If you havent watched "The Social Dilemma" yet, you should.

Essentially, its a bunch of Silicon Valley brainiacs sharing their opinions on how social media and artificial intelligence technology started as a fun, creative tool tweaked by innovators into a beast that now controls them instead of them controlling it.

While most documentaries have a biased slant and portray information to show the topic at hand as either evil or amazing, this one brings in former employees of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the like alongside journalists, scientists and psychoanalysts to help drive home the point.

The point being that people worldwide are increasingly becoming addicted to technology subliminally through AI and manipulation.

As I watched, I discovered one thing I didnt agree with the experts on all people are uncontrollably controlled by AI technology.

Sure, there are really smart people and technologies smarter than those people that anticipate our next move before we make it. But I believe there are ways we can avoid addiction and maintain control of the things incentivized to control us through financial gain.

Find out what sucks you in the most.

What keeps you connected to your phone or other device when you should probably be doing something more productive work, chores, human connection? Does that pull to your device border on addiction?

Addicted: Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.

For me, that was Instagram. Not for the likes and validation like "The Social Dilemma" points out and I observe with youth today. It was constantly feeling like I needed connection or to be entertained.

Flush it out.

Figure out a way to lessen your dependence on one or more particular app on which you spend too much time. For me, I simply removed the Instagram application from my smartphone and signed out of all accounts. For those who also struggle to remember passwords, this is an effective method for decreasing dependence.

I eventually wanted to see pictures of my adorable niece and nephew each day, so I eased back in slowly. I purged all the people I didnt need to follow and remained extremely choosy when picking those I followed family and close friends I remain in contact with outside of social media. Everyone else just encouraged wasted time and unnecessary, inauthentic connection with people with whom I no longer associated.

The crazy part about this and I dont know if other social media sites would do the same was Instagram did not allow me to unfollow more than 50 people within a 12- to 24-hour period. Over a few days, though, I eventually purged acquaintances and famous accounts from my feed.

Utilize tools to affect behavioral change.

Apple developers helped create tools to avoid overuse, essentially lessening the ability to control human behavior by keeping people sucked into their product for financial gain. Apple allows for dissociation with the color recognition of your favorite social media app icons by transforming all apps to black, white and greys.

Screen time as recognized in "The Social Dilemma" limits are a great first step to provide a check before heading back into the app in which you find yourself too often.

Seek external help.

If you find you cannot purge yourself or are struggling to tear technology away from your children, seek additional help. Start with friends and family you trust to help keep you in check. If thats not enough, find a counselor or support group specific to your addiction. Technological addiction is as real as excessive gambling or drinking, and its OK and acceptable to admit you need help and seek people out.

Ashleigh Snoozy joined The Sheridan Press in October 2016 as a reporter before moving into the managing editor position in November 2018. She is a native of Colorado and graduated from Biola University in Los Angeles.

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Column: The Social Solution | Columnists | thesheridanpress.com - The Sheridan Press