duplicate. I do see what they mean when they say that many people tested to pay attention to the beeps of notifications on their phones more than to traffic signals because its happened to me, while driving (although I am not supposed to be on my cellular device) I got a notification from someone who tagged me in a post the light went green and I was sitting in my car waiting for it to load and someone hocked their horn to get me to go since the light was green. I realized I was spending too much time on social media so I decided to deactivate all accounts.

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  56. I agree with this article, social media can be very addicting. I remember when I joined my first social media I would always be on it. This caused me to procrastinate on a lot of my school work. I even considered deleting my account to help me focus. Although social media does have its negative effects its also a fun way to share part of your life. People just need to be careful and not let it control themselves.

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  57. I myself do not feel I am addicted to Facebook. Before I was, I was on Facebook 24/7 which is definitely not a good thing. As I started to grow up, I realized what was more important. You have to learn to cut down and prioritize. Facebook can deter you from doing things that are more important, like homework or other important things. I wouldn't say that it is as bad as being addicted to drugs, it is not that severe. In order for you to to stop you have to realize everything it is preventing you from doing. Once you realize that you are on it way too often, you will start to cut back. When I realized my phone would die in a matter of minutes, that's when I knew I was on Facebook and other social media WAY too much. I personally do not check my phone while driving, but I do know people who do and the phrase "going to respond faster to beeps from their cellphone than to street signs," is accurate. When they get a message or call they quickly pick up the phone. Its crazy how important their phone is to them where they feel like the message cannot wait. Even if there is no messages I've known people to just constantly check their phones. Its an addiction but it can be fixed. People just need to realize the danger they're putting themselves and others in.

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  58. I am sadly addicted to social media badly.I would say that it's negative to be addicted because you will always be on your phone and you don't pay attention to what is literally in front of you. But at the same time social media is kind of positive because you interact with people around the globe. Also I have witnessed someone become best friends with another girl from Canada! Crazy right?!?!! So it's a give and take situation you can either choose to let the media consume you or you learn how to regulate your time. I'm slowly working on it but it can easily become a sad addiction.

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  59. I wouldn't say I am addicted to social media, because I can go day without going on to any of my social media accounts. When my phone goes off with a ding from face book or any other social media I do not have the urge to check it right away, in fact I normally just clear the notification because I have more important things to be doing. I can definitely avoid responding to my social media because I its not the most important thing in the world I would rather be out doing productive or fun things. My advice for those who are hooked on social media I would have to tell them to put the phone down and get out go do the things you see that you want to do instead of seeing photos of the people doing the things you want to do.

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  60. Sadly, I can defiantly relate to this article. Actually, this morning, I saw that I had a Facebook notification the moment I got out of bed. I really wanted to see what it is, but I had to put it off for a little while to get my room together. It killed me too, cause I was pretty desperate. However, when I logged in, it was just a notification saying that one of my friends is going to an event near me. This usually happens to me pretty frequently when I have a notification on anything, mainly Facebook, Kik, Snapchat, E-Mail, and iMesssage. I can't say that I check those ten thousand times in one day. I do check them frequently, but not desperately. I only get really super desperate to check them if I sent a message to my friends or posted something about them, because I want to know if they got my message and what they said. Especially for those who I haven't seen in a long time. I mean, I don't necessarily have to check these 24/7, but I check them because I want to know whats happening. I don't think I've ever seen a picture on Facebook or Snapchat where I've felt self-conscious about myself or envy them for looking so nice. When I see them, I'm very happy, cause I love to know that they are having fun wherever they are. Now E-Mails are different since I need to check them pretty frequently. If I didn't, I could be missing something very important regarding maybe my classes at school, or someone from my high school trying to reach me. In that case, its important for me to check my emails. Facebook, Snapchat, Kik, and iMessage I can put off, but I don't necessarily like to do that. I'd worry if the people on Facebook would think I'm dead or something. Snapchat I hardly post anything myself, but I go on there to see what everyone else is doing. Kik is a sometimes app too, because again, I'm only there to hear about how everyone is doing. iMessage is only important when I'm reaching someone who isn't on Facebook or on Kik, like my dad or one of my high school friends. I do understand my priorities, but I do have to confess that using my social networking apps are a huge addiction of mine. It can be needed at times, but most of the time, yes I'm addicted to it all the same.

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  61. I am ashamed to say that I am addicted to social media. I cannot stay more than one minute without my phone glued to my hand. For me personally, I always wonder if my photo I just uploaded to Instagram got any likes seconds after I post it or if my friends had send any new snap chats back at me. I constantly worry if I miss out on anything on social media because I do not want to feel left out from anything. I think that is what keeps most people glued to their phones because they do not want to feel left out of the scene and in doing so it ruins face to face conversations. Like have you ever been to a concert and see what most of the crowd does. That's right you see a sea of screens just facing the artist/band and people directly uploading it to facebook to show off. So instead of enjoying the concert they wanted to go so bad they are seeing it through a screen. So social has basically become so addictive that it has just ruin every social interaction. And I cannot imagine how that will affect future generations who knows they can become the fat people in floating chairs talking to each other via screens like in WALLE.

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  62. I'm Weiqi Yu(bn6262)from ENGL 1001. I am badly addicted to Wechat, which is the most popular Chinese social media. I have played Wechat for 3 years. It stay with me all along my college life. During this 3 years, I checked my friend circle ever minute and I could not stop to give my friend a thumb up for whatever they post. And I was badly addicted the survice that Wechat provides to talk to people who is near you. You can even find them on GPS. So I could make friends on that. I even made a girlfriend on Wechat. Right now, I have to sleep with my phone on my hand. And I'm kind afraid to talk to people face to face. And I stay up really late to talk to my Chinese friends. I think that influenced my whole college life and it is not cool when I go back to China and I never could make any friend here in America. I know it is not right, but you know, social media is like drug. It is hard to give up. I can't stop to talking to my friend in China. Sometime I have to reply, if someone want to talk to me. So I think that is a big problem for me.

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  63. As the years pass, technologies evolve. There are now many ways to contact your friends, family, and people that you know. On the other hand, social media had caught many people throughout the world. For me, I was one of them. Everyday, I log in on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to see what's new. As soon a new notification pops up, I immediately log in to check what's going on. Not only this happens to me but everyone else who uses social media. However, I do not respond right away as soon my friends post their status. Whenever I have free time, I will respond to them. There are no ways to stop people looking at their friends' status. However, there are some car accidents related on phone usage, and some online bullying to students. As long they are paying attention in class, be safe from online strangers, and not driving while using their phone, it will be okay to get hooked on social media.

