I got the motivation to write about this topic this week when I noticed I was on my phone all the time while walking around campus, eating meals or just hanging out in my dorm room. Once I realized my attachment to technology and social media, especially to my phone, I remembered a video I had seen on Facebook last year. This video I had seen that went viral via Facebook, got millions of shares and over 54 million views on YouTube. The video, titled "Look Up," shows an impact that can be made if everyone made the effort to get off of their devices and be more present. Here is a link to the video if you haven't seen it — I think you should watch.

I began to observe how the people I was around were acting in regard to their phones, computers, social media, etc. For example, I constantly find myself checking my phone immediately once class gets out and staying on it while I walk to my next destination. I realized that it wasn't just me who had fallen into this pattern, but that every person in my class did the same thing. Everyone seemed to be glued to their phones in order to be constantly connected.

Yet are we more connected with these technologies and advanced means of communication? I would argue that no, we are not. As you can see in the video, when people walk around on the streets, sit in a restaurant, wait for an appointment or are on public transportation, their focus is on their screen rather than on their environment and the current moment. We are disconnected. Personal, face-to-face connections are not there anymore. Our attention is occupied by text message conversations and our motivations derive around how many likes we will get on Instagram.

I too am guilty of being absorbed by technology and find it easier to communicate by using it as part of a busy life. However, when I realized this I became more conscious of it. I am not telling anyone to not use their smartphones or means of technology. But I encourage you all to "look up" more frequently like this video preaches. Have conversations face to face, go to lunch with your friends and keep your phone in your bag or pocket, walk around campus or out in the real world and say "hi" or "good morning" to a stranger. Live in the present and seize the day, as cliché as this sounds. If you don't look up from your screen and get out of the cyberworld, you might miss the opportunities and moments that are right in front of you.