system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: why is it unhealthy to stare at phones for long periods of time (like on social media) but healthy to read books?
gpt
Instant gratification is one concept related to this question. When reading a book, your brain is engaged in an activity that requires critical thinking and patience. To find out the ending to the book you have to finish it. The brain is ultimately rewarded with the satisfaction of completing the book and interpreting its meaning. This is delayed gratification. Social media is an activity that requires no critical thinking. It rewards your brain every 5 seconds by giving you “stimulating” information rapidly. This is instant gratification. One fear is that we are losing our ability to simply exist in our own skin and we use the instant gratification of phones to distract our minds. Also, it’s possible to have an actual addiction to social media.