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  64. Social media should just be renamed "The Common Man's Drug." Everyday, social media users are finding ways to utilize these media outlets to replace their everyday tasks. Creating group chats to find out how their friends are doing, creating plans for everyone to get together, or even finding out if the person they are interested has a significant other or not. Each one of these things could be done without a screen in front of your face. Sadly, even I am guilty of such things. Us as a generation have decided simultaneously that an event like a concert or a trip with friends is better on Snapchat rather than saved as private memories. However, it's not like only one party is guilty, the ones recording, it's also the people who constantly watch these short videos and double tap these pictures. By feeding this monster known as social media, there is less of a chance of quitting. Even when one social media outlet falls, i.e Myspace, another one rises. Everyday there are infomercials on the dangers of driving while looking at your phone screen, ironically on these social media sites. The worst part of all this is whenever someone tells us to quit social media we subconsciously agree but then we go right back to double tapping pictures. So ask yourself this: How far will this addiction go? When the only friends you have are online? When you'd rather watch someone's Instagram wedding video than being there yourself? How about when you're in the hospital due to a car accident you caused when you thought making a Vine about driving was a better idea than actually watching the road? Think about it.

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  65. I STRONGLY agree with this article because so many people feel left out whenever a friend posts a picture and their left. I can say I am addicted to my phone but I feel like I can go a day without it. However, I feel that if I didn't have social media, I would go crazy. For some reason, I always look at my instagram every morning I wake up. It has just been a habit to me. However, I am aware of my limits because I know it isn't good being on your phone all the time. The reason is because I usually leave my phone in my room and just enjoy everyday that I am living.

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  66. Social networking has become a huge part in a lot of people’s lives. It’s as if you can’t get away from it. Personally I am new to the many amounts of social network sites; I never really saw the importance of them. But these days it is almost necessary to have some form of social media, even if it’s to sign up for a simple website they ask for to sign up through Facebook or Twitter. I don’t think it is farfetched to say that it is an addiction; I have seen firsthand people rush to a notification on Instagram saying you have been tagged in a picture. But I don’t understand why they would rush to see the picture; you were there weren’t you? It’s very easy for me to ignore a message from media websites, most likely it’s not worth my time, and if it was really important they would call me later. For social media addicts I can say that almost all the time it is not important, if it were truly important you would receive a phone call. And if you have a case of FOMO and your friends went somewhere without you, maybe it’s time to not see them as close of friends.

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  67. It is sad to see how much technology affects us nowadays, including social media. I can relate to this blog post because in my everyday life, if I go out with my friends, they are always on their phones. What else is there to look at on a phone besides texts? Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media. It upsets me to see how it is hard to have a conversation with friends when they are just sitting there scrolling through their feed. They do not see that it is rude and disrespectful to consistently look at their phone or scroll through social media when a person is talking to you. I would definitely say that people do have an addiction to social networking to the point where they care more about who liked or reposted their post rather than the company of their friends. I notice that some people have their phones right in front of them to make sure that they get notified on their social media. As for myself, I am able to put my phone away when I need to, but from time to time I would check my home screen for any notification, which is normal. To the people that literally cannot get off Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, are too sucked into the social media world. Aside from people being obsessed in checking their newsfeed, social media is world filled with judgements and assumptions. This can go from an Instagram post of someone to a tweet that someone can assumes what is going on in their life. Even if someone unfollows another person, they automatically assume there is some kind of conflict going on. I would say that social media has a big effect on the younger generation because they care more about what their friends think and how they are displayed to the world. Essentially, some of the stuff we see on the internet influences the young generation, such as the slang being used. This makes the younger generation appear dumb with all of the adolescent slang that adults would never understand. There are people who do go on social media but they are not addicted to it, and then there are those who can never let their sight off of their newsfeed. Sometimes, when I get a text message, I will glance at it to see who it is or what it is about, but I don’t have the urge to have to reply quickly. If I am out with friends, I can put my phone away or flip it over while having a conversation. I would not see myself as being addicted to social media compared to other friends that I have seen. I would let those people know ahead of time that if they are going to hang out with me, to leave their phone in their bag or at the side of the table and to not touch it. If I am able to do that, then I am sure they can. It is not a difficult task to not touch your phone for a good 30 minutes.

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  68. I would say that some people are addicted to social media, and others aren't. I found the article pretty interesting because he said that people may be addicted to social media the same way people are addicted to drugs. That's pretty crazy to believe but at the same time, I could believe. A lot of people are way too invested into their social media to the point where they do not talk with people in real life. From personal experience, I was eating out with a couple friends and everybody was just on their phone in complete silence. They were checking their Instagram or Twitter and not talking with one another in person. This can potentially take away the social aspect with one another because everybody just wants to be on their social media. I think people should try to take breaks from it every now and then and enjoy what's in front of them. Social media can be an addiction to some which is kind of sad.

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  69. I understand that Facebook and other socials medias are addictive to some people. I do not want to be a hypocrite and say I am not but sometimes I think it is due to boredom. So if I am driving alone for a while or if it is a boring car ride, then I will take my phone out not because someone is talking to me but just to waste time until I reach my destination. Every time I read an event on the news or on a blog about the effects and out come of texting while driving, I start to feel guilty because I would not want to be the cause for harming others or myself. And I usually promise myself that I would stop the use of my phone when driving, but sooner or later the phone comes out again. Come to think of it now, maybe it is an addiction since I cannot keep the promise. And maybe it is because I have not experienced an accident yet or because I think I have control over driving and texting at the same time. Which motivates me to not completely stop. I think that’s the point, we keep ourselves excuses to keep doing what we are supposed to stop. Social media definitely impacts the way we think and what we would do to keep it and stay updated with it. And if it is not realized soon by each person using it then it will impact their life more than they think it does in a negative.

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  70. Social media is guiding many people in the wrong path. I totally agree with the fact that it is a big addiction. Unfortunately, many teenagers are not able to focus on their education because they are constantly hooked onto their phones. Even if they try to focus, their minds get diverted real easily. I mean I'm not saying that they can't use it at all. What I'm saying is that they can post a picture on facebook, or even instagram, but the problem is that every minute they keep checking to see if they got any likes and comments. I can relate to this myself as when I post a picture on instagram, I'm always checking to see how many likes I get. I get frustrated with myself at times, telling myself to get back to work. So what I do is I hide my phone somewhere so that I forget that I even posted a picture. Not only education, but it's the fact that it's making people couch potatoes. It's affecting them mentally and physically. It's the main reason for students sleeping late at night and having problems waking up early in the morning for their classes. Instead of wasting their times on social media, they should being exercising instead. I really hope people can understand what they are getting themselves into and change that. Especially group messages with friends on facebook! I'm a member of the group message also. There are about 10 people added to it. Every time I check my facebook account, I get a message! It's not like were in different states. We all do live in the bay area. We can always meet up and talk with each other for as long as we want. In fact, it's way better to hold a conversation when we see each other, rather than in social media.

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  71. Social media does have an effect like a drug. People are compelled to constantly check their cell phones just to see if they got a notification. The constant need to check is getting way out of hand. If we are looking at a screen the whole time we will miss the beauty of the world in front of us. Seeing people having their eyes glued to their screen while walking outside and missing out on the fresh air that the world has to offer is a shame. While taking a walk just leave the phone in your pocket and do not look at it till you are finished. Looking at your phone while being with others is completely rude and will eventually alienate you out of their conversation because you are looking at an entirely different one that probably does not even apply to you because you just want to know the latest gossip. We need to take time out our day to just leave the social media and take a walk and enjoy the outdoors.

