There are pros and cons to everything in life, including technology. One of the defining characteristics of the 21st century is the extent to which we have advanced technologically. Today, we carry around tiny computers in our pockets and wear them on our wrists as bracelets: things our grandparents wouldn't have ever dreamed of seeing in their lifetime. We're able to send messages to people all over the world in a matter of seconds and collaborate with people nations away via video message, and in that respect, technology is universal and uniting.

There are innumerable advantages of technology in society, especially in the medical and science fields. It has arguably had an incredibly positive impact on the quality of life thus far. However, like anything in life, technology is only safe in moderation. As Tracy Chapman said , technology "is supposed to help us communicate, but it has the opposite effect of isolating us." Technology in excess can have an isolating and destructive effect on society, and every day that goes by, the schism that it drives between people today, myself included, only gets wider.

Technology itself isn't inherently bad: It only becomes a problem when it's valued as a necessity, and is used and enjoyed in excess. The piece of technology that has the most isolating effect, in my opinion, at least, is cell phones. Here's a challenge: Tomorrow on your walk to class or morning commute to work, look around you and observe how people are passing their time. You'll notice that most people will have their heads buried in their phones, completely cut off from what's going on around them. Whether it's texting, mindless Twitter-scrolling, or listening to music, most people, kids and adults alike, have their phones glued to their hands at all times. The problem with this is that, although human beings have been blessed with the gift of multitasking, we are definitely not magicians. We cannot be fully engaged in conversation with another person and actually hear what they're saying or appreciate the world around us if we're always buried in our phones.

But none of us want to admit this. We all want to believe that we can balance our attention and manage our time effectively, and some people can do this very well (kudos to you), but most of us struggle with this a lot more than we want to admit.

While it's true to say we're all victim to the isolating effect of technology, we must also admit that we're also the culprits. It sounds ugly, but that just means that every single day is a choice. We have the power to choose what to spend our energy and time on. It starts with small changes: little sacrifices that will be difficult at first, but will result in strengthening relationships with others, building new ones, and a deeper appreciation and understanding of the world around us.

Try going a few days not listening to music on your walk to class.

Having headphones in makes you seem unapproachable because no one wants to bother or interrupt you. When I stopped doing this, I noticed I felt happier throughout the day, because more people said hello to me in passing and talked to me throughout the day.

Say "hi" to strangers.

We live in a world where a lot of people stick to what and who feels comfortable. For some reason, the idea of saying hello to someone random scares people. Some people even find it strange, which truly is a sad thing. What we fail to remember is that every friend we have was once a stranger to us, and all it took was an initial "hello" to change that. So, start introducing yourself to new people more often. You never know where it will lead!

Don't feel like you have to answer texts the INSTANT you receive them.

We live in a world of instant gratification, and this extends to the realm of technological communication. Yes, texts are a form of instant messaging, but just because they're received instantly doesn't mean they need to be responded to instantly. I'll admit, I'm the biggest offender of this, and it's an issue I absolutely need to work on, and I'm sure I'm not alone. When my screen lights up, no matter what I'm doing or with whom I'm talking, I feel the need to and reply immediately. I can't even explain why, but that's just my impulse upon receiving a text. We just have to remind ourselves that the message isn't going anywhere, and neither is the person who sent it.

The same cannot be said for whoever you are ignoring to answer your phone. That person deserves your undivided attention, as you deserve theirs. No text is worth making someone feel like their words aren't valued or that they're boring you. Whoever's texting you can wait.

At the end of the day, we deserve credit where credit is due. We're a collection of amazing people doing amazing things (go us!), but sometimes, distractions like Netflix, texting, video games, and more get in the way of us truly connecting with each other in face-to-face communication, which is incredibly important and always will be. We have to remember that together, we make up society, so we have the power to be the change we want to see in ourselves, and therefore society.

There's nothing wrong with kicking back after a long day of classes and playing a game of FIFA or texting your best friend about how much you're missing them, but when you're in a room full of people, talk to them, and when you're meeting new people, meet them, because you miss out on a huge part of the world around you when you're completely absorbed by technological distractions.