Hear me out. I hate cell phones.

It would be incongruous to say that cell phones contributed nothing to our lives. I could list many reasons as to why they are helpful, but I won't. Either way, it seems that everyone has become addicted to their cell phones (me included).

I want to tell you all about why I wish I could throw my cell phone away forever.

1. People think they are invisible.

You need to actually see where you are going to avoid walking into every single person on the sidewalk. Even in NYC, I still see people on their cell phones! Share the sidewalk, it's not your runway, and people won't simply clear the way just for you. This brings me to part two: driving. I could talk about this for days, but instead, I'll just ask that all of you take the time to watch this short, and extremely important PSA. Next time you are driving, please think again before picking up your phone. It can wait.

2. You can't live in the moment.

These days, it doesn't take being drunk to feel blacked out from the night before. When you are on your cell phone, it's like you are in a different world. It is impossible to be so plugged in and live in the moment. Most of the time these days, my friends just nod along to anything I say. Whenever my friends are on their phones, I start saying crazy stuff to shake them out of it, and most of the time, I'm still being blocked out. If you are eating dinner with your family, be present. If you are watching a movie with your friends, be present. If you are petting your cat, be present! These are moments you can't relive -- Instagram can wait. Do yourself a favor and watch this video. Trust me, you won't regret it.

3. You can never truly be alone.

More and more these days, I have been putting my phone to the side, ignoring everyone and enjoying time to myself. It's really great...until I check my phone and see a million texts. Sadly, people have become so used to me being glued to my phone that they freak out if I don't respond in two seconds.

4. Group chats.

Group chats are the worst. You go to the bathroom, come back and all of a sudden you have 200 unread messages on your phone. What's the point? If you don't live and breathe for the group chat, there is no point. Just face it, you'll forever be confused as to what the heck is going on.

5. Social media.

People try to make it seem like they are having more fun than anyone else is by posting a thousand Snapchat stories, Instagram photos and tweets. If you were really having that much fun, you wouldn't be on your phone. I feel like nothing is authentic anymore. People are trying so hard to impress everyone, stressing over how many likes they received on Instagram (there are apps that let people actually pay to get likes), how many retweets you get on your most recent post, and if you look good enough in your Snapchat to send it to your crush. If we didn't have access to social media like we do, then life would be a lot easier.

I challenge everyone to start putting their phones down and live.

You only get one life. Don't let your phone live it for you.