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  72. Social media does have a huge impact on today's society. Many people are overly addicted to it and in some situations, as shown in this blog, it can be dangerous to the user as well as the people around them. The author shows an astonishing example of peoples reaction times to the sight of social media logos and sounds of notifications vs traffic signs. It is surprising just how much faster we respond to the sound and visuals of social media compared to the honks and street signs on the road. I believe this example backed up the authors point of social media being like a drug very well. It proves that we care too much about who is texting us, liking our photos, etc.. I know I, as a teenager, fall into this addiction as well. Every time I get a text, even when driving, I want to know who it was and what it said almost instantly. I think that it is pretty safe to say that I fall into the addiction of social media just as much as the people the author is targeting in this blog. Another point this author makes is that it affects our self esteem and body image and I would have to agree with that as well. Everywhere we go we see our friends and others post amazing pictures that they are confident about and sometimes that makes you compare yourself to them. Today with photo shop and filters everyone looks better in the things they post but you can't help but think "why can't I look that good in pictures" "wow he/she looks really good". And, even when you do decide to post pictures you can't help but worry and wonder how many likes you will get. Once you post a picture, you can not help but checking back on it to see how many likes you have received. Even looking at your friends pictures, as the author says, is also not good for your self esteem when you see group pictures at an event you were not invited to. You end up with a feeling like you are not good enough or cool enough and you can't help but feel bad trying to figure out why you were not invited. Overall, I feel like the author is right about all the damage social media has done to the world. I feel like when putting people on the road, social media can be just as dangerous as using drugs and that we would all be better off having our phones in the back seat while driving. I also agree that social media has a huge impact on body image but there is not much that can be done to change that. We just have to learn to accept ourselves for who we are. After reading this article I definitely would have to admit that there is no doubt that I am addicted to social media and that it can be dangerous to my self esteem and to my safety while driving but I don't feel like I will really be able to change it at this point in my life. It's what I've grown up with and I enjoy the satisfaction it brings to me.

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  73. I agree that social networking has become an addiction. I believe that most people use social media as a way to view what is going on around and to communicate with others. People use social media because it is easier to read news than picking up a newspaper. Since social media is easy to access, many people get easily distracted, which can cause them to constantly check their phone. I occasionally check my phone and go on social media to see what is trending or what is going on lately. For me, I think social media has become an addiction, but at the same time been an easier way to contact friends and family. Every time I receive a text message, I quickly check my phone, and that goes for every notification I receive. I usually check my phone and go on social media when I’m bored or when I have time. Although social networking can become an addiction, it has become a big tool, as it has made things easier and quicker to access. I believe that social media impacts people’s lives more in a positive way than a negative way because for most people, it is an easier way to express their personality, while other people take advantage of social media to quickly find out what is currently going on.

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  74. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  75. It is sad to say but yes I agree that social media is addicting. It has become a daily routine for me to check my social media.It is one of the easiest ways to interact with people or even just look and see what people are doing. I also know people that are completely addicted to their cell phones and social media even while at work. I think it is a very bad addiction that will become worse and worse. So I challenge everyone on social media to try and stay off of it for at least a day.

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  76. I find that this article is highly accurate with the idea that people are "addicted" to social media. I know so many people, including myself, who cannot be without our phones or other forms of technology. I went to the woods over the weekend and I wasn't able to use wifi for a certain amount of time which, if I hadn't been preoccupied doing other activities, am sure would have driven me crazy. There are other more unhealthy levels of tech-addiction such as the use of phones while driving for purposes other than navigating which is obviously extremely dangerous. This is where this issue becomes very serious because 1) it is illegal to be on the phone while driving and 2) people have actually lost their lives because of the use of cell phones while driving. As we move further into an age where technology is highly used, we must be able to put limitations of how it controls us and our lives.

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  77. From personal experiences, I do believe that social media may cause an addiction to people in our world. However, since we are able to access the internet and different social media sites from just one click on our phone, the addiction dramatically increased to a addictive drug.Why? On social sites, one has the ability to create a different persona and are able to show it to millions and billions of people worldwide, while in reality, people whom are in constant communication with each other, know the real persona. Why do people tend to portray such things? Answers may vary. Some do it for the followers because it may boost their confidence and self esteem. In addition, when on social media, the circle is much larger. For example, if someone wanted to dye their hair a different color, but their reality friends suggest they shouldn’t, may result in their confidence not sky rocketing. However, if this person asked social media should they dye their hair, the person is hearing many different opinions, mostly good things, which will result in the boost of one’s self esteem and which would probably increase their chances of dying their hair. Another reason why people are addicted to social media is because PEOPLE ARE NOSEY. I personally believe people rely on social media because it allows quick access to one’s life, even if you are not in constant contact with the person. In addition to people being nosey, some are not content with their own life, so they may secretly want to find happiness by searching through the lives that their feed is showing them.

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  78. Unfortunately, it is true that people are really addicted to the social media, and that may include me as well. It is easily a distraction in our daily lives. I mean, we react faster to our phones beeping from a message on Twitter or Facebook than to almost anything else. People risk it to the point where you are not even looking at the road while driving just to check your phone. It is beneficial to check later than to almost or actually die in a car accident. Even I check my phone daily to go on my social media, but at least I am not too addicted to it that I would die for it. I have even heard stories of families literally texting each other at the dinner table instead of talking, especially since they are right next to one another. You ruin a fun aspect of life. What is the point of being together if all you do is sit there going on Facebook and whatnot? Try not using your phone to check one social media network for one day. People in the past have gone without phones, so why can’t we do that?

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  79. Although social media has created a new means of interaction with others I believe it has also brought negatives along with it. I agree with this article because it describes how we like the positive reinforcement of social media. A good example of this is when we post a photo of ourselves and people like and comment on it. We like the attention we gain from doing this and when others notice what we do we become addicted. This is why people are constantly on their phones whether its facebook or a dating site we want to feel like a part of society and social media is the perfect vessel for this. However, these addictions can effect our daily lives and there are many people who struggle with their jobs and education because of social medias addiction. Sometimes you just have to find a way to fight the urge and learn that your whole life doesn't revolve on a small screen. This is what we are stuck with today and could change the way the next generation works. It is important that we find times during the day where we can let go of whats going on in the internet and enjoy life.

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  80. After read this article, i did hooked with the author, because I'm one of then addicted person to the social network, not only Facebook all the social network Instagram, snap chat, and twitter they all comment in the social society now people cant live without them or leave them for second. They are so powerful, they are the internet drug that leading our generation to addicted to them, i can't avoid to respond this post, because I'm one of them but not addicted as much as other people, that will share things instant from when they are wake to lunch, dinner and party and picture share before you eat, my mom is addicted to it like drug even she working in the office she still viewing stuff on Facebook like and share it. Advice are not helpful but is self control yourself, when is the right time to deal with your phone and your social network, because once you started will at least take your personal one hour time away from work and lose attention if your driving car, not recommend people so addicted to it, the internet is trying to changing us and also our life. For i can said is bad as cocaine but not physically, but mentally into our mind with all the social network things, everything have to be see and share instant but need to be mindful for the people that using phone on the road, you affecting people live on the road, not only harm yourself but you also will took away other people live because your not responsible and not pay attention to road, so no phone using during your road drive for all of you using social network everyday and every second.

