Through the years, it has become apparent many of us have become addicted to social media. With sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest and Reddit, it’s very hard not to have your head buried in your phone most of the time.

It can be argued this might not be a bad thing. Social media has a lot to offer. It brings people together by allowing them to share their thoughts, photos and relationship statuses, and they are able to get the satisfaction of having others like or comment on whatever they post. It allows one to keep up with people with whom one may have lost touch and don’t get to see very often. Social media also brings hours of entertainment that can enhance the otherwise boring spots in one’s day.

The other side of the argument states social media is very harmful to our culture. People pour most of their time into their phones and don’t really pay attention to the world around them. It’s been said social media hurts us in the long run in the way we interact with each other and how we view what is really important to us.

Alexis Jones, a Ph.D psychology student, discussed how controlling social media can be a difficult balance to find.

“I know that I’m definitely addicted to it. I spend a lot of my time on sites like Twitter and Instagram and Yik Yak, etc. I think social media is a useful tool for society, and for me, since I work so much, it’s helpful to interact with people through it. But unfortunately, I see a lot of undergraduates stop socializing with the people around them and only socialize through social media,” Jones said.

I agree social media can be a useful tool for us, but when it takes up all of your time and focus, it becomes a major problem. For example, before the Jack White concert on Tuesday night the announcer came out and asked everybody to please put their phones away for the concert and to just enjoy the show. He said students have started to rely on their phones so much that they miss out on the things that truly matter right in front of them. I know he said this mainly so people in the audience would buy the professional photos of the concert later on, but I thought he made a really good point.

I’m guilty of it as well. Even when my friends and I are together, there are some points where all of us are on our phones and don’t talk to each other for long periods of time, and it shouldn’t be that way.

However one looks at it, it’s clear the constant presence of social media needs to be addressed.  Unfortunately, it is only getting worse. With many kids being raised watching everybody staring at their phones and computers all day, it’s only natural to assume the next generation will continue to rely on social media for constant entertainment.