Those of us who are millennials — our eyes are always down. We walk the halls with our phones out, our necks bent and our shoulders hovered. When I walk around campus, I honestly try my hardest to remain off my phone, mainly 1) to be aware of my surroundings and 2) to just be a human and take in everything around me. However, people are so used to keeping eye contact with their phones that they no longer know how to look people in the eye as they walk by, or how to comfortably give a warm smile.
Maybe some people just aren’t as friendly, but I can physically see how hard it is for students to detach themselves from their technology-filled lives. We find it hard to socialize with others, to have a casual conversation, so we turn to our phones as a weird form of avoidance. Yes, technology has its positive aspects like providing new and innovative ways to receive information, but that shouldn’t mean people should stop having regular conversations with each other.
Over fall break I attended a party with my friend in Maryland. Right as I walked through the door of this small apartment packed with people, I didn’t see one face that wasn’t illuminated from a phone screen. It’s not like the music wasn’t good or there weren’t any good drinks or cute boys, but it was like everyone was just afraid of interacting with each other. Boys were basically on one side of the room and the girls were on the other.
When I went home and told my uncle (who is a party fanatic) and mom about how the party went, they laughed so loud and started reminiscing about parties from their day. My uncle would tell me that the boys would dance so hard with the girls that they needed a water break. Of course my mother never told me any of her stories, but I know she also loved going out with her girlfriends.
Why can’t today’s parties be like the parties back in the day? I’m not saying that every party should be intense dancing, but I don’t think people should have to refer to their phones to avoid being humans.
We should be able to look each other in the eyes as we pass each other. We should be able to keep our necks straight when walking the halls. We should be able to have small talk that isn’t as awkward as it is now. We should be able to make connections. When you’re not able to do any of these things, how do you expect to make friends? How do you expect to build relationships? While your head is down, the love of your life could be walking by and you'd never know because you’re so immersed in your own version of reality.
This article isn’t written to tell you how to live your life, but to make you notice that this is what happens every day. If you don’t see this, here is a challenge: Lift your head up for five minutes, put your phone in your pocket and look at the other heads that are up with yours. Isn’t it lonely up there?