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  81. I strongly agree that social media has a detrimental effect on peoples lives. It truly is an addiction, however there may be a small herd of people who may solely use it recreational. I believe through my own personal experiences, that using Facebook, twitter, and instagram have proven to start this never ending circle of checking your phone. I would start out on facebook, then move on to twitter to see what was new, then to instagram. I understood that it had become an addiction once i realized that i was picking up my phone around ten to fifteen times every five minutes. When one is constantly checking for new updates or new posts on social media sites, you can be sure that it has moved from something of recreation to an addiction. The only way that seemed to work best for me was to completely rid myself of the social media scene and to focus more on experiencing rather than capturing on a photo or a website post. once you do this, the memory solidifies in your mind and becomes more enjoyable to describe rather than just whipping out a picture. We already see today, that there is no more legitimate interaction between people. Everyone is hooked on their phones and that ruins a conversation. The only solution is to get off your phone and leave the sites and personally interact and meet new people.

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  82. I strongly agree that social media has had a great impact on a lot of people in the world making them even addicted. Many don't seem to realize that the power of social media is enormous and that it has taken over their lives, I believe the reason to the addiction n of social media is that everybody want to keep up with whats going on and the new gossip and that is why they often check social media and try to discover what is new. Also I fully agree on the part were they inform us about people being so addicted to their phones and checking social media is the reasons why there are so many wrecks, I believe this piece of information is really important for us to take note because when you are driving and on social media you are not only risking your life but others as well, is checking up on social media more important than someones life? There have been many incidents involving social media and it is important for us to be able to control ourselves from the power of social media and know when is the right time to use it and when it is not the right time.

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  83. I agree that social networking feed can become an addiction if used abusively and in the wrong way. For example checking the feed instead of doing something that will make good to you or is part of your daily routine. If you do not have control of how much time you consume on the social network then it will soon turn into a rabbit and lead to addiction. Addiction can cause negative things to happen because so much time is wasted on something that will not make good to you if it used as a hobby more than informative source that can help individuals be connected with family or the world. Social network can be used in the correct way by having control of how much time you spend on it and the information you absorb. Addiction can become a big factor in a person life because they are prevented from making their own decisions. The network media feeds people with a lot of information that forces the audience to intake in their brain. Therefore social media has a big influence in peoples life and for some have become part of themselves. Addiction is very difficult to contain and defeat such as drug addicts. It takes time and focus for people to realize the negative effect that social media is doing to their lives if using too much or in a bad way.

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  84. I would say when I was younger, I was really hooked on a lot of social media, but ever since my family joined facebook I started using it less. When I hear notifications on facebook I don’t get excited as much because it is usually invitations to play candy crush or something. I can avoid responding to messages so much these days because I have been busy focusing on my real life than my online life. I would advice people to turn certain notification off, that way they do not get tempted to check every 5 minutes.

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  85. After reading the article, I felt a connection to the author. I am guilty of having an addiction to social media sites. My phone is in my hand or easily accessible twenty-four hours a day. As soon as I hear that ding that notifies me if someone liked my picture on Instagram or favorited my tweet. However, I do not feel dependent on my phone or social media. If twitter or Facebook suddenly disappeared I know that my life would not be dramatically different. I would continue to go to school and work, and to be honest I would probably be a better student and employee. As for advice for those that really are addicted, whose lives would be altered with the loss of social media, I recommend leaving your phone at home for a day. Go do something fun and exciting, but resist the urge to post about it. Experience life just to experience it. Do not live your life just to make your friends jealous on social media.

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  86. I agree that social media does have a huge impact on our society in today’s generation. People are constantly on their phones checking to see how many likes they have on a photo they posted an hour ago, or scrolling down their Twitter timeline to see what has been going on. I can even admit myself that I am guilty of using social media to an excessive point, which is why I personally went on a social media cleanse. Although social media is leading people to the wrong path by wanting and feeling the need to constantly check their phones every few minutes, I would not personally compare it to being addicted to drugs. It isn’t like you are harming your immune system by using social media, but I can see how it can harm people psychologically. People need to learn how to not let social media affect them negatively and start to invest their time in other activities that are healthier for them.

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  87. This article caught my attention because of the title. I find it fascinating how nowadays everyone is so into their phones all the time. It’s crazy how people would rather hold a conversation through texting or messaging on social networking rather than face to face. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I’m a little too into my phone and don’t pay attention to my friends. I try my best to not be into my phone all the time because I’d rather talk to my friends and create memories with them. I would not say that I’m hooked because I know when I should use my phone and when I shouldn’t. I actually do not have to respond to those dings in the quickness. As a matter of fact, I don’t even like texting people back or even replying back to people on social media in general. I honestly just use my phone for tweeting my opinions that people don’t care about, youtube videos, to communicate with my parents and friends, and most importantly to hear music. My advice for those who are hooked is to try to not use your phone for a whole hour and go outside. Take a walk, grab a smoothie, and look at your surroundings. You’re going to see how pretty the world is instead of always having your head into your phone all the time. That’s how I first started and it actually worked. Anything is possible with baby steps.

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  88. When Facebook started becoming popular I was in middle school (about 7 years ago). I was eager to stay connected with my friends online and branch out to family that lived far away. Then I started to realize my "friends" on Facebook consisted on my actual friends, my family, and people I hardly knew. When I shared something on Facebook it was posted to all of these people's pages for them to view. This started to make me feel uncomfortable. So I deleted my account.
    That being said today I still have a few other social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat that I use daily. These apps do grab my attention at times but I try not to spend a lot of my time on them. Looking at these apps and being exposed to other people's profiles can be a little intimidating. But as mentioned in the article people only post the best pictures and you have to remember that when viewing them.
    I am not addicted to social media or my phone, and could live without both. However it is a big part of today's society and can be easy to fall into a "social media addiction". In order to not fall into an addiction, don't spend a lot of time online, don't over think posts, and don't compare yourself to others.

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  89. I agree very much with this article, social networking used to be a way to get in touch and catch up with friends. Today though, it seems to have turned into nothing more than a distraction people go on when they are bored. It has turned into a way to brag about what you've been doing and who you've been hanging out with. It's no longer about social interaction but more about social hierarchy. As someone who uses social media on a daily basis I can definitely contend that social media is fun and very entertaining, however when it does become an issue when you start interacting with your phone more than you do with actual people.
    At that point it is safe to say that it has become an addiction. Although it may seem like a harmless addiction, it can definitely lead to side affects. Just as the article points out it can lead to negative self image, the fear of being left out, loneliness and even depression. It also becomes a problem when one always finds themselves checking there even in situations where it can be dangerous, like driving. Those are the type of people that cause major accidents, endangering not only their life, but also the lives of others.
    Social Media can be a great tool in order to interact with friends and meet new people, you just have to learn how to use it right and properly.

