With everyone home for months and not much to do, companies like Facebook and Twitter saw jumps in users at 24 and 27 percent respectively.  The endless scrolling of social media pages has surprised all of us when we take a closer look at our own screen time.  The problem with these sites is they do exactly what they are designed to do, keep you scrolling.  We just dive deeper and deeper knowing fully well there is no bottom.  We might use these sites as a means to escape the dreary news of the day but even our escape can have negative repercussions. 

Excessive screen time can actually lead to increased feelings of depression and loneliness.  The list of health effects can go as far as reduced quality of sleep just from the actual blue screen itself.  It is enough that many of us now use screens for school and work these days, but social media scrolling can lead to being on screens almost every waking moment.

But fear not, allow the screen you are reading now to offer some advice on how to reduce your screen intake.  Instead of quitting cold turkey, try setting a daily limit.  Most sites even have an in-app timer that will alert you when your allotted time is up.  Set parameters for screen time for you and your kids.  Make mealtime a no-screen zone.  Limit or eliminate screen time in bed.  Leave your phone behind when you go for a walk or turn it off for several hours on the weekends.  Little by little, we can decrease our dependence on our phones and learn to enjoy more of the "real world".The pan

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