The Newest Drug: Social Media

As I was relaxing last night watching my favorite show with my boyfriend it dawned on me: whenever I'm bored the first thing I do is go on my phone.  Whenever my boyfriend is bored the first thing he does is... go on his phone.  Phone have become an "escape goat" to get out of having a conversation.  This thought of mine persuaded me to look up some statistics.  Whenever I go on my phone I visit 4 apps: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat- but my question is why?

Some of the facts/statistics that stood out to me the most may or may not be shocking to you.  Technology, and Social Media in generally, have become a daily routine in many of our lives, but do we know the "side effects" from these outlets? 

Fact #1: Social Media is associated with some psychological problems like anxiety, depression, loneliness, ADHD, and addiction

Fact #2: The fear of missing out (FOMO) when looking at media outlets

Fact #3: Excessive use of technology can cause disruptions in physical and mental health, sleeping patterns, and weight gain/loss

Do you think Social Media has a negative impact on society, or can referred to the newest "drug"?

Articles I read:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-excess/201805/addicted-social-media
https://addictionresource.com/addiction/technology-addiction/social-media-addiction/