We as humans do what comes naturally to us, what comes easily to us. But in the past few years, with all the new technology coming out, things have gotten easier: maybe too easy.

Technology has opened up new doors to communication. In the beginning, when smartphones first came out, the point was to connect people from all over the world and it has done exactly that, but it has also greatly failed.

Technology has brought on the dependence of always using electronics like cell phones- like checking the latest tweets or messaging a friend, even if it means doing it during class. I feel that it is very disturbing when I’m trying to finish my work and I have someone around me texting while the teacher isn’t looking. It’s very noticeable when someone is looking down at their desk and the brightness of the screen is on. It’s a distraction and it’s disrespectful to the class.

Technology is distracting because it causes people to notice that an individual is checking social media, texting a friend, or searching for answers to a test, which makes them both forget what they were doing. It’s disrespectful to the teacher who is trying to educating the class while someone would rather spend the whole day looking at the screen of their phone if they could.

Cell Phones are such a big distraction that an article written in 2015, “Americans Spend an Alarming Amount of Time Checking Social Media on Their Phones” by Lulu Chang published in Digital Trends, talked about an average person spending 4.7 hours a day on a cell phone. This doesn’t even consider time spent on the computer or on the television.

4.7 hours is a big chunk of the day because an average person sleeps 8 hours and this person should go to school or work for around 8 hours. After taking away some of the daily needs such as time in the bathroom, eating, and other important factors of everyone’s lives you’re left with around 5 hours of free time.

You could say 4.7 hours can be spread through the day but how many times have you been guilty of checking your social media or watching television when you know you should be sleeping or doing work or driving?

I’m guilty of watching television late at night after my parents tell me for the 3rd time it’s time to sleep and I know a few people who stay up all night because of technology. Sergio Bautista, a senior, says he spends a lot of his weekends “pulling all-nighters” playing video games. It’s not just people watching television or playing video games late at night it’s also people using their cell phones or computers all throughout the day. Every teenager is guilty of it, spending hours on technology for no reason but to satisfy and entertain themselves. People just have the need to stay connected with the online world every second of the day.

Who’s to blame for this technology dependence? Could it be our own loving and caring parents? Children are introduced to technology way too early, as early as they can reach and grasp for objects. Placing children in front of the television to entertain them can easily harm them because of the commercials that are meant to brainwash them into wanting the latest toys or the newest games that can only be played on an electronic device. They are setup to want more as they grow up in order to stay with the trend. As they get older these children do get some of the responsibility, but technology is glued to their hands by then.

Technology has become such a big part of everyone’s daily lives to a point where you can’t go anywhere without using some kind of device. Some people’s lives literally depend on technology. For example, web developers create everything you see on your favorite websites, from special effects to search functions, they have to constantly be on the computer anywhere from 5-10 hours. Software Engineers create design, develop, test, and evaluate software that allows computers to perform, they have to be on the computer around 22 hours a week.

Web developers and software engineers have to use technology because it’s their job and teenagers use technology nearly as much as them because it’s entertaining. Teens use technology a lot because they have a tendency to always stay connected to social media and friends. Although technology dependence is mainly focused on teenagers, adults are guilty of it too. More and more adults fall under the spell that technology has over people and they too begin to make social media profiles, text friends late at night, and then they are hooked on the addiction.

Don’t get me wrong, technology has brought many benefits but it has made people very dependent on such small devices. People now can get help on homework, shop online, message friends, even make money from the comfort of their home and much more. This is just the beginning to what the internet has done. However, devices have caused a new form of bullying with less effort because computers can do almost anything, and instantly.

The dependence has become so big that some people have to check e-mails, text, or call someone while being behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texting and driving is 6 times more dangerous than drinking and driving.

Why would people risk their lives and others around them? It’s a compulsive need to use devices like smartphones, computers, or video games which is the definition for a technology addiction. Although many people don’t believe in this, it’s every bit as real a drug, food, or work addiction.

The only way to tackle this ongoing problem is by turning the technology OFF and spending time with friends and family. Influencing the youth on how to properly use technology and showing them that life is not all about social media and video games might just save the next generation.

As far as my technology dependence goes, I don’t own a phone because I’ve never asked for one. To me cell phones aren’t important but I do own an iPod that I’ve had since I was in middle school, so I do use social media. Sometimes I tend to spend hours on social media completely spaced out, clicking random pages. After finding out how much time an average person spends on a cell phone and after paying attention to how much I space out using my iPod, I’ll be turning my technology off a lot more often.

I invite you to do the same, turn off the technology and spend time with the outside world. You might end up liking not getting constantly surrounded by text, alerts and notifications. Technology has caused people to become socially awkward, stressed, and terrible with time and much more. I’m not saying this is you but with time it could be and by simply turning phones off you could end up a happier, relaxed person with a lot of time to join a sport and/or make new friends.