Welcome to the second half of the 21st century, where individuals live their lives by solely relying on their cell phones rather than their good old, customized brains. Whether we like to admit it or not, people in today's society cannot function without the reassurance of having their smartphones within fingertips reach at all times. It's like you place their cell phone in a different room and the entire world stops spinning. Our cell phones have evolved to do a majority of our thinking for us, a fact that is both crazy and terrifying, yet, somehow not surprising. With more and more people reserving their attention for the screens on their little smartphone devices, human interactions have diminished, the art of unique thought processes have become extinct, laziness has become more evident, and potentially valuable life moments have become degraded. As a result of turning to our cell phones for quick and easy solutions, our society as a whole has become less welcoming to fresh ideas and has become more judgmental of those who allow their mind, emotions, and thoughts guide their lives rather than living behind a cell phone screen. Below, are the 13 times your cell phone got in the way of allowing yourself to live life to the fullest.
1. That awkward elevator ride.
You and I both know it. What is the first thing you think about when you enter an already preoccupied elevator? That's right, "this is gonna be awkward." What's the next thing you do when the doors shut? Yup, you reach for your cell phone and keep your head pinned down and your eyes focused on the screen so that the other person doesn't know you're a living, breathing and talking human being. Put your phone down and spark a conversation! If it makes you feel better, you'll probably never see that person again.
2. When your cell phone doubles as your GPS
We all genuinely wonder how people use to go on road trips or reach any sort of destinations without a GPS. Well back then, people relied on their knowledge and use of logic to reach strategic conclusions as to where exactly they were located. Back then, individuals were less consumed with material things, meaning they lived a life of less stress. When it came to traveling, they allowed their minds and emotions to guide them rather than the voice of a technological device. It's important to appreciate the trip as much as you will enjoy the destination. Memories and adventures can come from anywhere, and taking an unknown path can do just the trick. It's healthy to get lost sometimes, as those sometimes can result in memories that will last a lifetime.
3. The anxiety you get when your phone reaches 10% battery.
Oh no, wait! Hold up. My phone is dying, do you have a charger?!? No?!? Forget it, cancel our plans, I am going home.
It's crazy to think that our day ends the moment our phones die, how it's a no brainer that our plans revolve around the lifespan of our phone's battery. Think about it, which story will you be telling when you're old, the day you hung out with your friends while being disconnected from society, or the day you went home because your phone was dying?
4. When family dinner ties with the most awkward event of the evening.
Whether you notice it or not, cell phones are putting a strain on family relationships. Kids especially born within the last 10 years or so were born into a world of pure technology. Parents are whipping out iPads for their children to stay quiet at the dinner table, while everyone else is heavily distracted by their cell phones. Because of this, we forget how to hold conversations, we draw blanks on what to speak about in person and we become unfamiliar with the people we love most. Our cell phones are distancing us from the people we should be closest to, and eventually, we won't even know the basic facts like their favorite color, or their favorite type of candy.5. One-on-one dates.
You thought family dinners were bad? How about when it comes to the real deal and you are breaking into a cold sweat because you forgot how basic human interactions work? One on one date nights, especially when it comes to sitting across from a cutie pie for longer than a 10-minute span really puts your social skills to the test. Turning to your cell phones as an excuse to take a breather from a situation that should not be stressful is starting to sound pretty lame. How much can you really get to know somebody when you're fully distracted by your phone?
6. Social media at your fingertips 24/7 - a health crisis.
A majority of people today do not go to sleep or get out of bed before skimming through every social media platform. Social media, being readily available on our cell phones, has become the newest way to stay updated on people's lives, even of people's lives we barely know. Social media plays such a huge role in today's society that individuals strive to live their own lives the way the celebrities and socialites everyone praises do. Social media is setting the new "norms" for us which limits people from feeling comfortable in their own skin, and from having ideas and opinions that differ from the grand majority.
7. "Pics or it didn't happen."
With that iPhone 7 plus and it's new portrait mode, we all know what everyone is going to be doing while on vacation! Sitting back and enjoying life! just kidding. We aren't going to settle down and enjoy life until we spend most of our time taking Insta-worthy pictures and snap chat worthy selfies to post as proof that we are out and about. It's time to spend more time living in the moment, taking in the new environment rather than spending the entire time trying to get a cool picture. Don't let the talents of your phone step over the real reason you are where you are, to enjoy.
8. Did you really experience that concert you went to?
Put your phone away, and let the music speak to you. Let the music take you elsewhere. Enjoy it. Experience it. Live in that moment. Your own recording of the concert won't do the live version justice. I promise.
9. Your cell phone is making you a four letter word: L-A-Z-Y.
Hungry? Uber Eats. Lost? Google Maps. Bored? Twitter. 2 times 2? Calculator. How many sides to a triangle? Ask Siri. The quick and easy solutions that our cell phones provide us take away from an important aspect of our lives. Thinking. The use of common sense has diminished as we have become so accustomed to high-speed internet solutions. People are forgetting basic things because they are not training their minds to stay on top of their own intelligence. Instead, they turn to their phones for every answer.
10. Stop passing time opening every app on your phone.
11. When work life suddenly becomes your personal life.
12. Your patience is thin.
13. Waiting for class to begin like.
Do you really have your headphones in your ears because you're listening to a song, or are you just trying to avoid any type of interaction with any individual you don't know? We all know how the beginning of each semester works, you walk into a new classroom with new people and new places to sit. Instead of hiding your face behind your cell phone screen, try talking to someone around you. You never know where your next friend will be.
The power our cell phones have over us is overwhelming when you sit down to think about it. Today, people are so accustomed to using their cell phones for all types of communicating purposes, that when somebody you don't know approaches you attempting to start a conversation, that person is automatically associated with the word "creep." Well, guess what, back in the time before cell phones acted as our second brains, people actually enjoyed having conversations, speaking and meeting new people. Valuable memories were created and life lessons were learned all without the need of having a cell phone on their person every minute of the day. Hopefully, this will inspire you to let go of your phone once in a while and enjoy what our world has to offer. Experience as much as you can with as many people as you can, it is definitely worth it for a happier life.
