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Teenagers who once spent hours talking to each other on the phone now spend hours communicating on social media.
Many adults do much of the same thing, spending hours scrolling through various web sites and social media feeds.
Ironically, much of this is done using phones. Devices which were originally created to enable people to speak to each other in some cases now get used to do about everything but speak to another human being.
The internet has a lot of tremendous benefits. It enables people to access all kinds of news and information that they could have never received before. Social media enables people to make connections with relatives and friends with ease. People can meet people all over the world who have the same interests. For hobbies ranging from gardening to model railroads, there is an online venue for exchanging ideas and information.
Unfortunately, the internet and social media have a dark side. The world wide web can be a hangout for rip-off artists and sickos looking to prey on the vulnerable.
The threat of scams and sexual predators are real. Fortunately, law enforcement agencies are working around the clock to stop them and to educate people on how to protect themselves.
There is another dark side to the internet that law enforcement really can't help with.
Social media has a way of creeping into people's lives in a manner which, in the worst case scenario, makes what a person sees on their phone more important than what is going on around them. For those folks, the fear of missing out on something makes staying plugged into social media more significant than talking to the people right next to them.
Older generations wonder how that can happen, but for younger generations, especially those who have only communicated with smart phones, it is a very real threat. The threat is real enough that the U.S. Surgeon General's Office and the American Psychological Association have issued warnings about it. The experts at prestigious institutions like the Mayo Clinic and Columbia University have studied the issue.
Those experts agree that there is such a thing as compulsive social media use. According to the Mayo Clinic, compulsive social media use distracts from daily living and disrupts sleep patterns.
Girls and young women face a unique threat from social media, according to the university experts. They say constant use of social media can expose them to unrealistic beauty standards which in turn can lead girls into depression and eating disorders.
To further complicate the issue, there are allegations that social media companies somehow manipulate algorithms to keep people hooked on their feeds.
All kinds of advice is being offered by various groups about dealing with the potential hazards of social meda. Most deal with setting rules and limits on social media use by children and teens.
The bottom line is that parents need to act like parents. No, it won't be easy to tell the kids they can't have their phones at the dinner table, but being a parent is rarely easy. Having happy, well-adjusted kids will be the reward for all the hard work.
Columbia University experts advocate taking what they call a social media vacation. Basically, that is taking time off from using the internet.
We humbly suggest taking that idea one step further: go outside. Leave the phone on the kitchen table or in a drawer and get outdoors. You don't have to hike 10 miles or climb a mountain. Just take a walk or even sit on the porch. Breathe the fresh air. Listen to the birds sing.
We are convinced that after some time outside, your mind and body will be refreshed.
And don't worry -- the internet and social media will still be around when you need them.