By the end of 2018, more than______of the global population will be using a smar

Nearly 2. 4 billion people around the world used a smart phone in 2017. By the end of 2018, more than a third of the global population will be using a smart phone.
   On the one hand, it sends us unlimited amounts of information. We don’t have to wait. Our devices ring, ping, vibrate and light up with the latest news from family, friends and around the world.
   On the other hand, this immediate access to information may become an addiction. And it may make some people feel lonely, anxious and depressed. These findings are from a 2018 study from San Francisco State University and have been published in Neuro Regulation.
   Erik Peper and Richard Harvey are both health education professors at the university. They led the study. In a statement to the press, the two professors claim that "overuse of smart phones is just like any other type of substance abuse. " Also, addiction to social media may affect our emotional state.
   The two professors asked 135 university students about their smart phone use and their feelings. They found that "students who used their phones the most reported higher levels of feeling . . . lonely, depressed and anxious. "
   But the researchers also suggest ways to fight back. They say that we can train our brains to be less addicted to our phones and computers. Erik Peper suggests turning off push notifications and other such alerts on our phones. More often than not, our devices share unimportant information as if our lives depended on it. Our brains see the notices the same way. And that is a problem. So, just turn them off.
   The researchers also suggest taking control of when and where you answer a text or email. You do not need to answer them all. And you certainly don’t need to answer them as soon as you get them.
   They also suggest setting limits on the time you spend on social media. If you want to catch up with friends on Facebook, set aside a small amount of time to it. Schedule periods of the day to focus on important tasks and do not allow technology to interfere.