I'm Going on my Cellphone Break

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lVHZZG5qvw

A few months ago, I went without a cell phone for almost a half of a year. During that time I felt detached from everything and everyone in my life. Because of that feeling, I spent much more time on the Internet trying to find any way to stay connected.

In today's society, technology seems to be everything. I cannot imagine living in a world without my iPhone, Kindle, or laptop. I rely on these gadgets to help me fall asleep, wake up in the morning, remember important dates, and everything in between.

Photo Taken From Google.com

I would have to agree with the above video and say it is an addiction. In several psychology classes that I enrolled in, an addiction was defined as anything that delayed or prevented a person from partaking in necessary every day activities. As mentioned earlier, I can no longer even fall asleep without the use of some technology. Even worse, before I can make any purchase I must search the web for reviews to ensure that I am making the right decision.

Outside of my own personal experiences with technology, any where you turn you can see someone driving and texting or a student paying more attention to their phone than class discussions. These are definite signs of an addiction. There are times it seem as though what is happening on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or Instagram is more important that what is occurring right in front of us.

Photo Taken from Google.com

It becomes reason to worry when  people can sit in the same room together and be more preoccupied with handheld devices than the other people in the room. Conversations circle around when a text is received or a notification is delivered. During that time the room is almost completely silent, except for the periodic beeps of a new message.

There should be a day in which everyone turn their cellphones off and leave all their devices at home. We need to relearn the basic concepts of face-to-face communication. The only way to stop an addiction, is to realize that one is present. This is my realization point.