by Claire McCann

Today there is a growing issue that most teenagers want to avoid. Reliance on phones. We all love our phones, but deep down we also know that they are poison. They limit productivity and engaging with others. All of our time is spent on them. Homework doesn’t get done for hours. And it will only get worse.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been with a friend and it seems like I am the third wheel because the phone is more important than me, and I have to repeat myself when I say things because she is too focused on her tiny and bright screen.

Sure, phones have benefits, but they also have a huge number of problems. The biggest issue with phones is how they can limit social interaction. It all starts in middle school. You beg and beg for a phone and finally you get one. Your phone becomes your best friend that lets you talk to your friends wherever and whenever you want, so much that you begin to ignore what it going on around you.

Soon enough high school rolls around. You are surrounded by people you don’t know and are way out of your comfort zone. So, instead of meeting new people, you sit in the corner and talk to your good friends on your phone. As time goes by this will keep going downhill.

This problem progressively worsens. If someone is in an awkward situation, he or she will turn to their phone as a crutch. So, instead of learning how to deal with these awkward situations teenagers simply avoid the situation altogether. Phones also create a problem of teenagers failing to learn how to socially interact. This seems like a skill that most everyone has as they grow up. It is thought to be a skill that is not necessary to learn or be taught because it will come to everyone eventually. Believe it or not it is a skill we learn. We do not have classes over it; it is subconsciously taught by each other. We soak in our parent’s, sibling’s, cousin’s, friend’s and everyone else’s conversations. Soon enough everyone is smoothly talking to each other. This is no longer true for our generation and the ones to come. Now, everywhere you go, parents will give their young children their phone to watch a movie or play a game. Therefore, the children don’t hear, much less listen to, their parent’s conversations and are completely ignorant to what is going on around them. The children grow up on the phone, while everyone talks. They don’t soak up those conversation skills and don’t learn how to socially interact with others. You may think that this is an extreme situation, but it’s not.

The solution is too simple, but at the same time, it could be the most difficult thing for us. Take a step away from your phone. Leave it at home every now and then instead of bringing it to school. Don’t take it to social events. I understand we are growing up in an age where there is constantly new technology everywhere you look, but we have to find a stopping point. We can easily save social skills if we all learn to depend on each other, not on our phones.