Most people today have a love-hate relationship with their cell phones. Many people love being connected to their friends and enjoy going on social media. However, people tend to get aggravated when they have to constantly answer text messages and deal with demands from their jobs, even when they are not physically working. Personally, I used to always feel the need to stay up to date with my Twitter timeline, answer text messages within minutes of receiving them, and constantly update my Snapchat story. After for being this way for years, I realized on a vacation during high school that checking social media that often just is not possible. Even though I was still afraid of not seeing something important on social media, I put that fear aside and realized that nothing that important really happens on social media anyways. Once I put down my phone more often during that trip, I enjoyed my life so much more. I realized that living in the moment and truly enjoying the time I had with my family was much more important than knowing everything that was going on on Twitter.

It has been several years since I had that revelation. Now, I never use my phone when I go out to eat with friends or when I am just doing something fun with loved ones unless I have to. I want to enjoy the time that I get to spend with the people I love having in my life. Avoiding using my phone allows me to connect with people so much more and makes me feel like I can talk to them about more important topics since I know I will not be distracted by my phone. I like giving people my full attention when we spend time together and I love it when people do the same for me. I wish more people would spend less time on their phones because it really does strengthen your relationships with others and allows you to appreciate the little things in life. I try to avoid using my phone when I am outdoors unless I absolutely have to as well because there is so much beauty in nature even when I am just walking around campus.

I have also realized how important it is to avoid my phone even when I am alone sometimes. Getting to think about my life, watch movies/TV shows, and even do homework without being distracted by my phone has been extremely beneficial. I enjoy television shows and movies so much more when I can focus on them completely. Of course, I still use my phone frequently and I love sharing things with my friends via social media, but I would much rather connect with my friends and family face to face than via text message anytime.