Social media is everywhere. It has become one of our primary means of communication, one of our favorite pass-times and a focal point of our day-to-day lives. Millions of people start and end their days with social media time, and many devote hours upon hours to their social media engagements. We are quite accustomed to this modern trend, however, this does not mean that it is a healthy practice. In fact, there is a great deal of evidence that suggests that overindulging in social media has very negative effects on our lives.

First of all, a social media obsession is certain to dwindle a person’s level of accountability and responsibility. Social media is very time consuming, and a person who cannot manage to pull their attention away from it will inevitably begin to slack off on their personal responsibilities, such as work, school, chores and daily obligations. This is very detrimental to a person’s reputation and to their ability to take care of themselves.

Another thing that may begin to suffer immensely due to a social media obsession is personal relationships. It may seem ironic that something with the word “social” in its title would be detrimental to relationships but actually, in the truest sense of the word “social,” it is doing exactly that. Instead of socializing in person, people have taken to socializing through their computers, which ultimately makes them less able to connect with people in person, and makes them dependent on technology for the formation of their personal relationships.

And lastly, an obsession with social media is detrimental to a person’s physical health. This occurs in several ways. The most obvious of these is weight gain and muscle deterioration. Engaging in social media is an essentially inactive practice. You are always sitting and holding still in order to engage in social media which promotes a sedentary lifestyle. Another less known health effect of social media indulgence is the effect the blue light has on your eyes and brain. The light of a phone or computer screen is unnatural and disrupts the brain waves that interpret light signals. This can cause headaches, eye redness and sleep disorders.