It's almost impossible to be a college student without a cell phone. We use these controlling little devices to keep in constant contact with our friends, to check email and to simply keep our days in check. In a world where Instagram likes, rather than intelligence and wit, determine your level of likability, it's no surprise that technology has taken a toll on this generation.

I know I am not alone when I say that I have had days where I've questioned whether or not texting is the best way to communicate with other people. A friend could read a sassy text message and respond with a short answer or a seemingly sarcastic remark, causing you to question whether or not that was the right thing to say. A guy you are talking to can decide not to answer a text for several hours, or even at all, and your mind automatically wanders to the worst-case scenario of him moving on to another girl.

Our generation is so caught up in wanting to stay connected with one another that it is almost as if we have lost contact altogether. We cannot go out to dinner with friends without checking our phones. We groan over the professors that have a strict “no cell phones during class" policy (shouldn't you be paying attention, anyway?). There are more cell phones in the crowds of concerts than there are hands in the air. We are so addicted to these tiny devices that it is no wonder why this generation is being looked at as having issues with love and commitment.

I will never forget a breakfast date I had with six of my close camp friends a few months back. We had not seen each other in a while, so we sat around a circle table laughing and catching up on the time that had passed. An old man came up to our table -- what we thought was to be a warning to stop being so loud -- and said, “I just wanted to let you ladies know how refreshing it is to see young people just enjoying each others' company and laughing with each other."

Not a single one of us had touched our phones that meal, not because we forgot to, but because we were so caught up in being with each other that we simply didn't want to.

I am sick of hearing that my generation is going to be the one that redefines what relationships are because we don't have the capacity to love. I refuse to believe that relationships are going to resort to randomly hooking up with people and never taking it to the next step.

Technology is making it harder and harder for college students to take a step back and realize how to develop a connection with another person without the use of an iPhone, but that doesn't mean we should let technology win. Turn off your phone while you're in class. When you are out to dinner with friends, put your phones in the center of the table and the first person to check theirs has to pay the bill. Stop texting and call someone, and if at all possible, make a plan to see them in person.

Let's ditch the “loveless generation" image and get back to the people and things that are really important in life.