I’m a lifeguard at a summer camp (Camp Northlake For Life!) with kindergarteners through sixth graders. There are about 80-90 campers weekly, and it may not sound like a lot, but it gives me the opportunity to form relationships with the campers. My favorite part about being a lifeguard is that I get to see every single group throughout the day, rather than being a counselor with just one group of kids.
Earlier this week, I was talking to one of the sixth grade girls, Brooke, who is probably one of the sassiest, brightest, and most confident young girls I have ever met. She always has something new to talk about and she can never wait to tell you her next story. One day, we were talking about cell phones, and each of the sixth grade girls told me than they either had an iPhone 4S, an iPhone 5, or an iPhone 6.
Sixth graders. Eleven years old. With a $500-$800 touch screen phone.
I was in shock. I then told them, “when I was your age, I had a flip phone that couldn’t even text.”
Their jaws dropped open in disbelief and Brooke replied, “are you serious? How did you even survive?” She's dramatic, but she wasn't joking.
When I was eleven years old, I spent my time playing hide-and-seek outside with my next-door neighbors or playing ball in the backyard with my dog. I wasn’t worried about my computer or what my cell phone had to offer. This conversation with an eleven-year-old made me realize one of the biggest problems with young adults today:
Our generation is dependent on technology. More specifically, our smart phones. As of October 2014, according to the Pew Research Center, 64% of American adults own a smart phone. And I wouldn’t expect it to be any less. We’re extremely spoiled. We have access to the Internet, our e-mail, every social media website possible, thousands and thousands of games, and so much more, at the palm of our hands.
I’m speaking for myself, too, when I say that it is extremely hard to just put the phone down because of all this “stuff.” Especially when we want to see what our friends are up to on Instagram, what the latest stories are on Snapchat (especially on the weekends), or to play that pointless app that’s dangerously addicting (I’m guilty when it comes to 2048). We need something to entertain us every second of the day and we are so used to our phones doing that for us. The phrase “pic or it never happened” has consumed our generation because every single event that happens in our lives has to be documented on our social media profiles (again, guilty).
Nowadays, going on a dinner date has resulted in little conversation and lots of finger swiping. Since I go to college an hour and a half away from home, I know that when I finally do get time to spend with my family, they don’t want to see a 3-inch by 6-inch glass screen hovering in front of my face, either. It’s not only just plain rude, it’s a problem. It’s a habit. It’s normal. And it’s easy. It’s easy to escape from the uncomfortable things of the real world through our phones instead of actually realizing who and what is around us.
It’s time to put the phone down. It’s time to INTERACT with the real world and actually enjoy whatever it is you are doing instead of worrying about getting the perfect picture to post to Facebook. It’s time to leave the phone in the car next time you go get sushi with your boo thang and actually have a meaningful conversation instead of “OMG why did you like her Instagram picture?” Because I promise, if this is what your conversations consist of, then it’s time to re-evaluate y’all’s priorities.
Your phone is not worth it. It’s not worth it to creep on that girl’s Instagram who you heard was now talking to your ex-boyfriend or to drown in your own sorrow because your friends are posting such fun Snapchat stories while you’re stuck at home on a Friday night. Don’t let technology consume you. Don’t worry about how you portray yourself on your social media. Don’t lie in bed playing Flappy Bird or pinning on Pinterest when you can be enjoying a walk with your dog or a heart-to-heart with your mom. I am by no means bashing Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or Pinterest because I have every single one and I check them all the time. There’s nothing wrong with posting a pic of your family trip to Disney World or the flowers your boyfriend surprised you with. Let your friends and family keep up with you! That’s what social media is for, especially when you have family spread out all over the country. But when it starts changing the way you think and the way you act, that’s when you know it’s time to put the phone down.
Apply this to yourself in your own way. Maybe you follow way too many people on Instagram and you need to do some “cleaning” so you aren’t checking your feed as often. Maybe you have a load of pointless apps that need to be deleted so that you won’t play a pointless game when you’re bored. Maybe you need to invest in a watch so you won’t use the excuse, “but I use my phone to check the time so I need to bring it everywhere.” Try to challenge yourself to take just a week to either start leaving your phone in your car or start turning it off when you know you should be engaging with the world around you. You'll start to realize just how much you don't need it.
