“We have no choice whether or not to use social media, the question is: how well do we do it?” This question came from Erik Qualman, who pushes people to think about how they use social media. Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, are websites and applications that users can share their information in social networks. Furthermore, social media offers its users from all over the world the opportunity to interact. Users can connect with people far away from them through discussions, messages, photos and videos. There are approximately 3,484 million active social media users worldwide, representing approximately half of the current world population, and nearly 3,256 million are active mobile social media users (“Global Digital Population”). With this extreme number of people using social media, we assert that social media is already one of the most important parts of human life. Even though social media was created to improve human life in all ways by providing better communication between people and the world around them, it still has many negative effects. However, nowadays, its users are becoming addicted to it, which would lead to adverse effects on their physical, mental health, and daily activities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe primary effect of social media on human health is through their physical health. Based on research, regular phone users touch their phone approximately 2617 times per day, and this number can be reached more than 5400 times per day, approximately 10% of the top users ("Smartphone Addiction"). These are really high statistics that underline how much people rely on their phone. One of the reasons this happens is the addiction to social media. Furthermore, according to the National Human Development Report (NHDR) 2014, the lifestyles of 23% of young people have changed. Most teenagers spend their time using social media, resulting in less physical strength due to lack of physical fitness. The NDHR has confirmed that this is a significant change in the lifestyle of younger generations ("Kids at Risk"). Addiction to social media has significantly changed human lives, forcing them to rely more on the phone and the Internet. Jo Begent, a teenage doctor at University College Hospital in London, said many parents brought their children to him because of their health problems, such as shortness of breath, tiredness or persistent headaches with no immediate explanation. Through questions and tests, Begent finally realized that these problems occurred due to "inactivity caused by the amount of time they spent on the Internet." He believed there was "extreme social pressure to be 'in the streak' on Snapchat", which leads some children to social media addiction. From what he testified, he said the physical health effects are significant, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, severe sleep deprivation, behavioral problems, or even worse, poor brain development (Begent). Type 2 diabetes is a disease that can lead to death. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent social media addiction. The second effect of social media on human health is through their mental health. In 2012, Medical News Today reported that “Facebook use can fuel anxiety and increase a person's sense of inadequacy.” Recently, Ethan Cross, a social psychologist at the University of Michigan, discovered that “Facebookit might even make us unhappy” (“The Effects of Social Media”). Furthermore, in Sri Lanka, several suicides have occurred which are believed to be due to the victims' involvement in social media ("Kids at Risk"). Social media was created to improve human life, even though it seems like people use it the wrong way and lead to unwanted consequences. Using social media is already a part of human life but don't make it a tool to kill yourself. There are many situations where people use social media almost all the day. According to Dr Sameer Malhotra, director of mental health and behavioral sciences at Max Healthcare, said he has experienced many cases where young people have turned to him due to social media addiction. One of his patients is Krishnan, a 15-year-old boy who spends nearly 16 hours a day on Facebook. After a long period, the boy realized that he was obsessive about himself because he was unable to manage his lifestyle, so Dr. Malhotra had to treat him with both counseling and medicine to transform his energy in positive work. From all the cases of social media addiction that Dr Malhotra has gone through, he told IANS that "Facebook addiction is similar to cocaine addiction up to a certain level as there are some neurochemicals like dopamine which work through the reward pathways of the brain and are responsible for maintaining addictive behavior.” (“Beware, Facebook”). drug addiction affects human health, so thinking about how to use social media effectively is really necessary. It is not wrong to use social media, but to find a way to use it intelligently so that there are no negative health consequences. mental The third effect of social media on humans is through their daily activities. The role of social media in human life has become important over time, which could change human lifestyle. Marshall BS Dhanoa, chief of air staff, said pilots have become addicted to social media, leading to them losing their communication and personal skills. In the 57th annual meeting of the Indian Aerospace Medicine Association, Dhanoa wanted the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) to have the system or method to check whether the pilot has been sleep deprived or not. He stated that “Being addicted to social media such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for long hours at night meant pilots slept late and less than necessary to fly. The IAM should find a method to detoxify the social media drivers.” (“Social Media Addiction”). The sanity of the pilot is really important for every single flight. If pilots were unconscious during flight, this could lead to significant consequences. This required pilots to get enough sleep at night and enough time to rest so they could “be fresh and alert for flying sorties” (“Social Media Addiction”). This example demonstrates that social media has affected pilots through their work, which could make them jobless or unable to provide a safe flight. Furthermore, Dr. N. Kumaranayake, a clinical psychiatrist at Base Hospital, Kiribathgoda said he has seen around 5 students, addicted to the Internet, lose their social and academic skills ("Kids at Risk"). This is a really big problem among teenagers. Kumaranayake also explained: “They spend most of their free time online and show less interest in offline relationships or in.