One of the saddest sights for me to see is watching people be alone together. They are together, yes, but instead of interacting, they are looking down at their phone screens. They could be scrolling through Instagram, or texting a friend, but the main point is that they aren’t giving their full attention to whoever they are with. I can think of many instances where my friends and I have gotten together and everyone just goes on their phones.

I think that part of this problem is due to the allure of social media. I don’t know why, but we are so interested in the lives of others. I was scrolling through Facebook and couldn’t help but notice that the majority of my news feed was filled with people either complaining or showing off something. Facebook has become a place to rant instead of a place to connect. Instagram is better about this, but it definitely has its downfalls as well.  Don’t get me wrong, I love going on social media and connecting with my friends, but I have realized that living my life through my cell phone can’t even compare to real life.

You can’t laugh with your friends through Facebook. You can “LOL”, but it isn’t the same as cracking up with your best friend, because you just ran into the wall. You can’t have a deep conversation through texts. They may seem serious and deep, but it can’t compare to having a shoulder to cry on. Social media is great, helpful, and fun, but we can never put it before our relationships with other people. You have no idea how many moments you could miss out on by paying too much attention to your phone. Trust me, your Instagram and Facebook will still be there when you are by yourself. It can wait. You may be bored to death at that family reunion, but some family members won’t be there someday. You will be wishing that you had spent less time staring down at that cell phone and more time with the people around you.

Some may argue, saying that they’re just teenagers, and that’s what teenagers do. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat are all just part of being a teen. This may be true, but having fun and going on adventures are also part of it. It’s extremely difficult to do that through your smartphone.

Life is too short to live behind a screen, so put that phone away and go live your life.