Throughout my life, my parents have constantly ridiculed me and my sister for being on our phones. Growing up, I never really understood why they would get so mad. Obviously, I HAVE to continue my Snapchat streak and my friends are going to wonder where I am if I don't text frequently in our group chat.

But, do I actually have to? Like, do I really?

The answer is always no. You never really HAVE to do anything on your phone. Unless there's an emergency, your friends will survive if you leave your phone at home while you go out to dinner with your family.

This generation is so accustomed to instant gratification. Responding to a text right away, receiving a notification every time a person liked your picture on Instagram. It never used to be like this, technology has never been as advanced as it is today.

When I was in middle school I had a flip phone that required you to buy "minutes" for. My parents had complete control over how much I would text because they were the ones buying the minute cards. In today's society, children in elementary school have the latest and greatest iPhones and it's completely changing the way they're growing up.

You can't tell me it's not relieving to leave the house without your phone.

Your stress level is instantly decreased. No one is trying to contact you and you have no obligation to anyone. When you leave your phone at home, you can just be at peace with yourself for once without 10 notifications popping up and interrupting your train of thought.

When you leave your phone at home, you will notice more things. It's easy to be oblivious to the world while your face is buried in a screen and your brain is elsewhere. When you don't have your phone you notice details about people, places and situations that you may not have noticed before. When you don't have your phone to hide behind, you are forced to interact with people as you go about your day.

Human interaction is one of the most important things in life and you'll never be fully "there" if the little rectangle in your pocket is constantly vibrating.

So take a moment and look up. Look out the window, take in the world around you. Disconnect from technology and reconnect with yourself.