Cell phones have begun to rule our lives. We rely on them for everything. For information, friendships, and entertainment. Many of us would not even consider going a moment without our precious cellphones. And, if we are ever required to, we feel like it might break us.

While cell phones do have many positive aspects and can be extremely helpful, are we ever too attached? Do you find it sad that we have become so reliant on our technology?

The other day, I heard a young boy, about the age of 12, freak out because he had been 20 minutes without his phone and was not able to text his friends, specifically his girlfriend, during that moment of separation from his phone.

In addition, he was surrounded by many other friends in the moment and enjoying a fun activity with his present friends. Yet, he felt separated from society and his friends. Have we become so attached to our cell phones that we have forgotten how to have face-to-face communication?

While cell phones are great for connecting us with our friends while we are away from them, this should not distract us when we are actually with our friends. To some degree, our cell phones have become our real friends. That is why we have started to find our friendship and laughter more through texting and memes.

We need to separate ourselves from our cellphones long enough to remember who our true friends are. We need to value our friends while we have them in our presence.

It is very disturbing to me when I am out with my friends and find them often times more interested in their cellphone conversations than the conversations occurring right in front of them.

Personally, I was not allowed to have a cell phone until I was almost 16 and while that might sound insane to some people, I am grateful that I was raised this way. By not being allowed to have a cell phone until that age, I was able to have a unique viewpoint on the negative aspects of cellphones.

When I would hang out with my friends, they would many times be immersed in their cell phones. I did not have a cellphone to turn to, so I would just have to sit there patiently until one of them returned from their obsession. It was sad to see my friends more interested in their phones in the moment than with me. By having this experience, I decided I never wanted to make someone else feel the way I felt while I waited in silence for a friend to talk to.

It is very important that we make sure we are not too wrapped up in our cell phones to enjoy spending real time with people face-to-face. While cellphone conversations are convenient and can serve as an escape from awkward silences, we must realize the importance of conversations without a screen separating us. The value that comes from a face-to-face conversation is irreplaceable.

Make the time to spend real, uninterrupted time with your friends frequently. Put your cellphones down for a minute and focus on what is important that is sitting right in front of you. Be cautious to not spend too much time on your cellphones that you forget the value of direct communication with your closest friends. It will strengthen your friendships and cause you to grow closer to them than you ever could through a cellphone.