Lately I’ve noticed how addicted people have become to their phones. I’ve always been aware of it, but it’s never actually bothered me. I’m guilty of being addicted as well. I first became aware of my own phone addiction because, to tell the truth, my mom yelled at me, threatening to take my phone away. I’d become so obsessed with checking Facebook and Snapchat or playing some stupid game every few minutes that she felt like I wasn’t even in the room with her; we were together but not actually together. And yes, while I still do take a few minutes here and there to do those things, I don’t do it nearly as much. I actually do it rarely now. But over the few months, I’ve been home from school, I have been growing more and more annoyed at how disconnected people are. Finally realizing how rude and obnoxious Ihad become made me realize how rude and obnoxious everyone else is. So, because of this, I am going to suggest some tips on “how to break up with your phone”.

1. Dedicate a time to look at your phone.

Whether it’s every 30 minutes or every hour, dedicate a small amount of time to check in. When that hour comes by, give yourself five minutes to check Facebook, respond to a Snap or reply to a text message. Then put your phone back in your bag/pocket/purse, and leave it there until the next hour passes. Maybe even put the “do not disturb” setting on so no noises or vibrations can distract you. Trust me, there is nothing that important happening on Facebook that needs obsessing about every two minutes.

2. Don't be rude.

This tip is pretty simple — don’t be rude to the person or people you are with. Again, I’ll state that I am not innocent — I used to do this all the time. And now that I am aware of how rude it can be, I do everything to avoid it. I have tons of friends who will get together and then sit on their phones, completely ignoring each other. Some of them will even text the person sitting beside them. I will literally be the only one not on my phone, and it has seriously begun to piss me off to the point where I don’t even want to hang out anymore. What’s the point if everyone is too busy on Facebook? Anyway, just don’t be rude. Follow tip number one, and people will be far less annoyed with you. And if you have to check in or be connected while around others, at least try to include them in whatever you’re looking at.

And lastly…

3. Be in the moment.

This honestly applies to everything in life, and it should really be everyone’s motto. However, in terms of this piece, people have to get off the damn phone and actually live in the moment. I’ve always tried to be at the moment, but it never truly hit me until a few weeks ago when I went to the “RuPaul’s Drag Race" tour. For the first half hour, I was so preoccupied with trying to take pictures of the queens that I missed what was actually going on around me. I finally said, “screw it," put the phone away and allowed myself to fully experience the show. It was amazing, and I was so happy that I decided to forget about the phone. Everyone should remind themselves to do this, to experience their life through their actual eyes and not a phone screen. Why go to a Drag Race or a concert or a party if you’re not going to be participating?

With technology advancing the way it is today, I know it can be hard to follow these tips. I know how tempting it is to want to take a picture of whatever you’re doing so you can post it on some social media site. But the truth of the matter is people are missing out on life. People are removing themselves from the beauty and wonder life offers. And, most importantly, people no longer know how to appreciate these experiences. It seems like all that matters is the documentation and the “likes” and “shares” you get online. People couldn’t be more wrong…life is what matters. Start living it.