Let’s face it; smartphones are consuming our lives. A cell phone is so much more than just a calling device these days, it’s a camera, a calendar, a clock, a map, a music player, and a source of entertainment. We could literally get lost if we left the house without our phone.
We document our entire lives on these handheld devices and post where we are and who we are with constantly, but rarely do we focus on what is actually going on around us. I saw this picture of a crowd during a parade on my timeline one day, and it really put things into perspective for me.
Of all the people behind this gate, there is only one woman not on her phone. You can see everyone around her reaching around each other, standing on tip-toe trying to record what is coming their way. However, this one woman in the front is seeing what is going on with her own eyes, not through her phone screen.
She is present. She is living in the moment.
How many times have you been somewhere and you find yourself in a sea of smartphones? Maybe you’re at a concert, maybe you’re at a party, or maybe you’re just having a night in with friends, but there is always someone posting pictures, videos, and statuses about what you’re doing. I’m even guilty uploading almost an entire concert onto my snapchat story until my phone died. However, it was once my phone died that I realized how ridiculous I was being. Instead of posting videos to show all of my friends where I was, I should have been enjoying the concert in real-time with the friends around me instead of having my hands glued to my phone.
This has also happened when I am just casually hanging out with friends. There is always one friend who has to be checking their social media or texting their significant other while they’re supposed to be spending time with you. You know what I’m talking about, right? You’re trying to have a conversation with them and they didn’t even hear what you just said? Tell me that’s not one of the worst feelings in the world, to feel like your friend’s phone is more important to them than you are.
We take the time we spend with family and friends for granted, and we act as if we have all the time in the world to spend with each other. Really, what we should be doing is living like each time we see each other could be the last. Live wholeheartedly in the moment with your friends and family, cherish every moment you have together. The phone call can wait, the social media updates can wait, but the people who are around you right now cannot. In 10 years the comments on your Instagram post won't matter, the number of likes you got won't matter, the number of retweets won't matter, but the memories that you've made with your friends and family will.
So here’s my challenge for all of you: Spend more time being present. Spend more time living in the moment rather than trying to document it. What would you notice about the world if you didn’t have your phone in your hand? What would you notice about your friends? What would you notice about your surroundings? It’s a beautiful life, and we should admire it every chance that we get.
