Technology and texting have become an everyday part of life everywhere we go. Teens are constantly thinking about what’s going on with their friends and family. The way to connect with each other in the past was either by mail, phone calls or people went to see each other face to face. Now people can communicate with each other with one quick click on their cell phones. Teens always feel the pressures of their status, friendships and other things.

For example, teenagers and adults are on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Maybe the person that is on Facebook is checking the latest posts from friends or posting their own personal excursions from the previous day, either way, there is always something better to do than spending time on a computer or a phone. I’m not saying that any of the social networks in our lives right now are bad. And I’m not saying that if you’re on those social networks that you're a bad person. But I want those of you who do use social media to be more aware and appreciative of the things around you.

Distractions of all kinds of technology, when you look very closely, have been a blessing to mankind, and it has also been a curse. It wouldn’t be news to anyone that texting while driving is dangerous. As researcher Amanda Lenhart states, “Some studies indicate that talking [or texting] on a cellphone is more distracting than talking to a passenger in the car.” It does seem interesting that some people have become entranced by the screens of phones, Kindles, iPads and tablets. (And keep in mind that teens haven’t been the only ones to get into a car crash from texting!)

Studies from the article, Your Phone vs. Your Heart prove that people are less connected to others when they are on their phone. When my family and I, for example, went to visit my grandparents for a school break, my younger siblings were constantly hooked on my grandparents’ new iPads. And when they got off of the iPads, they would mope, whine and complain to get back to playing on their virtual games. All of that time on the iPads could’ve been spent with close family members that we only see twice a year. Sure the games on the iPads are fun, but they aren’t meant for people to be spending their lives sitting on a couch, playing games that would help you earn coins and extra points for the next level.

There are also advantages that teenagers and adults have when they have technology in their hands. For one, parents and their children can keep in touch when they’re out of the house. Whenever I leave my house to walk to school or go to a friend’s house, I have my phone with me so I can call or text my parents to let them know if I’m alright. Cell phones also can be helpful to capture pictures quickly or look up something you would like to learn about as fast as you would on a computer.

I for one, haven’t been the only one to be engrossed in modern technology. And I know for a fact that I haven’t been the only one to be looking at a device or computer screen when someone is trying to get my attention to share something important, while I am playing or texting on my cell phone. I’ll never forget when my little brother told me to look into the sky to not miss an eagle before it flew out of sight. I was too late to see it, just because I was staring down at a phone. Is the person that is trying to get your attention going to get your attention? You may never know if you don’t look up from that screen.