Social media is everywhere. It is constantly holding our attention, which overtakes our lives. Don’t get me wrong, technology is absolutely incredible, but it inhibits our ability to communicate with one another, ultimately making us technology dependent. Social media ruins the aspect of human nature--to make connections with one another.

We need to put social media on the back-burners of our lives and here’s why.

We are becoming unaware of our surroundings and we become too invested in social media without even realizing it. Recently, I’ve noticed a significant change in my behavior due to my usage of social media, and it concerns me. I am more worried about losing streaks than I am about my class work and tweeting more than I am engaging in conversations with my friends.

This needs to change.

We need to change.

Focusing on the people and things in front of us is far more important than worrying about people and situations online. That being said, I think social media is great for keeping in touch with friends and family, but there comes a point where enough is enough.

It's inhibiting our social skills. Millennials are the guinea pigs of new technology and social media apps, and it is seriously affecting us. It’s ridiculous that I feel inclined to be on my phone when I’m alone, waiting for a friend to go to dinner.

It actually angers me that I’m this way, along with other people in my generation. What happened? Social media shouldn’t hinder our social skills, they’re certainly not intended for that use, so why are we letting this happen? I see this trend not only with myself and my friends but even with relationships and dating. Social media can be a great tool to find friends and boyfriends or girlfriends, but we should not rely on it by any means.

I feel like I’m missing out on life. Because I am constantly on my phone, I feel as though sometimes I am missing out on experiences right in front of me. I would love to live in a time where I wasn’t reliant on my phone, a time my parents and grandparents grew up in. I need to learn to put my phone down at concerts, sporting games, and other situations where I’m quick to grab it to take pictures and videos and just enjoy the moment.

With all this being said, these ways are engrained in our brains, we are wired to be reliant on our phones. But, if each of us try to make an effort to put social media on the backburner I think we will all come to appreciate life a little more.