The smartphone is a symbol of ingenuity. Such a small device holds so much power and gives people access to as much information as they want. This device allows people to be in constant communication. If you do a little research, you would discover incredible stats. Around 90 percent of kids, ages 13-17, own a cell phone, and high school/college level students send an average of around 100 text messages a day. While I believe cell phones are an important part of life, I often wonder how healthy some of these figures are, specifically the texting stats.
It was my senior year of high school when I myself became addicted to texting, as I was sending 300-400 text messages daily. During the time, I saw no issue with what I was doing. I used excuses such as, "I'm an extrovert; I love being in communication with people." Looking back on it now, I realize how ridiculous these excuses were. All this virtual communication did was create fake relationships. I suddenly found myself losing sleep, skipping homework and being overall less social, all because I would rather stay home and text someone than actually spend real, face-to-face time with them. When I was with my friends, they would become vexed because I would spend as much time texting other people as I would spend conversing with them. While virtual communication is a powerful, wonderful tool to have, it becomes problematic in excess.
I am not asking for people to stop texting and communicating; I am simply putting forth a challenge. Put your phone down when you are with people. Don't sit there, texting someone else while you are with friends. Simply, try to focus on the people around you. Chick fil-A offers a similar challenge, giving groups free ice cream if they put their phones in a box and do not touch them for the duration of the meal. The time you spend with people you care about is precious, and I am constantly reminded of this as I grow older. If you put your phone away while with your friends, I guarantee that you will enjoy that time so much more. The people you have in your life currently will likely not be there in five to ten years, so you owe it to them to make the most out of the moments you share.
I offer one final story before I end this. Earlier this year, my church's youth group went on a retreat up in Michigan. The first morning there, one of my closest friends and I made a deal to put our phones away for the entire weekend, only using them for alarm clocks in the morning. We went the entire weekend phone-less, and I can say that it was one of the best experiences I've had in my life. Everything I did that weekend was much more enjoyable, as I immersed myself in people rather than virtual communication. The weekend was incredible, and I have absolutely no regrets about anything that weekend.
Put your phone down, look someone in the eyes and talk. Go throw a frisbee, share a meal, do anything you enjoy but do it with minimal use of your cell phone. It will only make everything more enjoyable for you and the people you're with. Take it from me, the teenager who has been addicted to his cell phone.
