As I look around at today's youth, I can't help but feel upset. I know that I am barely 20, but I was not raised how kids are being raised today. It is strange because there aren't many years between children and me when you really think about it. Parents always say that it was so different when they were kids, but that was 30+ years ago.

I see a huge difference between kids who are only a little younger than me.

When I go out to dinner with my family or friends, I think I check my phone twice, if that. Sometimes when I'm out with my mom she'll tell me to put my phone down and I'm OK with it. I don't need to be on my phone every second of the day. It's when I put my phone down that I notice all the others that don't. It is a shame to look around and see a child with a tablet in their hand watching a show while out to dinner.

I don't have any kids, so I don't know what parenting is like at all. But, I can't help but feel bad for the kids that have technology thrown in their face when they cry or are upset. You are with your family. This is the time to enjoy your kids, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, etc. You can't do that with a tablet in your face.

Technology is ruining childhoods.

I babysit and sometimes the kids will want to play outside, but the majority of the time, they're inside playing on their phone or watching YouTube videos. I don't understand it.

I didn't have this option when I was a child because iPhones didn't exist and the only thing I could do on a computer was using the Paint application. I didn't have a phone for awhile and when I did get one, I was a tiny flip phone that I could use to call my parents if I had missed the bus home from school.

I promise to raise my children the way I was raised.

When we are out to dinner, they will sit and color or talk to their siblings or me. They hopefully won't be caught up in this social media crap because social media will drive you crazy. I want them playing outside until the sun goes down and going to the pool on hot summer days.

I sometimes wish that technology wasn't this far advanced and that times were different. I don't want my child's childhood to be behind a screen. You can't make memories there. Bring authentic childhoods back.