Technology is increasing in the world around us each day. We are engulfed in our cell phones, computers, tablets, games, televisions, and so much more. According to marketwatch.com, the average person spends about 11 hours of each day involved with the mass media. This could range from playing a game, reading an article, scrolling social media, or sending an email. Even when we do not realize it, we are consuming media almost every minute of our days. Any time a person stares at a screen, the technology is gaining one more minute of our lives, and we are becoming less involved with our surrounding world.

In today's society, it is so easy to become distracted through the media. We receive our news from social media platforms. We communicate with everyone through text message or email. We even stare at lecture screens in classrooms each day to learn from our professors. Reminders are sent via email or text message for organizations, and almost every important document we may ever need can be located online.

While advances in technology make the world around us easier, we seem to become buried in the hassle-free world it gives us. We must realize that technology is here to be used as a helpful tool, and not as something to take over our minds and bodies. So many experiences in our lives are taken away because we are distracted by our technology. When walking from one place to another, people are looking down at their cell phones instead of interacting with people they pass. In our homes, people are watching television or videos alone rather than spending quality time together.

We are simply taking for granted the world around us. There are people around us everywhere. Imagine the relationships we could create and love if we spent time getting to know the people we pass by daily. Think of the experiences we would have if we spent time with our families with no technology in our way. Nature is around us blooming and taking its path each day, and sometimes we fail to even notice its existence. Imagine the sights we could see if we turned off our devices and decided to explore the amazing outdoors.

As a challenge, turn off your technology devices for an hour a day and see what happens. Notice the small things in life. Start a conversation with someone new. Look outside and notice the sunset. Look up at the world around you.