Slavery is not over.

Obviously, the era of owning people as property has been long gone. It's something nobody in our generation has experienced first hand. However, we are more slaves today than anyone has ever been in the past. Let's take a look at the things that control people every single day- and that they're probably overlooking.

1. Cell Phones

We all have them.. we are probably holding them right now. How many times a day do you pick up your phone? 20? 30? More? Between texting, calling, emailing, and other things, if you get a notification on that cell phone, you'll probably drop everything you're doing to see what it's about. Why? Because it has become an addiction.

The majority of our generation was put in front of TV screens and other electronic devices and told to keep ourselves occupied. How would our mobile devices not become a large part of our life?

2. Social Media

You're probably reading this article from a link you clicked on Facebook (thanks, by the way :]). How many times a day do you check those notifications or see how many likes you got?

Probably a lot more than you'd like to admit. It has just become a habit in our daily lives to check our social media throughout the day.

3. Politics

If you haven't realized that most politicians have the same agenda and that it really doesn't matter who is president, you are more a slave to politics than you realize. The fact of the matter is, we are so distracted by what big news channels tell us that we don't realize what is really going on.

The news will not report things that really matter, only what will catch your attention so that they can do things behind your back. Open your eyes and pay attention.

4. Money

How many people do you think picked their profession based on how much money they would make rather than what they would enjoy doing? A lot. That was almost me. I almost went the law school route because all I saw was dollar signs.

Thankfully I got a reality check and realized that I would be miserable as a lawyer. It's just not for me. We have allowed money to control way too many aspects of our life. Everything in this world comes at a price and that's sad.

5. Other People's Opinions

This is probably one of the most common forms of modern slavery. If you make every decision in your life based on what people will think, YOU ARE A SLAVE TO THOSE PEOPLE.

I know, it's hard not to consider what people will think about you, but if you don't do something because people might talk negatively about you or you only do something because other people will praise you, there is something wrong with that. Base your decisions on what you want and what is best for you.

It is hard not to become a slave to these things. However, if we keep on at the rate we are going, these things will control all of us entirely. Put the phone down, get off of social media, ignore the politics, stop worrying about money, and ignore what people think for a while and see how much better your life gets. Enjoy the simple things in life and realize what is really important: friends, family, laughter. Live your life and break the chains holding you to these things.

Refuse to be a slave.