By Tori Sheldon
STAFF WRITER

The average person spends an average of four years in a lifetime on the phone.

Our current society is socially dependent on technology that keeps us from building real in-person relationships.

Have you ever sat at a table with a group of friends, but no one’s talking? Everyone is on his or her phone, not even acknowledging those in the surrounding. Being on your phone can keep you from talking to those around you.

The latest model of the IPhone, one of the many new smart phones on the market, is one of the main causes of our social dilemma.
Photo Credit: Tech Land Time

Phones are addictive, and as Gary Turk says in his video Look Up, “This media we call social is anything but
 when we open our computers and it’s our doors we shut.”

We shut everyone out. We have lost appreciation for face-to-face communication because it makes us go out of our way or isn’t as convenient as a text. Even though texting is efficient, it’s insufficient when building relationships–it’s not enough.

You miss out on making memories and really enjoying them. Although people still get together and go out, it’s still a problem having a phone. It could distract people from really talking or enjoying themselves.

Not only that, but it seems that everything has to be captured on a phone. Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter are used to show how much fun something is, but it can’t honestly be that great if a phone is needed to prove that.

For example in the video, “Can We Autocorrect Humanity?,” Richard Williams says, “No longer do I want to spoil a precious moment by recording it with a phone.” While taking an excessive amount of photos or constantly tweeting may seem like a good thing, it can ruin the moment or the experience.

Even people who are out with friends tend to be on their phones.
Photo Credit: Samplereality.com

Miscommunication and misinterpretation over text play a role in today’s society. Fighting is no longer face-to-face. A large amount of arguments are based on a “rude” or misinterpreted text. Most emotions cannot truly be expressed through a text or a 140-character tweet, so it’s no wonder that fights start.

People don’t believe they need to talk about anything in person if a text will do the same. An apology doesn’t seem truly sincere over text, but our society says that it is.

Although using technology to communicate with those that you may not be able to see otherwise is a good thing, you have to understand that if all you do is talk to a screen, you end up shutting out those around you. Phones are useful, but there has to be some sort of a limit.

The solution is to simply put your phone down, to enjoy the people who love you and make lasting memories with them. It’s okay to take a photo or two, but don’t make that your focus. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a lasting memory is worth so much more.

We only live so long, so don’t waste time behind a screen.