"Se usa" vs. "Es usado"
So I read an article recently that explained the uses of se and I learned that when talking about conventions, things that people in general do, or use passive voice, you use "se". I used to translate things like "it is used" literally into spanish by saying "es usado". Is this completely wrong? Does it just sound unnatural? Or would you say the phrase differently depending on the region you're in?

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Both are correct, "es usado", and "se usa". But in the colloquial language "se usa" more often the second option.

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There's not a regional difference in this case. But colloquialy, is much more used the  active expression with the pronoun se : "usarse" in the third person  than the passive one "ser usada o utilizada". Note that it can be singular or plural:  En China se usan palillos para comer.  /   En esa ciudad casi no se usa el autobús.  While in the impersonal use of "se" we always use singular : Se habla mucho de ese tema últimamente.

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That's right! it's completely normal

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