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  90. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  91. I would say that I am a little addicted to social media because occasionally, I would go on my phone to look at pictures and videos on Instagram and snapchat. I enjoy seeing the daily activities that my friends are up to and if I find something that I like such as food, places etc, I can ask my friend about it and try it out myself. However, that is the extent of my addiction as I don't really care when my friends see or like my post. Furthermore, I rarely feel sad from beings left out of a group activity and I don't have the erg to looks at my phone while driving. I believe the reason behind my lack of addicttion to social media is because of amount of friends I have and that I see my close friends very frequently which relieves the need to browse social media.

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  92. I am not as hooked onto social media as my friends and family members are. People who usually respond back to Facebooks notifications when their phones make a ding need to seriously stop and think about how they are jeopardizing their life and another individual’s life. I would advise the people who are addicted to social media to put their phones on silent so when they receive a notification while they are driving, they won’t get distracted. I won’t lie there has been times where I have glanced at my phone while driving and when I’m at a stop light I usually go onto social media. But there was one incident where I almost got into an accident because I got sidetracked. I almost crashed into another person’s car at a stoplight because I was so into social media that I forgot I was driving . And after that day, I decided to not use my phone while driving. I mean if everyone encounters an incident where they realize how they put other people’s life at stake for a notification that is less important than there would be less reckless drivers out here and the amount of car accidents would reduce.

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  93. After reading this article, I agree. Many people are too attached to their cell phones and won’t put it down. I realize when there’s a group of people and there is no conversation the first instinct is to go to their phones and go on social media. Nowadays people are more interested on social media and their head is stuck on that social network site. It’s between they are trying to take a selfie for Instagram or post a short story on Snapchat. In some other cases, people use social media to boost their ego and brag about what they are doing. It is an addiction. It’s to the point where people cannot sit together and have a regular conversation without a person on their phone. Social media is a great way to interact with new people, but if you use it at the wrong time and place it can lead into trouble like people driving. It can cause accidents and other people at risk. You need to learn how and when to use it correctly.

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  94. I am not hooked on to my phone while I’m driving but I do admit I am constantly on my phone when I’m home or out on dinner. The only reason I’m scared to be on my phone while I’m driving is obviously because I don’t want to get hit by a car. But when I’m at home I’m at a safe place so I don’t think I could harm anybody by being on my phone. I honestly keep my phone on silent most of the time mainly because I don’t like the ding sound so I advise people that are driving to put their phone on silent and keep it away from them so they do not get distracted.

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  95. Gabriela Delgado
    English 1002
    I can honestly say that I've never dealt with that sort of addiction. I own a Twitter and an Instagram but I'm not on them constantly. However I can relate to it to my cousin because she is a person is seriously addicted to Facebook. When posting a picture on Facebook, she always needs to constantly check how many likes she has received in any picture she posts because if she gets less than one hundredth after a certain amount of time she'll delete the picture. She's not the type of girl to be able to hold a conversation with because she'll ignore you while she's on Facebook.

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  96. I agree with the article that social media becomes an addiction to most individuals. It’s hard to admit but, social media has become an addiction throughout my daily life. Before I get out of bed to get ready for school, I always have to check my phone. I am constantly checking my twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and more before I jump out of bed. Not only do I check my phone after getting up in the morning however, I also spend hours on social media before I start to fall asleep, which disturbs my sleep. It’s sad to say but I have reached the point where I spend most my time on social media, which causes me to ignore all my responsibilities. I personally believe people spend so much of their lives on social media because it allows people to feel connected to the world. The most important way to stop social media addictions is to have the self control to put down the phones and have face to face conversations. However, I do believe that social media is not all bad, it does provide important tools. Overall, I do think I have an addiction to social media but I also have the self control to put down my phone when I am driving, in class, and when I am doing homework and studying.

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  97. Paola Davalos
    CW 1002
    In my opinion, you cannot get physically addicted to Facebook as you can to cocaine. If you are a coke addict and quit, your body will have withdrawals, such as headaches, weight loss/gain, and other health issues; however, if you quit using your phone, sure you'll think you've heard it vibrate or ring, but you will not have the same withdrawals as when quitting a drug. Psychologically, you can be addicted to your phone and social media. You feel as if you need it to survive and be in the loop of events happening, but in reality you really don't need to know that Dore Ripley is eating at Taco Bell today.
    Since teens are most easily amused and influenced, they are the ones who use social media the most. This causes a problem because teens will be easily swayed and insulted and since social media is a teen's whole world, their lives will be destroyed. For example, when all you see on Twitter is people commenting "slim thick with your cute ass" on other girl's pictures except yours. Who even knows what that means, but it still makes us feel sad about our body. This then causing much more problems than it should like anorexia, bulimia, etc.
    With all the notifications you get on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, you're bound to get one while you're driving. And you, being the little tech savvy, social media craving, mistake making human that you are, will check it. It may seem like something innocent, its just a quick check, yet things can change much faster than you think. So many people text/post and drive and get into accidents that can change a whole persons (and the people around them) life. Don't play God. Just put the phone down.
    Personally, I've been there. Getting a text from my boyfriend saying "I can't wait to see you!" and I want to reply, but i stop myself and remember that i want to see him later too. So my advice to you facebook addicts and twitter thumbs is to put your phone on airplane mode while you drive, if you can't resist, get a bluetooth or ask siri to read you your messages. And if you're trying to quit being an addict because you've finally passed the first step (denial), then slowly delete your social media profiles. If you cut cold turkey then even more problems will arise. Goodluck.

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  98. I completely agree with this article because social media is defiantly becoming an addiction. People feel the need to post everything they are doing at every second and they miss out on what is going on in real life, right in front of their own eyes. For example, this weekend I went to the Carrie Underwood concert and I realized that everyone was more worried about posting the show on their social media accounts instead of singing along and enjoying the concert. The part of the article that talks about drivers responding to their phones while driving makes me very upset. The person is literally putting his life and the lives of people around him at risk over checking their Facebook account.

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  99. When it comes down to social media I can defiantly say that I am accident in a sense because I am always on Facebook and Snapchat those are my addictions. I have tried to stop using it and I can live without it but when I have absolutely nothing to do I like to share what I am doing and I use it as a tool to communicate with family that I have across the world because it is hard to communicate with everyone at all times so it is nice to be able to show them what I am doing along with my family, overall I believe that social media does have some benefits and it is not all bad. Also since I don't watch the news I happen to see all that I need to see from My Facebook feed because I follow "important" people or pages that can let me know about what is going on in the world outside of my bubble. One thing that this article that I can agree with it is that a whole lot of people use there phones while driving because in a sense they get addicted to it and I absolutely hate it! I have no respect for people that drive and use there phones at the same time, they are not only putting there lives at risk but also everyone else that is on the road. I hope one day we can get people not to be hooked on them because at the end of the day technology is such a wonderful powerful tool that often gets abused from people just like myself when it comes to social media.

