Our generation has become glued to our phones whether it’s to play music or scroll through their social media timeline, and it is distracting us from things that really matter.  According to a study done by Deloitte Consulting Company, the average American checks their phone 46 times a day.  It is something that we have become addicted to, and it can be distracting in many aspects of our lives.

When walking through the halls of OHS, you can often see students checking their phones for new messages or an update on social media.  For most people in school, using technology and social media is part of their daily routine, and for some it can be difficult to get through the day without using their phone or computer.  But the technology that we have become accustomed to can be distracting us from things that really matter.

Even in the classrooms you can see the impact of technology.  Almost all of the lessons are taught on a SmartBoard, and for the classes that have a flip-classroom style, you are expected to have a device to watch the videos and finish the assignments.

Although technology is helpful at times in school, it can also be a large distraction.  It is easy to get sucked into the social media vortex that is calling your name with a phone just sitting, waiting to be used on the desk.  A study from Dr. Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State university, found that in a 15 minute test of study habits, students would generally lose focus after only three minutes.

Even outside of school everyone is glued to their phones.  If you’re always on your phone, you could be missing things that are important or exciting.  When I hear the chirp of my phone after receiving a text message, my eyes are immediately drawn to my phone.  People should try to put their phones down and enjoy what is actually happening around them.

I too am guilty of checking my phone when I really should be paying attention.  But putting the phone down or shutting the computer to watch what is really happening is more more valuable than spending all your time with your eyes stuck staring at a screen.

If you’re at a concert or a sports game, you shouldn’t be worried about taking the perfect picture to post on Instagram later, but rather enjoying the experience.  Stuck behind a screen, you are sure to miss what is happening outside of your technology bubble.

Technology is also changing the way that we interact with other people.  Instead of talking with people face to face, we find it easier to send a text message, and social media has become a platform for people to say things that they also wouldn’t say in person.

With phones and laptops constantly around us, the face to face communication between people is decreasing.  Adults often make the joke put down the phone and talk to your friends, and it is true.  We have become obsessed with our phones to the point of sitting with a group of friends while everyone is on their phones, not even talking to each other.  Social media seems to be forcing us to be less social.

With technology increasing, it is causing more distractions that cause us to miss out and be less social. This increase is causing many problems, and people should take a step back and put the technology down.