I'm sitting here thinking about what we did before we had cell phones and I'm at a complete loss. No matter where I am, the majority of people, young and old, are on their phones. They're checking: checking email, checking Facebook, checking Twitter, checking, checking, checking.

It's almost like the real world and real people are so incredibly boring (or scary?) that we need to resort to doing something else. We always need to be doing something with our minds, something with our hands, something that doesn't take much effort. Whenever there's a moment where we don't have anything pressing to do, we check our phones.

I am as guilty as anyone else when it comes to this. I consciously try to stay off my phone (unless something truly important is happening on there) while waiting in lines, waiting for class to start, etc. But then I look around and see everyone else on their phones and I think, "Oh, I guess this is just the thing to do. I may as well take my phone out too. Ugh". Plus, I don't want to seem awkward in a situation where none of the strangers around me are speaking at all.

So I've been wondering, why do so many of us have the tendency to stare at our phones during downtime? What is really so important? Honestly, not much. Aside from checking email and messages for school or work purposes and family emergencies, there is no good reason why we constantly need to be checking what our friends are posting on various social media platforms.

Like I mentioned before, being on my phone makes me feel less awkward in situations involving strangers. Yes, I wish we lived in a world where more people started random conversations with each other. But unfortunately, people with extremely outgoing personalities and the ability to push aside the fact that people might really not want to talk are hard to come by.

In addition to alleviating boredom and giving us constant gratification of basically whatever we want to look at or watch, checking our phones also acts as a grown-up safety blanket. In uncomfortable situations, we have our phones to hide behind. It's not just a problem with millennials either: I sat down next to a man (he was probably in his 60s) while waiting for my prescription at a Walgreens pharmacy, and he pulled out his phone within seconds.

With all of this in mind, I encourage you to refrain from looking at your phone at least once this week. Even when everyone around you is, rise above with your mind and your eyes and keep your focus on something else. Start a conversation. Take in your surroundings. Resist the urge to check what doesn't need to be checked.