Since the 1970s, humanity has been blessed with the innovative technology known as the cell phone. Cellular phones are handy little tools that help facilitate communication with people far away, portable picture taking, and the occasional internet search for a word you don’t know the meaning of. Cell phones were made to make communication mobile and to make life a bit easier. Every second, people all over the world send billions of text messages, Snapchats, and Facebook notifications. While being connected at all times has its advantages, it gets tedious after a while. All of the constant beeping and alerts become overwhelming and they make you want to throw your phone across the room. In addition to them being overwhelming, they are also distracting. All of the pixels on the screen distract you from the world in your immediate vicinity. There is so much beauty to see if you would only look up.
It’s so easy to miss some truly wonderful things when your eyes are glued to your phone. Human connection is one of the greatest parts of being alive. Being able to converse with friends and family about anything your heart desires creates connections that last. The only issue is, in the age of cell phones, we are all very distracted beings. Think back to the last dinner you had with some friends; were any of you on your phones? I’ve noticed in my own life that if I’m out to dinner with my friends, there are a few points in the night where one of us starts using our phones and we end up half-paying-attention to what’s happening at our table. One of my friends has a terrible habit with this, and responds to conversations with “Uh huh” or “Mhm” but doesn’t understand what’s being said to her. By that point, the conversation is lost. I want everyone reading this to try keeping your phone silent and out of sight the next time you go out for a meal with your loved ones, and ask them to do the same. See what conversations flourish and take note of how you feel afterwards. I guarantee all of you will feel more connected and fulfilled in your friendships.
Fulfillment in all parts of life is something to strive for. Earth is a beautiful place to live; there is so much to do, smell, and see. There is a constant flow of information just waiting for you to soak it up. In relation to this, looking up from your phone while walking around is vital. Not only are you not able to see where you’re going when you’re looking down, you miss a lot of potentially interesting sights. One of my favorite parts about walking is that I can look around and focus on what I want to, whether it’s places or people. Don’t lie and tell me that people watching is not a fun activity. Who knows? Maybe you’ll lock eyes with your long-lost soulmate while walking to get a bagel at the local corner store. I’m sure that no one wants to miss an opportunity like that. It’s a tad difficult to do these sorts of things when your eyes are elsewhere. Look up, take in the sights, watch a few people do strange things, and feel more in touch with the world.
It saddens me when I see people walking in groups and everyone is scrolling Facebook or texting, and it saddens me when I’m talking with friends about something serious and someone reaches for their phone. I’m not saying that I am perfect: I have done these things in the past too. However, from this point on, I vow to be better. It’s unnerving to feel like I’m missing out on part of my life, all because I want to get a great Instagram shot or text a person that I can wait to contact until later. Yes, cell phones are tools, but they are also barriers to what matters most. So I beg you, for your sake and for others, please pay attention to your life. Please look up when walking, please actually talk to your friends at the dinner table, and please do not answer a text when you’re being intimate with someone. Save your phone for idle time, because the time and moments you have in front of you will slip away before you realize, and there will be nothing left to remember but the bright screen that blinded you from the rest of the world that is waiting to be recognized.
