Thanksgiving has quickly come and gone, and now we have the rest of the holiday season to look forward to and enjoy. But the thing is, are we actually enjoying it, or are we "enjoying" it through technology? My family always gets together for Thanksgiving and we always enjoy each other's company and look forward to catching everyone up on our lives, but since devices like smart phones have come around, I feel like they have put a damper on the holiday festivities in a way.

We as a society have become so dependent on technology like computers, phones and tablets that we sometimes forget how to actually interact with other human beings. If we want to judge someone or say something negative, we hide behind a screen in order to text or send messages to others so the person or target of the judgment won't know what's being said about them. This can become more frequent especially around the holiday season when some family encounters may be more awkward or uncomfortable. We forget to have conversations with the family and friends that are around us in person, and this can make us seem distant or wishing we were somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure everyone has gone to a holiday party or two where they wished they could leave immediately after arriving, but that's not what the holidays are about, and neither is using technology to remove yourself from family and friends.

We don't enjoy the moment we are in anymore. Every gathering has to be documented on camera or film and posted to social media right away. I completely understand wanting to save important and fun memories, but not every memory has to be in media form. Memories can live inside our heads. That embarrassing moment during a dinner or that heartfelt moment sitting around and talking with loved ones can stay in your head forever, as long as it's important to you.

I'm not completely innocent here. Plenty of times I've caught myself staring at my phone screen when I should've been talking to a relative, my sister, or even my parents who I talk to all the time. I forget that the things on my phone are only temporary and much less important than the time I could be spending with my family. I feel that a lot of people forget that nowadays. We get so caught up in what's on television or the bit of pop culture gossip that's broadcast on Facebook, and we don't enjoy the little things.

So this holiday season I'm going to try my absolute best to put my phone away, step away from technology and enjoy the company of those I love and cherish. I encourage you all to do the same and see what a difference it can make.