Studies have shown that too much Facebook can be a bad thing. In fact, there is an op-ed piece in the New York Post where they say that Facebook could be potentially damaging to your mental health. With the average Facebook user spending 50 minutes a day on the site, (or if you are like me, you're are spending more than 12 hours a day on it), and getting bombarded with tons of content, it seems like it might be getting a little too much for some. It might mean taking a break from the social media site all together.

When I was a kid, video games were my escape from reality. I played on every video game console imaginable in the early to late 90's: SEGA, Nintendo, Nintendo 64, GameCube, PlayStation, ect. Video games were my escape from the troubles of pre-teen life and it was my first introduction into a world that I could make my own. Fast forward to today, where social media has taken over our versions of reality, almost like a video game in itself. Most content on social media channels are custom made based on what you like or follow. SnapChat has taken this concept a step further in placing ads in the camera base.

Facebook ads. Does that freak you out? No worries, it freaks me out too. I mean to be honest, it gives me nightmares. The kind of nightmares that will make Freddy Kruger shake in his striped sweater. Digital advertising is confusing enough, I mean the algorithms, the budgeting, the copy, it's all confusing right? Well to top that post off, Facebook has made another big change recently: ad transparency. Most importantly, ad transparency to stop dark posts.

Since its inception in 2010, Instagram has exploded on to the social media scene as being one of the top social media platforms of the last decade. Filters, tags, and selfies has made Instagram a must-have on every smartphone today and with over 700 million users, Instagram has no sign of slowing down. In 2012, Instagram sold their business over to Facebook, which took it to another level, integrating their features for easier sharing on mobile devices. As a result, ads on Instagram have now become a huge deal.

Fake news. That's a phrase used a lot by our current president and while Trump's real news involves debunking global warming, Facebook is taking steps to make sure fake news like that doesn't spread. While I don't like to get political on my website, the truth of the matter is that a lot of people go on Facebook to get their news. Social media sites like Facebook were widely criticized for spreading false news without proper vetting. Without real fact checkers, disinformation often gets spread around causing riots from an uninformed audience. Pressured by the previous administration, Facebook has finally put their foot down on fake news.