In today’s day and age, it seems as though technological advances have begun demolishing everything our society once stood for. Children spend their days indoors, playing games on their iPads, teenagers now believe communication is acceptable using text lingo and improper grammar, and even adults have given into this technological frenzy.

We choose to spend some of the most important points in our lives either using our phones, cameras, iPads, computers, so much we often forget to live in the moment. What happened to going on vacation and actually enjoying your surroundings more so than documenting every wave you see that crashes along the beach, or every sunset you see? What happened to going out on a date and enjoying one another’s company, instead of enjoying the company of our phones? More so, what happened to the society where we didn't hide behind technology to speak about how we really feel? It baffles me that our society has begun developing the way it has. I can’t help but wonder how much simpler and more convenient life would be if everyone did not rely on their cell phones, computers and iPads as much as they did. Maybe we would actually begin seeing each other, or hearing each other. Maybe we could actually take a moment to look around and breath in the beauty of our world around us. Maybe, just maybe, we would have the opportunity to see life in a whole new light.

I must say, that even I find myself on my phone constantly, so much so that I often forget to look around and take a deep breath in. I am definitely not the poster child for living in the moment. But when I truly think about how much we rely on technology for everyday aspects of life that we really didn’t need them for, it really breaks my heart. Growing up as a child, I had limited computer time and TV time. During my childhood my parents, and even society, constantly stressed the importance of being outdoors when we were able, and staying physically active. I loved being outdoors, especially in the summer. I got to ride my Barbie Jeep, play on the Slip N Slide, go swimming in my grandparents’ pool, and truly enjoy being a child and not having any worries in the world. As I grew up and technology began advancing, I hopped right on the bandwagon in order to fit in with all my peers. I always wanted that new computer game, always wanted that new cell phone that just came out, always wanted unlimited text messaging to have pointless conversations with people that probably could have cared less about what I was saying.

As I look around in society today, and see the younger generation, it honestly breaks my heart. I see toddlers on iPads, playing games like it’s nobody’s business. Seriously though, how are toddlers so amazing at perfecting the skills of technology at this age? I still don’t even know how to use my laptop sometimes. It breaks my heart because I flash back to my childhood and see everything I experienced, and how I was constantly outside, being physically active and enjoying life. Now, all I see is children sitting, eating, and growing. I cannot even begin to imagine what life will be like with technology when they grow up, and quite frankly, I don’t know if I really want to see it. Sure, because of these technological advances we are more informed, more efficient and more connected, but at what cost might this be?

We have become so distant from society because we hide behind what we think is important. We thrive on how many likes we get on our Instagram pictures, how many followers we have on Twitter, and how many Facebook friends we have. We choose to inform everyone the play by play of our day, like they actually cared. We communicate through text messaging-and by that I mean we argue, fight, and have conversations that won’t make a difference five years down the road. We choose to ask each other out on dates by texting, rather than picking up the phone and actually calling. We use social media and technology as an outlet to attack others, becoming cyberbullies. We put others down as we hide behind the screen of our computers, because its easier than saying it to someone’s face. We have let technology take control of our lives.

Think back to the last time you went out. You probably had your phone, and you probably took a million pictures to document the night so you could share them to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to let everyone know how awesome your life is. You probably spent hours editing the picture you wanted to post to make sure it was perfect so you would get more likes than that girl who gets a million likes. You probably sat next to your phone, quickly grabbing it every time it lit up hoping someone liked your picture, or commented letting you know how beautiful you are. And worse, you probably deleted the picture when you didn’t get the response you wanted.

Often times, we depend on technology and even the response of others, for happiness. We have honestly let technology run our lives, and that is the cost we pay for being more informed, efficient and connected. Put down your phone every once in awhile and actually take a look around, I promise you’ll enjoy it. Pick up the phone and call a friend to do something instead of spending countless hours texting back and forth about it. Stop relying on your phone to tell you what restaurant to go to or what vacation spot is the best, explore and find out for yourself. Breathe in the beautiful air. Enjoy that beautiful sunset without having to post about it. Enjoy one another’s company. Live your life and take adventures. Forget your phone at home, find a destination and just go. Life is too short to alter our lives around technology. Go and explore your passions. Experience everything you have wanted to. Don’t forget to put it down every so often, and take a look around.