By Jesse Dolojan, Staff Writer
People spend too much time on their phones every day. It’s disturbing to see how much of our lives we spend on this strange little box. Just a few weeks ago, I saw a father on his phone, and following behind him in a single-file line were his two kids on their iPads. It was like something out of a cartoon! The idea that families are being raised on screens is both humorous and terrifying.
Imagine, instead of talking and laughing together at the dinner table, a family texting and ignoring each other. What happened to the art of conversation? What happened to our desire and ability to have meaningful interactions with others?
Smartphones have not been entirely harmful to our ability to socialize. After all, texting is still a way to communicate with another person. It allows us to connect with people who live far away from us, even in different time zones. It is arguably easier to get in touch with someone than ever before.
However, we must also recognize how instant messaging can detract from conversation. While it is easier than ever to stay in touch with people far away, what about the people right in front of us? It’s easier than ever to stray away from talking to those around us when it’s easier to grab your phone and look at social media.
Students are seen walking through campus neighborhoods and staring at their phones.
Social media is filled with its own dangers. Many compare themselves to others who post a glamorous life on their social media, often leading to social anxiety and other mental health issues. Thinking back to the family who all had smart devices, it is sad to think that kids could potentially develop those issues so soon in their lives.
How can something that was designed to connect people cause us to stray further from each other than ever before? It’s tragic to see people make a conscious decision to stare at a screen all day instead of going outside and being around other people.
Deleting social media can feel like too much for some people because it is the only way they communicate with certain people. Other people connect on Snapchat and only stay in touch using the app. Therefore, deleting it would mean cutting yourself off from that specific person that only uses that app to communicate, and many others as well.
Is there any way we can reverse the damage or reconnect with the people around us? I think the first step is recognizing that the phone is an issue. We are supposed to use phones to call people and connect with others, not spend every waking moment staring at random videos about cute animals like wombats or the latest trends.
Deleting social media may seem like the answer, but it is not the perfect solution. Instead, an emphasis should be put on connecting with people you see every day, saying hi and getting to know them.
Putting an effort into making genuine connections with people goes a long way. Instead of simply messaging people regularly, taking the time to meet in person can go such a long way. Getting food at the Caf, going on walks or even studying together are all small things you can do to connect with others on a meaningful level. It’s those little moments that define friendships, and those little moments can be exactly what you miss if you have your eyes glued to a phone all day.
Putting people in front of you first is important, especially when you realize that you only have four years of college. This is one of the last “real times” where we get to have so much freedom before we start full-time jobs and other responsibilities such as paying taxes and mowing the lawn. I know that I speak for myself when I say I don’t want to spend those moments ignoring the people surrounding me.
Being present and enjoying the little moments is so important. Even decreasing your screen time daily by an hour gives you so much of your life back. Those little moments, the people in your life: You must stop and ask yourself — what is more important to you? Those people and those moments, or a high-tech rectangle?
Jesse Dolojan is a Staff Writer for Newswire. He is an English major from Arlington, VA.