Put your phone DOWN

I am tired of seeing groups of people out together, all on their phones. They are physically together, but they aren't present. When did cellphones take over our world?? 

It's an incredibly sad thing to witness a child being ignored in a restaurant because their parent is texting or simply scrolling. It's incredibly sad to see a group of teenagers out shopping "together", but each one is texting someone else as they walk and conduct half-hearted conversations with eachother. Selfies, over-sharing and worst of all-constant comparing! I wish they could see what they are missing out on. NOW is the only time that matters.

Recently while in Spain and Portugal, I was accutely aware of how locals didn't have cellphones out and every visible visitor most certainly did. The locals were chatting away, playing together, being present. The visitors were taking tons of photos (I too am so guilty of this) and hardly simply taking in their surroundings with the naked eye and truly living in the moment.

The only time that is promised is this very moment and far too many people are missing it! Instead of being content with our own lives we are comparing them to everyone else's! Instead of celebrating our own wins, we are posting about them for that dopamine hit of likes. Scrolling for hours, wasting our precious time, and being completely inundated with useless and sometimes quite damaging information. 

Additionally, we do not need to be accessible all of the time. Before cellphones, we checked our emails from computers and we answered phones when we were home or at work. Everyone managed just fine not getting an immediate response and there was little to no expectation to always be available. God forbid you leave someone "on read" for 5 minutes now. 

I appreciate cellphones as useful tools. Absolutely. They have their place, but they are no replacement for real life. Chatting with AI is no replacement for true human interaction. Scrolling is no replacement for reading or simply being present. It's ok to not be entertained. It's ok to feel bored. We do the best learning and growing when we learn to be ok with these uncomfortable moments. 

Choosing your phone over the real life person who is sitting infront of you is, in my humble opinion, a mistake. Tomorrow is not promised and your time with this person is precious. Give them the attention and time they deserve. There is so much beauty to see in this world. Don't miss it because you were stuck behind a screen.

Publilshed in the Chronicle Herald-June 6, 2024