Social media and smartphones have irreversibly changed the landscape of human connection and fundamentally redefined how people interact with one another.

Eighty percent of users check their phones within fifteen minutes of waking up, according to a 2013 study sponsored by Facebook. The same study also found that the average user checks their mobile device every six minutes. Although striking, these statistics are far from extraordinary.

People can get “high” from technology use, because of the chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin that are released when using social media. This creates a dangerous dependency and can lead to withdrawal and other symptoms of addiction.

A good question to answer is “What are signs that you are too dependent on social media?” I believe the answer is, are there negative consequences with your use? Do you continue to use social media in spite of these consequences?

It’s easy to be in denial about these problems and adopt a flippant sense of dismissal.

Like “Everyone does it” or “I can do ___ later”

If unchecked, this dependency will only grow. It is your obligation to define and limit your social media usage in a healthful way.