Technology connects people all around the world in one way or another. The main issue is that not everyone knows how to disconnect. With a constant stream of tweets, status updates, comments and photos to sift through, social media can cause a never-ending cycle that fills up our time and is often filled with negative feedback.

   Researchers from the University of Glasgow tested 467 teenagers and their use of social media throughout the day and night. They also tested for sleep quality and a multitude of psychological indicators. According to the Discovery Channel, the results showed that social media use, specifically at night, led to poor sleep quality, lower self esteem and higher levels of anxiety. This is due to the fact that teenagers feel a constant need to be responsive on social media 24/7. In addition, they feel the need to be constantly connected to their social media accounts through their devices and become emotionally invested, because social media is addictive (discovery.com).

   Addiction arises because of the fact that social media activity stimulates the pleasure centers in the brain, which are activated, for example, when people click the “Like” button on your profile, reply to your comments or make comments on your photo (discovery.com).

   The New York Times reported that any communication (not just online) affects these pleasure centers. But the stimulation of dopamine production (a neurotransmitter responsible for the formation of strong desires, including drug-related desires, such as the need to smoke a cigarette) goes to a completely different level when you use social networks (nytimes.com).

   Senior Elena Voytilla said, “Many people get used to checking their phones or computers if they have a second of spare time. This habit turns into addiction really fast, and can happen to anyone if he/she is not careful.”

    It’s easy to get used to checking your social networks often. For many people, social media becomes a kind of chewing gum for the brain. Such an activity does not have educational value, but constantly occupies their minds and attention as they are doing some work. For teenagers, this is the perfect way to relax their brains after a long and stressful day at school. But not if it’s interrupting the completion of homework. And not if it may have serious long term side effects.

   One Personal Development website states that constant multitasking, which can occur when spending time on social media, tires a person’s brain out rapidly. The brain gets tired of the abundance of information. In addition, it takes time to digest the received data and to process the information. But instead of first fully comprehending significant knowledge such as that learned in school, many people continue to stuff it with new information from social networks or the Internet, depriving their brains of rest (nperov.com).

   The same website states that it is likely that if someone is constantly distracted by social networking during the day, then toward the evenings, that person’s brain will inevitably get tired. They explain that trying to close one’s eyes after a social media marathon prevents one from relaxing. A person will want to continue to occupy his/her brain, rather than letting it rest. This pushes out information learned throughout the day and causes stress due to lack of concentration (nperov.com).

   The alternatives to being plugged can ultimately provide more satisfaction than staring at a screen. Disconnect and let yourself connect with the world around you. Unplug, take a walk, go to the beach, talk to your loved ones. Just don’t snapchat every effort to unplug.