Our modern day society, especially my fellow Millennials, has a twisted idea about what it means to be present. For many, their presence is purely physical: they are physically present. While this is technically accurate, it doesn't even reach the surface of it’s true meaning.

Being present isn’t just physical, but mental and emotional. I’ve found that many people around my age have trouble making and holding good conversation. People are too concerned with seeming interesting or about what they will say next, rather than expressing a genuine interest in the other person. I believe this to be a result of our generations ever so obvious problem with being present. Too often we focus our attention to social media, or our thoughts constantly drift because of it. Though it can be used with good intentions, social media is an extreme detriment to our lives. It distracts us from living our lives because it makes us obsess over our appearance and the lives of others.

Recently, I decided to delete one of my social media accounts because I became aware of how much time it took out of my day, and I wanted to live more in the present. But what I got out of it was much more than just a few saved minutes throughout my day. I found myself randomly feeling the urge to post something, which got me thinking about my intentions. Why did I feel such a need to share so much of my life with others? I came to the realization that unconsciously I was looking for some sort of validation -for both good and bad things- and a sense of company. This search for validation and false companionship became a distraction in life, and I’m sure in the lives of many others as well.

While social media can be used in good, intentional, and beneficial ways, quite often it serves as a distraction from our everyday lives. Not only can it be used as a distraction from our circumstances that we may be trying to hide from, but also as an inhibitor of authentically experiencing life. When you get away from these distractions and focus yourself on the present and being present, life will quickly become more vibrant than one could ever imagine.