Throughout recent decades, the digital age has taken rise. Between cellphones, social media and virtual reality gaming, we are constantly connected to something other than the present. As I write this on my MacBook Air, with my iPhone close by and a smart TV on the wall beside me, I see myself as quite the hypocrite. Our generation has become so dependent on anything digital most of us don't even realize it. Being connected in such an impersonal way has become a social norm. I can't help but think, how did we get here?

It starts as young as two or three years old. Mom and dad turn on the iPad to keep their child occupied during dinner. Soon enough that same child begins playing video games for a few hours a day instead of playing outside with the neighbors. Then middle school comes around and Instagram and Snapchat begin to take over. The social media presence grows stronger as Instagram "likes" become a popularity contest, and Snapchat streaks need to be maintained. Before you know it, retweets on Twitter and up-votes on Yik Yak are the sole means of proving how witty you are.

When's the last time that you told someone a joke, in person? Or actually shared photos from a vacation with your family? I'm not talking about sharing pictures on Facebook and getting "likes" from your distant family, or sending them the pictures via iMessage. I'm talking about actually sitting down on the couch, thumbing through prints from the Kodak machine from your local pharmacy. Family time has become a lost art ever since the digital age came into being. Even something as simple as sitting together for dinner becomes tainted by dinging cellphones and blaring iPads. It's not just a comparison between pre and post electronic eras; rather we have lost the art of communication.

It's truly unfortunate that electronics have dominated a considerable portion of our lives. Apps have become more important than actual conversations, and we're all living in a digitally demanding world whether we want to accept it or not. Restaurants now provide tablets to play with during dinner instead of paper and crayons. QR codes and hashtags make businesses more well-known than word of mouth or newspaper ads. Celebrities and politicians influence their fans and followers more through tweets and Instagram posts than train whistle-stop meetings and conventional interactions. Businesses all over the country are now offering free WiFi and PokeStops as an incentive to lure in customers.

All in all, our society has become overly complacent and dependent on nearly anything electronic. It's time for us to break free from the digital chains that our generation has cast on us. Appreciate each other's company, have a real sit-down conversation, enjoy the outdoors, and explore the world with out your eyes glued to a screen. Wake up, America. It's time to take our freedom back.