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Science Explains Why You're Addicted to Social Media -- and How to Break That Addiction How often do you find yourself trapped in your news feed?

By Ben Angel

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Entrepreneur Network partner Ben Angel knows exactly why you can't go a minute without picking up your phone. It isn't because you're lazy or a millennial with no social skills. Instead, it has to do with the basics of psychology and a term called "operant conditioning." The concept is fairly simple: Your actions are influenced by the reward you received from similar, past actions.

For example, checking your news feed is rewarding. You connect with friends and people you admire, learn about the news and more. So, you associate your social media with a happy reaction, which leads to you wanting to do it more often.

In this video, Angel explains how you can replace that reward with something more productive and get more done during the day.

Related: Why Social Media Could End Up Killing Your Business

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Ben Angel

Entrepreneur Network Contributor

Tackle AI's toughest questions with Ben Angel, mapping the business terrain for 20 years. Master the AI landscape and reach peak productivity and profits with insights from his latest work, "The Wolf is at The Door — How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World." Click here to download your 'Free AI Success Kit' and get your free chapter from his latest book today.

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