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  100. Although social media may not be as bad as drugs in my personal opinion, I still believe it can become an addiction. When I was in high school I got really addicted to instagram. I would check it at least every 10 minutes. Even when I was in class I would try to be sneaky on my phone. I got my phone taken away multiple times and got suspended once for not turning my phone in. I did not think it was a problem until one day my parents took my phone and I felt like I was having an anxiety attack. I realized that I had become addicted to social media. I wanted to know everything my friends were doing and what was going on in the world. I think this article does have a point when it says people become depressed. Social media is a powerful tool that has also caused physical damage. People driving often check their phones which can cause a big accident if they are not looking at the road. Lets not social media become our life.

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  101. I completely agree. Especially with this generation, rely too much on social media and what others think about us on these sites. I know for me it can be addicting but I know when to walk away. The only time I really look at any social media is when I'm bored or have nothing better to do. Even then I still can have a full conversation with my roommates. These days kids just have a conversation with their phone and not an actual person. Social media also depicts us to look and act certain way that is unrealistic. Which is why we have so many of our young people that look alike because they are trying to fulfill that image. They also now lack confidence because they either think they're pretty enough or good enough.

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  102. I agree that, I too, am hooked to Social Media. I sometimes feel a need to respond when someone comments on a picture, tweet, or post. However, I do no feel the urge to reply right away, especially if it is a young man who is attractive. Those who feel the need to reply back instantly are those who are weak and get a kick off of the attention. This addiction can still take lives and complicate the lives of those who feel they need a sense of approval from a group of people they barely know. My advice to those hooked is to get a hobby. Do not use all your free time looking for acceptance or entertainment on the internet.Also, actually going out and doing certain activities rather than just seeing a picture of an adventure and saying "goals" will be way more productive and fun than being on your phone all day.

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    1. It's really shocking to read that a "A new study found that the brains of people who report compulsive urges to use social networking sites show some brain patterns similar to those found in drug addicts." Today's generation rely too much on social media. We are constantly on our phones checkinig our social media websites. I try to limit my time on social media by doing other things that are far way more important than looking at a little screen all day. I feel lazy and unaccomplished when I am constantly refreshing my feeds. Being able to occupy your time and not having to check your social media websites is a great feeling.

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  103. Social Media is the beginning of the end of human interactions. We seem to believe the technology in our phones can connect us even further but the reality is that when we would call someone rather then visit them we trade connection for convenience. The convenience of staying at home and wishing someone a happy birthday through a device should not outweigh celebrating that person's birthday with them. If we don't begin to limit ourselves, pretty soon we will not know how to communicate with one another.

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  104. Social media really has become out of control in the aspect of usage. People really are hooked to it like they are on some drug. I must admit, it was interesting to read this article since I am an addict on Facebook. However, social media is much easier to communicate and socialize with our friends/family online since they may be distance away. Also, there is just so much entertainment and interesting pages or article on Facebook or other social media that I just love to know more!

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  105. I agree with the idea that social media is getting out of hand these days, I am personally even addicted to social media and cannot leave my phones aside every morning it has become a ritual to wake up and check my social media apps. It is sad and sickening to say the least but smart phones do come in handy for example they have built in alarm clocks and weather apps to check, or if you are lost they have google maps to help you out of traffic. The same goes to social media, it helps you stay connected with long distance friends or family, sharing pictures or talking could never be this easier, and you can always have something to do. Social media is so convenient as well, you can use it to advertise or just text a friend from a few taps on a screen the easiest way to communication. I would recommend a phone addict to try and see if they can stay away for 2 hours then increase the time gradually to get them off of their phone, especially when trying to focus in class or outside driving. In all seriousness constantly checking your phone could be dangerous while driving or even walking on the streets, I recommend to avoid texting or checking while driving or walking multitasking with social media is a bad mistake and could get you in serious trouble.

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  106. I agree with the fact that people are becoming more and more engaged with social media and I myself, sadly, have also been sucked in to the world of social media. I go out to restaurants and see couples and families not conversing or paying attention to each other because they are on social media while at the table. It has gotten to the point where my friends and I play a game when we go to dinner, we all put our phones aside and if one of us feels the need to use it, that person pays for dinner (obviously excluding emergencies). There are however certain qualities of it that I enjoy. I love the fact that I can get information faster there than I would on the news and I am able to look at more than one source on the matter. On the contrary social media can inflict harmful behavior such as scrolling and driving. I have known several people that have been in accidents due to this and it's quite alarming how frequently it happens. I think it would be great if people could start trying to cut back their cell phone usage and start enjoying life and face to face interaction.

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  107. When I first learned how to make social media accounts, I was hooked. I'd spend hours scrolling through the feeds, watching videos, and other stuff that were probably useless. I would talk to people online who I have never even met in person. Though, I'm not as addicted as I was before because of work and school, but I sometimes find myself just viewing my accounts and looking through it because of boredom. Nowadays, people prefer talking/texting/DMing on the internet than face-to-face, which eventually becomes weird for them because of the realization that they've barely know and talked with each other in person. One interesting thing that I just learned recently in my General Studies class is that more people, specifically teenagers, used to party back in the 90's than they do now. The percentage lessened because of internet addiction; they would rather stay home and go on the internet/social networks rather than go out and party. Additionally, now that technology is improving so much, there will be more interesting stuff on social medias. People will spend all day going on their phone, even when driving and walking, which can be potentially dangerous.

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  108. Unfortunately, I do think I am hooked to social media. It’s the first thing I am on when I wake up and when I fall asleep. Even though I do believe I am addicted to social media I would never put my life and the life of others at risk while I am driving. I always silence my phone before I begin driving so that I don’t feel tempted to check my phone since it’s a huge distraction. I don’t have advice for those who are hooked since I am hooked. I do agree that it can be as bad as being addicted to cocaine. For instance, there are many times throughout my day where I know I shouldn’t be on my phone and should be doing something productive but I can’t help myself. I hope that one day I can control the amount of time I spend on my phone and not feel the need to check it every few minutes.

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  109. I think I am addicted to my phone but not to the extent that everyone else is at. I understand that it is a huge distraction so I try to limit my time with it, especially when I'm outside, and I like to admire the beauty of nature rather than my phone screen.

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  110. I agree with this study that people can be addicted to their phones. Really people can be addicted to anything and our phones do provide that happiness to be addicted to something. I believe it has got worse with our generation, as there are so many social media apps to use now of days. It is becoming dangerous, as there are many fatal accidents do to phone use. Look at snap chat, they have to put a warning on their app to not "snap and drive." As there have been reported accidents when drivers on using snap chat and have gotten into an accident. This is not only a distraction on the road, but to parts of lifes. You can see this when families and friends are on their phones at the dinner table, instead of talking to each other. Our phone addiction is a serious problem and hopefully we can try to resist the temptation to look at phones and engaged with the world.

