Generation Z finds itself in a dilemma. According to an ABC study, the average American checks their phone once every six and a half minutes. Most people check their phone upwards of 150 times a day looking for constant dopamine hits and distractions to drown out reality. The epidemic of notifications is more addictive than nicotine, but the issue is, it isn’t as frowned upon.

Because of the widespread amounts of social media used by individuals in a social manner, the average person’s internet addiction is often overlooked. Few consequences are considered, with the largest being the loss of your presence in your own life.

Endless scrolling and the ability to play slots with TikTok and Instagram reels, never knowing if the next video will be the “next best”, keeps viewers scrolling and keeps advertisers and big tech happy. The consequences of scrolling though, have fried the brains of students, parents, and most likely you, the person reading this story. In fact, in the last 12 years, attention spans have dropped four seconds from the average 15 over the past decade.

To really put the issue into perspective, how many videos do you see with fast, snappy, subtitles or multiple videos inside of one. Sometimes two or three videos, with the most common including internet games or Family Guy clips to keep your attention on anything before you scroll away.

We talked to students at Panther Creek and the majority of them said they use their phone as a “means to get back on track after losing attention.” But it seems that just about everyone has been sold the “social media is good for your mental health” narrative. Posting on social media can bring you benefits to your mental health and relationships, but without the moderation that most people lack, Meta and ByteDance (Owners of Instagram and TikTok) will continue to usurp your attention. Just as they will with billions of others across the world.