It’s one of the biggest complaints against the emerging technological generation: we spend too much time looking at our phones (should we even still call them phones? They do so much more). Whatever reason we have for staring at our screens: finding news on twitter/Facebook, playing games, watching viral videos; the all-pervading assumption is that our quality of life is diminished by appstractions (apps + distractions) because they prevent us from participating in the world immediately around us. However, it is entirely possible to be mindful and aware of the present moment while fixated on your phone; total immersion with it can lead to moments of clarity comparable to the bliss of being present with nature.

First, let’s briefly review what it is to be mindful and why we appreciate that particular state of consciousness. When human beings are mindful, we are more considerate of the physical and metaphysical elements that compose nature. We acknowledge and respect the “little things” we normally take for granted such as the warmth of our star’s rays, the harmonizing effect of our breath, and our relationships with other organisms and the Earth itself. This awareness is highly sought after because it reminds us of how incredibly significant we are in a universe where it is easy to lose oneself in the fantastic enveloping cosmic dark. Mindfulness reminds us of what this experience truly is: as human beings, we are humans being the experience that is the universe.

And yet, people devalue the relationship we have with technology as if the connections and interactions we experience in the digital realm are less real than what we feel when we participate in the physical world. They drone we can’t enjoy and appreciate reality because we are constantly staring into our phones, but they only drone because they don’t understand how these magical rectangles are also one of life’s simplest treasures. I know it seems counterintuitive to claim the intricately designed and meticulously engineered digital portals we hold in our hands to be simple, but it’s no more complicated or unnatural than the flap of a butterfly’s wings or the blossoming of a flower. We don’t consider our electronic technology as part of the natural world because it is created by people using refined materials and human ingenuity, but why, then, do we consider the highly organized and chemically altered web of a spider to be natural? Both are sophisticated tools created to capture something: spiders’ webs capture prey, technological webs capture human time and attention. Our relationship with the technological universe is the timeless tale of temptation.

So, when we submit to the lure of the light emanating from our phone, we shouldn't feel ashamed because we're ignoring reality; we are still very much participants. It just so happens that our participation occurs in a realm of iIntangible space-time that you can traverse at the swipe of a finger. If we want to practice being mindful while on our phones, we only need to remember that the magical rectangle in our hands is a natural product of human evolution. These devices are a projection of our desire to be connected with other humans and explore the vast ocean of information embedded into the fabric of the universe. So what if it's confined to a screen? This screen can create any shape, color or symbol that you can imagine. It can compose any song or sound you ask of it. And if there’s a sound, image or video you'd like to enjoy that hasn't been recorded yet…THIS THING LETS YOU RECORD IT!!! If being mindful means appreciating the present nature around you, then there's no reason you cannot be mindful while immersing yourself into a portal of recorded human experience and imagination! But keep in mind that's what it is. Whenever you find yourself lost in the pretty lights and sounds your rectangle makes, whether you're scrolling through Facebook watching amazing animal videos or playing Candycrush to kill time, remember that thing in your hand contains a universe of infinite information and innovation.

People are not going to stop criticizing avid smartphone users - they love complaining too much – but their opinion shouldn’t shame us into putting our phones away. If we want to enjoy getting lost in the sights and sounds of cyberspace, we should enjoy it as intensely as getting lost in physical space-time. Both universes are undeniably real and they both allow for an active and passive participation that is necessary to keep life evolving and happening. Staring at your phone does not mean you are unaware of the “real” world, it means you have acknowledged it and decided that a different universe fancies your interest.