It was a slap in the face. I never thought of myself as someone who turned on his phone and turned off the real world, but there I was, head buried deep into my phone in the middle of dinner, mesmerized by the constantly changing bright little screen that beckoned my attention. My dad had just called me out for being unresponsive to his previous question that he likely reiterated several times before pulling my attention away from my phone.

I was both alarmed and embarrassed in a matter of moments and I realized that I am not the only Millennial who has either voluntarily or involuntarily chosen their phone over a rich, verbal conversation with someone else in their presence. What scares me even more is that this trend is accelerating and it doesn't seem like it'll be slowing down anytime soon.

This begs the question, "Why?" A quick and simple answer that many people resort to using is that Millennials lack the skill of having a conversation with another human being, an answer with which I disagree. Since the beginning of the Internet Age, information has become more easily and quickly accessible every year and with the uptick in availability has come an increase in appetite. It's just like the first time when I was allowed to eat ice cream.

I stared at the double scoop in my bowl like it was a painting that I wasn't supposed to touch, but, after my first taste, I wanted more. I tried both different types of ice cream and different ways to converse with my friends (Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). Now, going a few days without the sweet taste of ice cream is nearly as difficult as going a day without having my iPhone and its infinitesimal information just one question to Siri away.

As one question leads me to another, I wonder how emails, texts, and other various social media outlets have come to replace physically talking to someone face to face. It could certainly stem from our increasingly busy schedules because, today, we fill our 24 hour days with 25 hours worth of activities.

We are forcing ourselves to find ways to increase our efficiency and minimize wasting time. Unfortunately, I believe that Millennials find their phones both more efficient and interesting than a real, face to face conversation.

So, in a sense, I am challenging my fellow Millennials to put down our phones, turn them off for 30 minutes every day, and just talk with your best friend, parent, significant other, or someone who you haven't spoken to in a while. You will be surprised by how relaxing it is to unplug yourself from the internet.