Do you ever find yourself glued to your phone when you're supposed to be spending time with family, friends, or your boyfriend/girlfriend? I know I often find myself texting or scrolling through Instagram instead of spending time with the people I am around. Technology has been a great advancement for our generation, but is it getting in the way of relationship building?

Imagine the days before our modern technology existed. What did you do in your free time? How did you communicate with your friends? The young adults of today hardly know a time where technology did not exist. It is what we are used to. Technology can be great for many things like networking and keeping in touch with people, I don't deny that. I think the problem occurs when technology gets in the way of our face-to-face interactions.

Do you ever find yourself annoyed with friends or co-workers who are glued to their phones when you are trying to have a conversation? We are so obsessed with seeing what everyone is up to on social media and through text that we are not catching up with the people right in front of us. Have you ever noticed how great of a conversation you can have with someone when there are no phone interruptions? Just two people talking, catching up, or just getting to know each other. Face-to-face communication is important for maintaining good relationships and forming new ones. If we are glued to our phones the whole time we are with someone, we are not genuinely spending time with them or getting to know them.I mean how boring is it to go on a date and have your boyfriend/girlfriend on their phone most of the time? Don't you think it would be nice to just put the phones away and enjoy your time together?

I will admit, technology can also be great for communicating with people. You can stay in touch with long-distance friends and family, or you can communicate with your friends to make plans or just to chat. There are so many things you can do to communicate with people with an iPhone or computer. I will not deny how great modern technology can be when used the right way.

I know I still find myself on twitter or Snapchat when I'm with friends and I have to remind myself I can look at that later. Sometimes we don't even think about it. It is something we subconsciously do out of habit. It's great to be able to talk to friends or family through text or social media when you are not with them. However, don't let it get in the way of your face-to-face interactions

So, next time you're on a date or hanging out with friends, put the phone down.