We live in a generation of technology. The amount of technological advances in our lifetime has been incredible. Now, I am by no means ungrateful for these advances. I admit that it’s a pretty good feeling knowing I have my own computer that I don't have to share with my entire family. It's also a privilege to be able to instantly contact a friend by simply just sending them a text, instead of using a landline. But despite all of these incredible advances in technology, I’m starting to believe that technology is ruining my life. It’s probably ruining yours, too.

Technology is a beautiful thing which we all know has immensely improved our lives, but we have become to dependent on technology. There are people all over the world living without technology.

Why are we so dependent on it? Why is it so important to our everyday lives?

Technology helps me do my homework, helps me study for classes, and helps me in so many other ways. But nothing distracts me more than technology does.

My computer is my biggest distraction when I’m doing work for my online class; somehow I end up on Twitter or Facebook. But what purpose do these sites even serve? They serve no purpose other than to keep me “in contact” with my old friends. But really, seeing tweets about someone hitting the whip really serves me no purpose. Maybe if technology wasn’t such a distraction, I could actually pay attention in my Marketing Research class. Also, I could probably get any schoolwork done in a much shorter time period.

Technology gives me completely unrealistic expectations.

There is beauty in being able to have instant conversations with people over text messaging. But with this instant conversation I expect instant replies. I expect people to respond to me instantly. I expect the guy that I like to, at the very least, have a full conversation with me throughout the day. But that is completely unrealistic. I shouldn’t expect someone to be glued to his or her phone like I am. Life happens and we should be in it, rather than glued to our phones.

I live in a world where “Netflix and Chill” has become an acceptable date.

Netflix and chill is the type of date I would have with someone who I had been dating for an extended period of time. So why is it an acceptable first date, or a second date, or even a third? It is honestly not even worthy of the fifteenth date. Now, don’t get me wrong, I will binge watch Parks and Recreation to no end, but that doesn’t mean that I want to spend my time with a person I am genuinely interested in with our eyes glued to a computer screen. I want to get to know you and the person you are, so why would we spend the majority of our date arguing over what to watch?

In general, technology takes away our ability to really get to know someone.

Because let’s be honest, are you really meeting them for the first time? Or have you spent countless hours stalking their social media? You looked through their pictures on Instagram, their tagged pictures on Facebook, and you somehow got in so deep that you ended up at their best friend’s, ex girlfriend’s, new boyfriend’s, younger sister’s Instagram. I think we can all admit that’s a little too deep. We become obsessed with someone before we even meet him or her because of technology.

Technology is ruining my life. The relationships that I share are at stake. I wish more people had the will power to set their phone down and just enjoy the company of friends. But that is easier said than done when you live in a technologically dependent world. Technology is ruining my life by giving me unthought-of expectations. Technology is taking my attention away from the people who deserve it most. Technology is ruining my life in more ways than I would like to admit.

The next time the person you’re crushing on doesn’t respond to your text right away, think about all the other things that could be going on. Most people are glued to their phones, but they shouldn’t be. Next time your friends ask you to hang out, try to keep your phone in your back pocket. Remember these people are your friends for a reason, and they deserve all of your attention. Technology may be ruining my life and yours too, but it doesn’t have to.