• Slide 1 of 31: Scrolling through your news feed on social media is a compulsion that many people give in to several times a day. When you're waiting in line or itching for a momentary distraction at work, it seems like your phone is in your hand and you've opened Instagram without even realizing it. It's becoming a reflex!Stories are one of the more recent features on Facebook and Instagram. Research is showing that these quick, fleeting updates have an even greater draw than the usual endless stream of posts. There's something about those little glowing circles that are so inviting. What is it that makes us want to binge a dozen stories from people we often barely know as if it's a Netflix series? Click through this gallery to find out.
    • Slide 3 of 31: Instagram launched its Stories feature in 2016 and within the first year it had 150 million users. Six months later that number had doubled.
    • Slide 4 of 31: The feature allows you to upload a reel of photos and videos taken throughout the day. They disappear after 24 hours, unless you choose to save them as a highlight. The content uploaded to your stories is separate from your main Instagram feed. The same goes for Facebook Stories.

Slide 31 of 31: There are many positives to be taken from social media. We can connect with others to a certain degree, find inspiration, and learn new things. We just need to keep an eye on how it’s making us feel. Instagram and Facebook stories, and social media in general, are unlikely to go away any time soon, so it’s down to us to get the most value out of them.Sources: (Healthline 1 and 2) See also: The positive side of social media

Slide 1 of 31: Scrolling through your news feed on social media is a compulsion that many people give in to several times a day. When you’re waiting in line or itching for a momentary distraction at work, it seems like your phone is in your hand and you’ve opened Instagram without even realizing it. It’s becoming a reflex!Stories are one of the more recent features on Facebook and Instagram. Research is showing that these quick, fleeting updates have an even greater draw than the usual endless stream of posts. There’s something about those little glowing circles that are so inviting. What is it that makes us want to binge a dozen stories from people we often barely know as if it’s a Netflix series? Click through this gallery to find out.

Why are Facebook and Instagram Stories so addictive?

Scrolling through your news feed on social media is a compulsion that many people give in to several times a day. When you’re waiting in line or itching for a momentary distraction at work, it seems like your phone is in your hand and you’ve opened Instagram without even realizing it. It’s becoming a reflex!

Stories are one of the more recent features on Facebook and Instagram. Research is showing that these quick, fleeting updates have an even greater draw than the usual endless stream of posts. There’s something about those little glowing circles that are so inviting. What is it that makes us want to binge a dozen stories from people we often barely know as if it’s a Netflix series? Click through this gallery to find out.