Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. A good majority of people use one, if not all of these social platforms. What is our infatuation with technology and social media? Last month in Target, my iPhone decided to do a front flip and land face down. We all get that feeling when we drop our phone, and it all seems to happen in slow motion: that feeling of tragedy that our phone might be broken. As I picked up my phone and looked at it, I turned it over and was praying that the screen wasn’t shattered; luckily it wasn’t.

I unlocked the phone, and there lay the problem: all the insides were broken. I rushed to the Verizon store to see if there was anything I can do. Well long story short, I had to order a new phone. I thought it would only take a week for me to get it. Apparently, the iPhone 7 plus is on backorder, so I have been without a phone for over a month. On the bright side, I have learned a lot of valuable lessons.

Not having a phone attached to me at all times has made me more aware of my surroundings. I go outside and I enjoy the day and take every moment in. When I walk around the dining center, literally almost everyone has their eyes glued to their phone. People are all sitting around a table, not talking to each other, but instead texting away. Why is this? Why do we constantly need to be looking at that little screen for hours a day?

According to the Huffington Post in an article titled “You Probably Use Your Smartphone Way More Than You Think” it explains how young people are on their phones for an average 5 hours a day! That is about 1/3 of a working day. So about 5 hours of your day are being “wasted” due to the constant need to check any and all social media platforms. I know I am guilty of it for sure. I am constantly on apps such as Snapchat, Facebook and Reddit. I like to see what my friends are up to and see what’s happening around the world. I, as many people would agree, would say that it is important and beneficial to stay informed on current news. You also, must be aware of yourself and the missed opportunities that might occur because of your phone. For example, I got all my homework done weeks ahead of time and an essay done that is due during finals week (a month away).

I noticed I have gotten a lot more stuff done, and have been more organized, and my grades have improved. Even when I get my new phone, I am going to try and limit how much I am on it. After seeing that 1/3 of my day is being used on my phone, made me realize that I need to put the phone down and just enjoy life, talking face to face with people, instead of texting. I think everyone would benefit greatly by slowing down their phone usage and getting in touch with the reality around you and becoming more engaged in your surroundings.