Are people blind to what's in front of them because of a screen? The use of social media has grown exponentially to the point where it involves 3.1 billion users worldwide, with more than half of society tied to some form of social media. All these posts and gossip on social media are just extra unsolicited information for your brain. While social media can be fun, it can also ruin you when you become “addicted.” For teenagers the problem is even worse, as they spend around 9 hours a day on social media. This essay will discuss the negative effects of teenagers addicted to social media. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay This is extremely depriving for our generation, as a 2018 study found that teens who spent 5 hours a day using their phones were almost twice as likely to show depressive symptoms than their peers who spent just 1 now on the phone. Social media has taken over society like a cancer that is about to kill us all, and an essay by a social media-addicted teenager could shed some light on this alarming issue. This excessive use of social media, which has become an addiction for many, will become a problem in today's society if not stopped. Parents must set an example for the next generation otherwise your children will fail, because “today's generation are tomorrow's leaders”. Fifty years ago you would never see people staring at their cell phone screen. The technology didn't even exist back then. People would only use snail mail to communicate with each other. It would take days or even weeks. Twenty years ago, you always saw young people playing outside, exercising and having fun. In today's society we see none of this. Teens prefer to stay home and access social media rather than go out. It's all about technology and social media gossip. We need to address this crisis and do something about it. This generation needs to learn that they are lucky because people never had social media back then. It was difficult, so they should learn not to abuse technology. Otherwise it will lead them to become the worst generation ever. One of the main reasons why teenagers spend so much time on social media is because they are afraid of missing out (FOMO). This occurs when teens view their friends' posts, forming a type of anxiety that is felt when you are afraid of missing out on a positive experience or emotion that someone else is feeling. This is reflected in Dr Orlando's research. Joanne Orlando, a technology and learning researcher at Western Sydney University, said that "people check their phones, on average, every 12 minutes when they are bored or procrastinating, while teenagers fear being left out of social activities." The development of social media has created a new way to facilitate daily information and communication needs. Social interaction skills require daily practice. Teens these days interact more online than in person. Social media addiction has become a habit, and a bad habit at that. Teens are starting to feel more confident texting online, behind a screen, rather than talking to people face to face. Human connection is a powerful tool. Having the confidence and ability to talk to someone in real life is a skill that will last a lifetime. Without this it will become extremely.