In this day and age, we honestly bring our phones everywhere we go and use them at any time. We bring our phones to class, to practice, to work, to the gym, to breakfast, lunch and dinner, to events, even to the bathroom. We use our phones to get directions, to listen to music, to communicate with friends and family, to share thoughts, pictures, or posts, to do anything and everything. Technology has become so fast and accessible and easy to use that we probably could not survive even a few hours without our phones. Everything we need is in these small devices. We can access so much data with just the tap or swipe of our fingers. Millennials are scolded and assumed to be technology crazy because they grew up in the midst of such high performance for smartphones. However, technology has affected almost everyone in society, causing older generations to take advantage of what is now possible, which they lacked when they were growing up.

I was out to lunch with my mom when I looked up mid-bite and realized how many customers were on their phones. What really confused and surprised me was that all of them were adults. The younger people in the restaurant were all engaged in face to face conversation with their phones set aside or put away. My own mother was on her phone at this time, engrossed in some message or notification. While my own phone was set aside and I was trying to talk to my mom, she couldn't look up from her phone until she finished replying to a message or clearing a notification. When I shared my observation with her and mentioned her own attention to her phone, she immediately apologized and claimed she just meant to check her phone quickly. Young people like myself are told so frequently to not become addicted to technology and to separate ourselves from the online world that we have become acutely aware and conscious of our time spent on our phones. We make an effort to do more activities in the real world and to interact with others in person. We have improved, but our parents and older generations have become sucked into technology and social media.

We must all be reminded that although improvements in technology have made our lives easier and more innovative, this is a gift and we should not abuse it. Technology and smartphones also have the ability to be harmful and even destructive to society. If we are not careful or knowledgeable enough about its capability, we are in danger of allowing technology to control us.

Turn off or refrain from looking at your phone and leave social media behind once in a while. They are not going anywhere. There was a time before technology and smartphones and social media when people lived happily and turned out fine. Let's not get too caught up in technology and get lost in cyberspace.