This morning I was taking my usual route to class and suddenly BAM! I was jolted out of my mid-morning routine by an unapologetic perpetrator. As I looked over my shoulder to catch a glance of the culprit, there in his hand rested the real reason for the rudeness. He held the epidemic that has taken over our millennial generation. His face was glued to the new preferred method of communication and the killer of common sense: The smartphone.

Communication has never been easier than right now. In an instant we can call, text, FaceTime, DM, Facebook message, or Snapchat our friends. We can snap a photo and have it uploaded to Instagram in a matter of minutes. We can tweet that funny quote our professor said before class has even finished. We join social media platforms to be more connected to those around us, but the reality is that the more connected we are online, the less connected we are offline.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against smartphones and social media. I have both and use both daily. Social media has plenty of positive aspects and can be extremely useful. On the other hand, my phone gobbles up hours of my time every day. I become so obsessed with staying linked to my online “friends” and followers that I lose touch with the present moment.

Facebook’s about page says that “Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.” However, the kind of friendship that is fostered on Facebook is not true friendship. It's a game of who can get the most likes or have the most friends. You feel good when your new profile picture gets a ton of likes and positive comments and insecure if it's been over an hour and nobody has liked your most recent status. Even if you are more connected and popular online, your offline friendships will suffer as a result.

I have found that social media compels me to compare my life to the lives of my online friends. I see photo after photo of groups having a great time together. They are studying at a hipster coffee shop, biking in the city, or hosting an epic party. When I don’t see my own life matching up to the idealized life versions that are presented on social media, I become discontent and discouraged that I’m not living up to some unrealistic standard.

I see photos of my friends spending time together without me. My high school friends hang out during breaks without inviting me, then post photos to Instagram and Facebook. When I’m scrolling through my feed, I see these photos that put a pit in my stomach. I look through Snapchat stories and see my friends having fun without me, yet again. In circumstances like these, I think that ignorance is bliss. But the socially connected society we live in does not leave room for ignorance. We know everything that everyone is doing at every moment. I would guess these friends had no idea how much posting their photos would hurt my feelings. They were having a good time and wanted to share that with their followers. But the reality is that what we post online can hurt others and induce loneliness that comes with feeling left out.

Besides social media, our phones themselves are a huge distraction. Whenever we have a spare moment, we pull out our phones and check emails, social media, and text messages. I walk into class early and find almost everyone sitting on their phones while they wait for class to start. What happened to getting to know the people you sit next to? In some classes, I have yet to learn the name of the person sitting right next to me. As I walk around campus, a large majority of students are looking down at their phones as they walk from place to place. Sometimes I can’t even get the attention of my friends as they walk by because their eyes are glued to the tiny handheld screen in front of their faces.

I want to conclude by admitting that I am guilty of every offense listed above. My smartphone takes up more time that I even want to admit to myself. I am active on social media, I post photos online without thinking about how they could affect others and I whip my phone out whenever I have a free moment. But I am lonely. Being lonely is one of my greatest fears, yet so often I actually bring it upon myself.

I’m not asking you to get rid of your smartphone and I’m not asking you to delete your social media accounts. What I’m asking is that you take the time to get to know the people sitting next to you. Instead of pulling out your phone before class, strike up a conversation with someone you haven't met before. Rather than trying to maintain Internet friendships, look for the lonely person on campus who could use a friend. Don’t abandon your smartphone, but guard against letting it outsmart you.