Unplugged

Social media use can lead to depression. You heard me right--that mindless scrolling, looking at your friends' pictures, political postings, and status updates can leave you depressed. According to an article from Forbes.com, "Research Links Heavy Facebook And Social Media Usage To Depression," researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have found a link between a high amount of social media use and depression.The study states that, "highly idealized representations of peers on social media elicits feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier, more successful lives."

One thing I enjoy about running is the ability to be unplugged. Sure, I sometimes listen to podcasts, recorded books, and watch T.V. on the treadmill, but for the most part I run sans technology. Running unplugged takes me away from the informational stream of social media--Facebook in my case. I wouldn't call myself a heavy user, but I use it often enough that it definitely affects me.

Running unplugged helps me clear my head. I'm not reading news articles posted by Facebook friends. I'm not scrolling mindlessly through my Facebook feed, looking at people's status updates and photos. Instead, I'm spending time in motion, enjoying the outdoors, and being able to think without the "noise" of technology.

Regardless of whether you run or not, I encourage you to spend some time unplugged. It's nice to have a mental break.

Run well.