Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter; teenagers and people everywhere know these names.Whether you have an account with these popular social media networks or not, you know what they are and, for the most part, why they’re used. Now a days everybody thinks in “140 characters or less”. Is this a growing epidemic or are these quick, easy ways of communicating a great advancement in the 21st Century?

It seems this social media craze is going to be a fad we just can’t get rid of. The addiction, as well as a few other reasons, was actually so bad during the 2013-2014 school year that, for the first time, the school had to go about blocking several sites like Twitter. But it’s not just our school that got sucked into the internet.

All around the country, kids, teens and young adults are wasting their time typing away day after day as ways to communicate, vent, deal with issues and even bully. So what could be so addicting about these social sites?

Just how many people around the world regret getting involved with such an epidemic? Sophomore Shawn Bleau agrees that the internet is addicting and that’s why he doesn’t own a single social media account. In this generation, it’s definitely strange to find a high schooler who isn’t involved with some type of social media.

The addiction is becoming so huge that teens are heard using text talk in their everyday conversations. People can be heard saying “hashtag”, “lol”, “jk”, “tbh” and many more as they try to have normal conversation with their friends. Just because it happens on screen doesn’t mean it belongs in a real conversation.

It’s important to start realizing this epidemic doesn’t really help us communicate. Rather, it builds walls that can only be broken behind a screen with our fingers racing over the keyboard.

Whether you’re pinning, blogging or tweeting about your life every minute of the day, these could be words to live by. As society grows more and more attached to the every day advancements in technology, we grow apart in the real world.

Take the time to talk to your friends and family face to face. Don’t tweet about your recent argument with your best friend. Don’t hide behind a screen and pick on people you’ll never even meet. Learn to communicate a full thought with more than the lazy “140 characters or less”. See how this change can impact your real social life, and maybe get you off the anti-social media.