Too many times I see the top of people’s heads. And it’s not because I want to, even though these people have lovely parts, but it’s because they are looking down at their phones.

I am guilty of this too. We live in a society that is constantly glued into social media and their latest Groupme’s. We are constantly told that we cannot be bored, ever. Our minds always need to be occupied.

But what happens when all of this phone connection is actually deteriorating our social connections? What is it doing to better our interpersonal relationships? Or what about communication skills?

When I am in line, I constantly go to my phone. Even if there if I have no notifications, I still look at it mindlessly, scrolling and scrolling.

Sadly, when I am taking a break from homework, I look right to my phone to see what I missed. Little do I know this is making my procrastinating even worse.

We need to not lose touch with human interaction. When we are with our best friends, our family, our boyfriend, we need to put that distraction away. We cannot let smartphones have that kind of power in our lives.

Instead of looking at your phone in line for Starbucks, maybe try putting it away and talking to the person behind you. Or, think about your goals and what you want to do for the day. Or maybe even let your brain truly relax.

When you are on a walk to class, you do not need to be on your phone. Instead, you can be taking in the sunlight and smelling the fresh, crisp air. You can enjoy the beauty of the world that surrounds you.

And please, do not be that person in the concert that records the entire show with their phone. I mean really, you never actually watch the videos. Why watch the show through a screen when you can actually be there to enjoy it? If you really love to watch videos of this artist, there are tons on YouTube available for you. Trust me.

I want to put my foot down on this issue. I don’t want to be addicted to my phone. When I am with people, I truly want to be all there. 

By using my phone in a healthy way, only from time to time instead of every waking five minutes, I know there will be positive changes in my life.

Life is short. There is no promise that you will even make it to tomorrow. Do you want to spend your last waking moments on earth so focused on a device that doesn’t really matter that much? Or do you want to spend your time being all there?

When we are looking down at these life-sucking devices, we are missing what is right in front of us, lovely aspects of life.

Sure, there are some great things about phones. But checking them every five minutes to see if you missed anything hugely important, constantly checking emails in lines, and answering calls and texting when you’re with the people you love the most, are not healthy ways to go about these devices.

If you are guilty of this, I challenge you to go tomorrow with checking your phone just a little less. Instead, focus on living in the moment. Every moment on this earth is one to be grateful for. Instead of digging into our data, we can focus on loving people and enjoying this precious life we live.

All in all, I challenge you to look up. After all, you could be missing something extraordinary right in front of you.

Xoxo,

Ash