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  111. I will admit that I am addicted to my phone and the social media aspects that come along with it. It is the first thing I look at when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I look at as I fall asleep, even in the middle of the night I will look at it because I cannot sleep. I honestly believe that phones are the main reason for car wrecks in today's society. There are so many young drivers on the road that will be responding to a text message, SnapChat or tweet rather than be concerned that the car in front of them has come to a complete stop or will not see the kid running into the street to chase his ball. I will take fault in texting while driving, but I have seen to many people my age die because they were replying or trying to pick the next song to play, and for this I can say that I will ignore it or let my passenger respond for me while I am driving. I wish that I can find a way to be able to have my phone next to me while doing homework and not look at it because as of right now I have to make my friends take it from me so i can get my stuff done. Technology is really doing more harm than good.

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  112. When it comes to social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, I cant say that I am a huge fan, but I do understand the addiction.
    Social media in general is a great way to pass the time, and I do go on outlets like Instagram and Snapchat quite often. As for the addiction aspect of these outlets, I know it doesn't help when they are becoming increasingly personalized; for example, when I go on Instagram, there is a special section that is created solely based on the photos that I like, and I know I can pass a good few minutes on going through that. It's quite scary what a hold these websites can have on peoples lives. Nevertheless, I don't condone using these when you can potentially put someone else's life on the line. I don't understand the compulsive need to use your phone to check such outlets when you're driving, unless its an emergency, for which, essentially, if it were so important, someone would call. That being said, if someone where to call you, with advancing technology, many cars come equipped with hands-free methods to answer your phone, and still stay relatively focused on the wheel and the road. I can confidently say that there cant be something so important on social media that cant wait until you step out of the car.

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  113. From my experience, I've noticed social media to become most of what everyone was doing starting in middle school. First it was Facebook and Instagram. Everyone was always updating their status. Next in high school became Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. I've personally used these social media outlets as a distraction from reality. I've never noticed how evolved social media has become, and I could really notice how much social media has been inputted in so many people's lives. When this blog post brought up "Sheesh, no wonder there are so many car wrecks," it made me think of how our brains have limited processing capacity meaning there's only so much you can focus all at once. So when someone is checking their social media and updating their status, they're more focused on doing that than actually driving.
    Knowing now that I can't ever escape reality, I try not to ease in my weakness of checking every social media I have and just focus on what's really important.

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  114. Social media is an addiction to all ages. I am one of those victims of social media. I constantly check my notification to pass the time, or I would be listening to music. I honestly check my snapchat, Facebook, twitter, and Instagram on a daily bases. I there are many young drivers that would respond to a text or snapchat when they are on the freeway. I know thee are plenty of teenagers that are snapping a driving even with the warning being given to them. I would see this in my own group of friends, we would on our phones when we go out to eat instead of socializing with each other. But the power of social media is that it can physically hurt multiple people and yourself. Your phone causes many distraction when driving or walking. I think I am able to get away from my phone for like a day.

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  115. In my experience, I completely agree that social media can become that bad. Before when I was little and when I was in the car with an adult, they would barely ever touch their phone. Unless they got a phone call, but now a days I'll be in the car with friends, parents, older family members, and they'll just grab their phone while driving like its the most normal thing to do. To be honest it scares me because it becomes more dangerous and hazardous to be driving with things like this getting out of hand. I personally do feel that I'm addicted to social media but I never want to be the person to be in an accident because I was stuck on my phone. One time my dad was on his phone while driving and I just took it from his hand, he even threatened to ground me if I didn't give it back! Like really? I'm trying to save us from having you kill us for being on your phone and I'm getting in trouble for it?! It was ridiculous, I didn't give him his phone back though. (Nor did I get grounded because my mom sided with me) Not just my dad but my friends go crazy when I take their phone away while driving too, someones got to stop them, so I do it. They could get mad all they want, I am not risking my life for a text message.

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  116. Social media can affect a persons life. By overusing social media can become distracted of your surroundings or you lose valuable time. I know someone that is on Facebook 24/7 as soon as something is posted he comments on it. Although social media is addicting its not as addicting compared to cocaine or other drugs. I feel like social media is being over used and yes it may be good to communicate with family far away but that doesn't mean you have to be on it all day.

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  117. I believe that social networking is an intricate part of life for young adults. Being 18 I have grown up with this new form of communication. The biggest reason why people are addicted is so they do not miss out on anything. Facebook and Twitter are school cafeterias. There's different cliques with their own jokes, ideas, languages, and communities. However, is it much easier to sit at more than table if you are on a app. Social media is addicting because it brings everyone together to laugh, fight, debate, and gossip.

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  118. Social networking has spawned a generation of technology zombies who are constantly feeding on the media. When taking a step out in public, there is no doubt that you will come across a number of people whose eyes are glued to their phone screens. It's a sad sight to see families completely ignoring each other because they are too distracted by the online world of Twitter or Facebook. Social media has made people more antisocial and less willing to speak face-to-face with others. Personally, I even find myself wasting time away by checking up on my apps a few times a day. Half the time I can't even recall anything important or valuable that I read/looked at after I put my phone down. I think that people who have severe problems with obsessing over social media need to put all of this wasted energy into something that is actually productive. Maybe take up a new hobby like painting or going to the gym, or anything that will keep their minds distracted from using their devices. Some people are so caught up with their virtual reality and trying to prove themselves online that they forget to be a decent person in real life. Think about the old times before phones were invented; nowadays if you don't respond to a text within a few hours, people might start to think that you're dead! We need to get rid of these technology zombies before it's too late.

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  119. How advanced our technology is, especially when it comes to social media and social networking, is both a blessing and a curse. Although efficient and convenient, social media is definitely a distraction. I think that a lot of young adults today are so caught up in their phones and social networking online that they forget to live in the moment. Technology consumes people and sometimes there are negative consequences such as cyber bullying or a car accident due to texting and driving. Social media is so addicting because it is everywhere and it is easily accessible.

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  120. I feel that Social media is definitely addicting. It is an easy way to keep up in real time, well not real time but internet time. From Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook; they are all an easy way to keep up with friends and family you might not have time to see or catch up with. Although this is convenient many people are now doing things in "real life" just to project a certain image and maintain a social media presence. I mean the next time you go out to do something, ask yourself if you're doing it because you actually enjoy it or is it because it would make for a good picture to post on you multiple social media outlets.

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  121. Social media addiction is becoming a serious issue, especially with the influence on today's teens. The need of consistent positive reinforcement is no only raising concerns of what we take precedence during normal remedial task like driving, but it is also linked to rising depression rates of you adolescences and teens. I would have to say I am not hooked on social media, in fact I do not even have a Facebook account. But I would say that I am very conscious of when my phone dings regarding my sports updates. I catch myself compulsively looking for them at work and fear it has become an involuntary act that is detrimental to my productivity. This is Scary to think about on an individual level, but even more as a society. Where will this lead us as a society if we do not address these issues soon? The only thing that has worked for me is to either put my phone away and not have it on my desk and/or put on my headphones and zone into work while listing to music.

