Most of us have participated in the use of technology in the ways of making tasks more convenient or carelessly wasting time entertaining ourselves. Although it does have its benefits, young students should take more time away from technology, and more specifically, social media to increase productivity and mental health day to day.

Social media has become more of a time waster, as it has developed a wider spectrum and become more prominent in our day to day lives. It makes it easier to procrastinate on our responsibilities because it is a continual distraction right at our fingertips. Even in instances where people get their work and extracurriculars done before heading straight to their phones, many times it is time to head to bed by the time they are able to. This doesn’t stop teenagers from engaging on social media, which then causes a loss of sleep, and then a lack of productivity in a new way.

Some may argue that social media is now providing jobs for businesses and influencers, and their productivity includes keeping up with posts and insights from these platforms. Regardless, no matter the job, social media is a distraction. People will still gravitate to the things they desire rather than their responsibilities.

On top of this, influencers will speak up about the unhealthy comparison they experience that puts a damper on their mental health. People typically post the “highlight reel” of their lives, discarding any details that might leave their profile and how people depict them seemingly imperfect. The unhealthy comparison rising from this is not limited to influencers. Teenagers can more easily fall into a deep hole of insecurity, negatively affecting how they perceive their lives. Constantly attempting to please the public eye and comparing their own good and bad to only the good of others is unfair because it will never satisfy any involved.

Taking social media breaks does not mean ridding yourself of it completely, but like most other things, partaking in its benefits in moderation. We have the tendency to go overboard in obsessing over pictures or making profiles just right, as well as the time we spend distracting ourselves from the tasks we need to get done. Some devices include a setting where you can set time limits to certain apps to help break the habit and take the first step in creating these social media breaks for yourselves. This way you can continue using social media for its benefits without so easily falling into the hindering consequences it can also cause.