Earlier this week I bumped into an acquaintance in between classes. We began an interesting discussion. A couple minutes in, she began to consistently check her phone, until she completely stopped listening or speaking. I stood uncomfortably waiting for her to finish texting, but she continued. I contemplated walking away. A minute more passed.

Finally, she looked up. She apologized by saying her friends were texting her about what they were going to do later. I was astounded.

Besides the feelings of discomfort I felt during the prolonged minutes of silence, I couldn't believe she couldn’t hold off using her phone long enough to have a conversation. A conversation that clearly was not valued enough to remain present for.

It seems as though many are forgetting how to communicate. The premise of technology is that connects us, but does it really?

So many aspects of human interaction have become so impersonal. Calling people outside of your family and close friends is often avoided. Groups of people often sit at restaurant tables not even speaking to one another because they are on their phones. Even on Facebook, you no longer have to spend the time typing out a comment on a friend’s post, you can just “react” by using one of the like button options.

We go about our days staring at screens while life goes on around us.

Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer face-to-face conversations. I’d rather call someone than text them.

Being present is so important. Please, just put your phone down.