In today’s day and age, many people living in first world countries have near constant access to entertainment no matter where they are in the world. With a press of a button we can stream new movies, buy an e-book, or play Pokemon Go for hours on end. At home, we’re able to binge watch Netflix for a week, or play video games until our eyes water and our fingers ache. Our phones give us access to the latest information, and it usually comes in the form of whatever is on Snapchat or trending on Twitter. The media is infatuated with the lives of celebrities, as demonstrated by reality television shows such as "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," "Real Housewives," "Hogan Knows Best," and "Tia & Tamara." Even major news stations spend a significant amount of time covering celebrity drama rather than relevant global news. With all this constant entertainment present in our lives, are we distancing ourselves from our present reality?

Movies, books, television, music, and video games allow us to experience and create the lives we want. We don’t have to live our life -- we can live vicariously through artificially created avatars, or binge watch all 12 seasons of "Grey's Anatomy" to feel fulfilled. There’s no need to feel stressed out or burdened by the horrors of the world when you can switch it off with the click of a button. Why watch the news filled with bloodstained babies and bombs when you can turn the channel to the Kardashians and watch them vacation in Colorado, pop a bottle of champagne that could cover your tuition for a semester, and sob about missing earrings? This ability to choose our version of reality has also severely impacted the way we interact with people in our day to day lives. For instance, I’m sure that a lot of us have become used to being able to escape any uncomfortable situation. Are you awkwardly riding to the 33rd floor in a silent elevator with a guy you matched with on Tinder? Pretend to text a friend or stare at your phone for those 30 seconds of hell. It’s convenient, but it’s also hindering our ability to live our own lives.

So what can we do? We’ve been raised in a new technological age filled to the brim with distractions and entertainment. But it’s also a world of blood and gore, starving children, and opulent decadence. We have to decide every day what our priorities are going to be. Do we live in a state of ignorant bliss, or face reality head on? We have to actively make the choice to be better, to do better, and make the world a better place when it’s so much easier to turn a blind eye to it all.