Everyone is constantly posting a pic of their breakfast on Instagram, tapping through a ton of stories on Snapchat just to get them off their “Recent Updates” list, and tweeting about some part of their day on Twitter. For me, there really isn’t a minute that goes by that I don’t have my phone in my hand, in my pocket, or in my purse. It’s on me at all times. If not, I absolutely freak out. The other day, I left my coat in the car, and, of course, being the most forgetful person on Earth, I forgot my phone in the pocket. I didn’t realize this until I was seated at the restaurant and, I kid you not, almost had a heart attack. I was begging my mom to give me the car keys and walk across Inner Harbor just so I could grab my phone.

It's insane how much our generation would do to stay connected and how much time we spend on our phones. Looking around the room right now, at least 75 percent of the people here are on their phones. I mean, I’m 10 minutes into writing this article and I’ve checked all of my social medias and my phone no less than five times already. Whenever I'm out with my friends or hanging out with my family, every one of us is on our phones rather than talking to each other and enjoying each other’s company. I am extremely guilty of having my phone glued to my eyes and hands. It’s definitely hard to not persistently check it all the time. I mean, our phones are how we find out every thing going on in our lives: news, gossip, stories. It’s the way our generation has learned to live.

Here's a typical scenario of a common Instagram posting trend: Say there’s a sunset one evening. “Oh, what a beautiful sunset,” you think to yourself, and you go back to whatever you were doing at time. Ten minutes later, you decide to go on Instagram to check if anyone posted anything new. You open the app and you see the pretty sunset you saw earlier. “That’s such a pretty pic!” you say. Well, I hope it’s the prettiest picture you’ve ever seen because that’s the only thing you’re going to see for the next 30 posts.

Don’t get me wrong, these pictures are stunning, but why do we have to take pictures of the same thing all the time? Enjoy that sunset like it’ll be your last. Sounds super cliché, I know, but it’s true. Today, we tend to take advantage of natural beauty and the people around us. Why spend so much time taking a picture when you can treasure that moment in your mind and in your heart? It’ll mean a lot more.

Why are we on our social medias 24/7? Well, there are definitely a ton of reasons for that, like stalking your ex to see what he or she is up to. But in my opinion, I think there are two main reasons. Reason One: People genuinely want to publicize their life or their emotions, which is completely fine. They have the right to do what they want with their lives. Reason Two: To show off. This is not meant to sound harsh at all. Like I said, I'm guilty of all of this too. This doesn't necessarily mean that you're bragging about the new Gucci loafers you recently bought or the amazing weekend you spent in New York City, though this can sometimes be the case. We post to show off a great picture we took or what a great day we just had when we update our status.

I learned (or at least I’m starting to learn) that I don’t have to post every single thing I’m doing that day or incessantly check my phone every minute. I need to begin embracing the moments instead of documenting them, because when I look back, all I’m going to remember is documenting, not enjoying my time.

I challenge, not only myself but you as well, to go at least a day, without checking your phone. The rules are that you can’t look at any of your social media accounts whatsoever and you can’t look or pick up your phone unless you receive a text or a call. Good luck! And remember to always enjoy the moment.