Does anyone remember when people had normal, face-to-face conversations with the people around them? Surprise, neither do I. Before technology took over our lives, people would meet and talk almost anywhere. In the supermarket, a coffee shop -- even the park! Now we Facebook stalk our crushes instead of telling them how we feel (don't lie, we all have done it). Why on earth would anyone want to hold a real conversation with someone else when we have a false sense of security held in our hands every second of the day? #nofilter.
Almost everyone spends more time on their mobile devices than they do to admire the beautiful land God created for us. Literally, I could spend all day hopping from Facebook to Instagram, back to Facebook, and then play a little (or a lot) of Candy Crush (I have no shame). Every day I find myself on Instagram sending my boyfriend (too many) pictures of cute animals or quotes because it is a small way to let him know I care form afar, and I know he will love the pictures just as much as I do. Social media is perfect for sharing content and staying connected with the ones you love. If you find something on the internet that you know one of your BFFs will love, you can tag, tweet, share, screenshot, text, or quote that piece of media for them to see on their own device, which is amazing, right? However, we get a little lost in the wide variety of content social media has to offer. Is one actually laughing out loud when they type "LOL?" #LMAO
While social media allows us to follow the lives of our favorite celebrities and athletes (and wishing we were them), it keeps us from living and loving our own lives. I could spend days (yes, days) on YouTube watching cat videos. No matter how much I wish I could leap through my small mobile screen to grab and take home all of the cute animals, I know it will never happen. But a girl can dream, right? Instead of getting caught up in the downward spiral of animal videos, I need to remember that I can get out there and help animals in shelters anywhere because their little lives matter just as much as the millions of animals online. #puppylove
So, instead of hiding behind your phone when you pass someone on the sidewalk, say, "Hi!" to them! Sure, they may look at you a little weird, but there is also a slight chance they will reciprocate your greeting. And if you have some free time, which is hard to come by these days, go out and make new memories and try new things! I know it's tempting to sit in our comfy bed and watch Netflix all day until we fall asleep, but we are missing out on so many wonderful things that life has to offer. So put down the technology and take this beautiful life in as much as you can, because you only live once. #yolo
