Since when did social gatherings become a time to check Twitter or Snapchat? If I want to hang out with people, I don’t spend the entire being on my phone and ignoring them.

Being on a phone and checking social media every two seconds while being with other people is not simply ‘staying up to date’ but just flat out rude to those that are around. It’s basically saying they aren’t worth talking to, so I’m going to do something else.

A while back I had an experience in which I had slept over at a friend’s house, just to wake up and do nothing all morning. All my friend wanted to do was go on twitter. By the time I had to leave I was relieved to go and start doing something productive with my day.

If people have to respond to a text from their parents or check a score update every once in a while, that’s totally fine, but that’s not what I’m getting at here.

Human communication is key, now a days it seems high schoolers are more comfortable texting someone then they are talking to them in person.  If you are this type of person I ask, if you’re not comfortable talking to someone in person, then why are you talking to them at all? Phones are meant to be a method of communicating while people are apart but if we can’t communicate while we are together then what’s the use? I get it, it’s your choice when and where you want to use your phone, but is it worth losing human communication skills over it?

So I ask this, the next time you’re with your friends put the phone away and talk to them. You don’t need to be concerned with what other people are posting on Instagram or how other people are doing this or that, be present in what you are doing and who you’re with.