With the rising advances in technology, phone apps have become an addiction to teenagers. Whether teens use them in the classroom, at home, or in a public place; apps such as 2048 and Snapchat have made a tremendous impact on the technology industry and teens.

“The app that I find most addicting is Instagram” sophomore Awvean Farshadi said. “I’m constantly checking how many likes I get and if my friends have posted anything new. Most apps are really fun which can make them distracting.”

According to psychologytoday.com, some say that addicting apps have a psychological basis behind them. If one finds themself having insomnia, feeling the need to open the app more than five times a day, or using the app at social events, it could indicate they are addicted.

“I find my students playing 2048 the most,” Mrs. Anne Nelson, Biology teacher said. “If anybody has any compulsive characteristics, it might make them addicted to some or many apps. It is also very distractive to the classroom.”

With never ending levels and challenges, some apps like Candy Crush can have up to 544 levels. After a while, playing any game becomes an escape of reality and really grows on the mind.  It also not only distracts teenagers, but also adults during work or activities.

“With all the apps that I have, I find myself never getting to my responsibilities,” junior Summer Hess said. “I really need to delete my apps and focus more on school instead of how many candy I can crush in one seating.”

According to psychologytoday.com, games such as Flappy Bird are likely to increase dopamine levels when people succeed and noradrenaline levels when they fail. People describe the game as emotionally intoxicating, keeping the player engaged for longer periods than intended.

“Even though the games are so simple, I find that it has a tremendous affect on people’s minds,” sophomore Esther Kim said. “I’m an addict when it comes to the points rolling my way.”