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  122. Technology and social media have become very important in today's society and in the lives of teens. Almost everyone has a form of social media. Whether it's facebook, instagram, twitter, snapchat, etc. There are a lot of thuings that social media is good for and that talking with people, meeting new people, advertising companies, and getting notified about important events or dates. Unfortunately people are just way to damn hooked on their phones. I;m guilty of this also but I try not to use it so much. The thing that has gotten out of hand is the use of phones while driving. I can;t believe people can;t even stay away from their phones for that period of time. They don't only put their lives in danger but also the lives of others. It's the same or even worse than driving drunk. What I do is just leave my phone in my pocket or in a bag or something so I won't be tempted to use it. I think if someone really needs to use it they should just pull off to the side and take care of their business.

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  123. I would have to say that social media has completely taken over everyone's lives because everyone that has access to the internet is most likely to be involved in social media. I do admit that I am one of those people that is always on their social media. Even though I know it is not healthy for me I still have to check from the time I wake up until I go sleep. Fortunately I'm not those kind of people that believes everything that is posted on social media but other can get sucked in very easily which is a very big issue for teens today. They need to realize that there is real things going on outside their phone. I'm not the type of person to respond to an insignificant notification while I'm driving because I value my life more than what someone said on twitter. I would have tell people to start getting use to of not having their phone in their hands all the time because its just so tempting to go on your social media when your phone is right there in front of you. Start putting it where its harder to grab then it would motivate you less to go through the trouble to get your phone.

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  124. EXTRA CREDIT:
    I have never been someone who becomes addicted to social media. Yes I do have social media, but I don't feel the need to show off my friends and family and create the perfect image for people to awe over. Students especially who are addicted to social media will not work as hard in college because they will be distracted by the social media, apps, and addiction it all comes with. People who can come to terms that they are addicted to social media, need to seek help, like deleting or taking breaks for using it. Now with all this new technology, people forget that we are human and used to communicate face to face in the past.

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  125. I would sadly have to agree with Social Media being addicting for more reasons that one. Its addicting because that's were most of our information on the world or on current events is stored, so we go to social media for updates on the world rather than turning on the TV and watching the news. The second reason why it's addicting is because you have friends and family on their, it's a great way to interact with people you've never met and get different ideas on concepts and beliefs. The only thing is that once you use social media as a source for all of your information to come from it becomes unhealthy and becomes a regular habit. I myself am notorious for waking up in the middle of the night or waking up early in the morning to check my phone for something. When im bored I go on some form of social media so much so that it becomes second nature.

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  126. With all the "don't text and drive" campaigns showing up on website ads, video ads, and tv ads, you would think that people would know better than to shift their attention to their phone instead of the road while driving. A lot of the people I know realize that social media is addicting, especially with the younger generations, who are put under the pressure to conform to the social norm. Even though they know it's addicting, they think that it's an "okay" addiction. Personally, I do not believe in acceptable or "okay" addictions, but if you are willing to put someone else's life at risk, not just your own, then you have a potentially life-threatening addiction. Don't text-and-drive. All the possible outcomes are not bound to be good. I think it's becoming increasingly difficult for people to look into their future and think about the consequences their actions will have on the quality of their future life.

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  127. I found this post very prevalent to today's society. Social media is the platform that ties us together and keeps everyone connected, which is why it's extremely popular. I mean, there are a few out liars that distance themselves from social media because it's time consuming and addictive, but those people are nearly extinct. Unfortunately, a large group got sucked into this category of people that let social media consume them because of FOMO. I've seen both people on each spectrum. My mother despised social media, and my girlfriend is almost glued to social media because she finds satisfaction in knowing what others are up to and the newest fads. It's almost impulsive. I, on the other hand, am in between. I'm not super infatuated in knowing anyone's status nor do I care if anyone knows what I'm doing.

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  128. Social media has become a driving force in our life and it is something we cannot get away from. For a lot of people (including me), the first thing they do when they wake up in the morning is to check their text messages or any notifications from their social media accounts before I get out of bed, brush my teeth, or even say good morning to my roommates. Social media is a way to communicate with others or share important life events or use social media to be funny.
    Even though I believe social media is a good way to connect with many people from around the world, the obsession with it does go a little bit too far. For example, if you are hanging out with your friends, it gets really annoying when their face is always glued to their twitter feed or Instagram feed.
    Yes social media is a good thing because it allows you to keep up with your friends every single second or it becomes a form of entertainment for you, but sometimes you just need to log off of Twitter, put your hone down, and enjoy life.

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  129. Car crashes, an idle body scrolling through Instagram, minimal conversing around the table - Social media has had dire affects on human interactions and priorities. It is no wonder that depression, suicidal thoughts, and loneliness is so prevalent in today's society! There is little surprise that generations are becoming accustomed to social media being apart of daily life. In a grocery store, those around you may easily check up on their social media midway through their grocery list. Social media is an addiction that the world suffers from. Like a drug, it is very difficult to go without it for long periods of time (I tried disposing of all social media during lent and found myself impulsively redownloading the apps). It allows for connections among the web and around the world; yet, this comes at high costs when it distracts drivers, minimizes socializing, and gives false preconceptions of individuals. If it is used in moderation, social media is a tool. Used as a necessity to daily life, it becomes a hindrance to optimizing your talents. My opinion on social media leans toward the negative spectrum but there is no way I am getting rid of it without the world also doing so! I'd say I am slightly addicted.
    -MaKenna Duda
    English 1001 -10

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  130. In my opinion social media is an addiction because people always want to know what others are doing and up to date with the latest trends or new releases that are coming out. Also, it starts to becoming a habit and once you don't have the chance to go on social media, you feel left out. Car crashes have become more common and increased because so many people are scrolling through a certain social media than rather paying attention to the road like they are supposed to be doing. The law about not being on the phone and riving is there for reason because not only are you putting your life in danger but you are also putting others in danger. Being on social media also takes up time because once you start you end up being on the website for a long period of time because what usually happens is that you get sidetracked and then forget where you were and end up going over all the postings again. Social media does have benefits like coming in contact with people whether they are family members or business related and can find out their information without having to get up a look for them. In my opinion social media is becoming a bad thing for newer generations for the reason of it becoming a habit and people not being able to live without it.

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  131. I really do believe that social media is definitely addicting and sometimes worse than actual drugs. When checking your social media accounts one doesn't actually believe that they are harming themselves. People constantly use social media so that they can fit in with their friends and family. They don't want to be left out of whats happening in their lives. Even though there is a law about being on your phone when driving doesn't mean that people are going to listen. I constantly see people on their phones when I'm driving anywhere. Also not only can social media hurt someone physically (car crash) but someone can be hurt mentally. Social media makes it easier for people to criticize their own body image based off what they see from friends and strangers. So when someone is constantly going on the apps they see more of this "ideal" look letting it effect them.

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