I remember a time where my most cherished memories were spent playing in the snow with my sisters, playing charades in our backyard with our neighbors, or playing on our brand new play-set that never grew boring with its swing tire, slides, and rock climbing wall.

I remember begging my mom for Littlest PetShop toys, a collection I still have of over 100, because she never said no. My sisters and I would go crazy to go to the American Girl Doll store in NYC, eat at their perfectly girly restaurant, and each get a doll that looked just like us. Everything was fascinating and the world was magical all around us.

Today, I see children in strollers playing on iPads, young girls taking selfies with their iPhones instead of participating in their activities, and parents letting their little kids watch movies all meal long as long as it keeps them quiet.

Many adolescents are completely absorbed and obsessed with the materialistic world that surrounds them. From getting the perfect pictures, to the most trendy clothes, the most expensive shoes, and visiting only the most posh places.

But the world that surrounds us is so much bigger than what can fit in the frame of your picture, and so much more complex than your caption can describe.

Travel to see the world, to broaden your horizons, and learn about new cultures, foods, religions, and people. To make memories so impactful that you value the experience more than for how nice the scenery will look in your online gallery.

I remember a time much simpler than now, yet much more easily enjoyed. A tie where the only person that had to like what I was doing was me, and no number of apparent online appreciation was necessary.

We can all remember that time and I think it is time we look into ourselves to find that self satisfaction we used to be able to provide for ourselves because thats how we were in the beginning and thats all that matters in the end.