As I continue to work with teens in counseling, I'm constantly learning their new trends, ways of life, and outlooks on everything from family, to relationships, to friends. The newest sentence that keeps popping up in my sessions is: “I like my internet friends rather than my real life friends.” When I ask why the response is usually something like:
I’m nomophobic…and chances are, you are too. Nomophobia is a new disorder that is defined as “the fear of being without your smartphone.” This phobia actually affects 40% of the population. Studies show that “aside from sleep and sex, the urge to log into social networking sites is stronger than any other, including drugs and alcohol.” How many times have
In a world of selfies, hashtags, and tweets, social media and the pressures it brings have bombarded our lives. It is well understood by now that social media can be used to bring harm, heartache, and even “acceptance” to its users, but it is surprising how often we gain “strength” behind the screen to promote, defend and process. The
