I was sitting in a restaurant last weekend, celebrating a belated Mother's Day. Despite being deep in conversation with my mum opposite, I couldn't help glancing across to a table on our right. The woman sat, hardly looking up from her phone, whilst her relatives struggled for conversation, which she was absent from.
I felt the urge to tell her to put her phone down, and instead chat to the people in front of her. But let's be honest here, that was never something I was going to do.
As a teenager, I am stereotyped to be tethered to my phone 24/7, as if it is an extension of my body.
Yes, I do find myself absentmindedly scrolling through my Facebook news feed after a long day, or posting a quick photo on Snapchat. But if I'm having a conversation with somebody, or out with family/friends, I try to put it away. Because isn't it better to experience the tangible world, rather than a virtual one that sits in your palm?
As a blogger, I do rely on social media to form contacts, and don't get me wrong - I've met so many lovely people through the internet, that I wouldn't have been able to meet otherwise. It's provided me with so many opportunities, and also makes research for school a whole lot easier!
There are so many beautiful things that this online world allows us to do, but I think that it's so easy to get wrapped up in this and forget that there's a firm line between the virtual and the tangible, a divide that our society has, somewhat, blurred.
I'm not saying we should stop using social media, say goodbye to google and go complete cold-turkey, because, let's be honest, the internet is pretty flipping amazing.
But, please, if you find yourself too enveloped in the digital world sitting in your hand, try to sit back and take in the world around you a little more. I think we'll all feel a bit better in the long run.
I was inspired to write this by the Michalak's video, which you can watch here!
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