Blatant Signs You May Need To Stay Away From Social Media

Over the past two years, your relationship with social media may have drastically changed. Gone are the days of casually scrolling through dozens of images of dogs, outfits of the day, and beautiful hikes without hearing about the latest terrible thing that has happened in the world. You are likely to hear about this terrible thing over and over again on multiple social media platforms.

Those more likely to constantly scroll through social media platforms on a regular basis are actually more prone to experiencing depression and anxiety. A study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found a causal link between the use of social media and depression. So, how much social media scrolling is too much? According to the aforementioned study, those who only spend a maximum of 30 minutes per day on social media, have reported feeling a decrease in depression and an improvement in their overall well-being.

One of the most obvious signs that you might need a break from social media is when you begin constantly comparing yourself to others. "Social media pulls us up into our heads," behavioral health therapist Jane Pernotto Ehrman told the Cleveland Clinic. "We're judging, comparing and daydreaming about what we're seeing online, so we're not fully living our own life. Instead, we're caught up in a virtual world that might not be exactly the way it appears."

Believe it or not, there are other signs that you should stay away from social media.

In many ways, a social media addiction can be similar to smoking cigarettes. Just like smokers, social media addicts will scroll through their platforms almost immediately upon waking up and dozens of times throughout the day until they find themselves scrolling through these platforms again just before they drift off to sleep. With that being said, if you find that you can't do anything without documenting it on Instagram, or you do things just simply to boast about it on social media, it might be time to take a break. "Composing tweets about what you're doing as you're doing it or feeling the need to report your thoughts in real-time are all signs that social media is taking over your life," Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, author of "The Distraction Addiction," told Health.

Also, if you find that you're feeling anxious without access to social media or only angry or bored while on social media, it's time to take a break, according to the Cleveland Clinic. After all, if social media isn't fun anymore, what's the point?

Taking a social media break can help your mental and social health. "Stepping away from social media is a great way to get a better picture of reality," Behavioral Health Therapist Jane Pernotto Ehrman told the Cleveland Clinic. "It's good for our mental and social health, but it doesn't have to be forever. The whole idea is that you're just more aware of it."