It has happened to everyone at least once: dinner is on the table, your family gathered around, and despite the delicious smells wafting from the plate in front of you, you cannot let your best friend win this emoji war. You are about to send them the alien face, proving you’re the undisputed winner, when your parent looks over and says, “Put your phone down; it’s family time.”
It’s common knowledge that in today’s day and age, everyone is glued to the Internet. Whether it’s social media, online shopping, chatting with strangers turned friends, or googling something, the Internet is a massive part of today’s culture. Everyone uses it (some are more reluctant than others), but despite that, young adults get the brunt of the negativity thrown towards it.
“You can’t have a face-to-face conversation!” your aunt chirps. “How can you expect to read body language if you aren’t looking at them?” your grandfather says. “You won’t be able to succeed in the real world!” your parent criticizes.
But yet, when it comes down to it, I think that me having my phone on me at all times actually connects me MORE to the people I care about.
I’m 19, and I LOVE my phone. I’m not kidding. I love seeing the little red indication that someone has taken time out of their day to text me. My friends spamming me with texts is awesome. I can send gifs and memes to my friends without much thought, because I know that when it comes down to it, we’re talking. I can access my Tumblr account when I’m bored because my doctor’s running late for my appointment. The smart phone is a wonderful thing, and that’s why it’s so befuddling that older generations just don’t seem to get it.
I understand their point, and I’m sure we’ve all heard it before: “When I was your age…” Yeah, okay, Mom and Dad, we get that way back when mullets were still popular, you and your friends went out, did stuff, and made memories. But who’s to say that my friends and I aren’t making memories now via our phones? After all, I’m pretty sure that because the Internet is so deeply engrained in our society, we will never return to “when I was your age.” It’s not that we’re not making friends or are building false relationships, it’s that the world has evolved, and its young adults have too. With social media, I’m always in contact with people I know, and with the invention of texting, I can get information much faster than I would if I had to sit down and call them. Sure, sometimes information has to be said over the phone, but that’s not my point. What I’m saying is that I think my relationships are stronger because of my phone. Not the other way around.
I can’t remember a worthwhile conversation I’ve had with my friends in the past week where we weren’t laughing over something Autocorrect ruined, or excitedly chattering about Louis Tomlinson’s new son, or someone’s ridiculous Twitter fight. We’re staying up to date on the world around us, and in doing so, we’re keeping an eye on it, making us more observant. Without our acute observation skills, this world might actually fall to pieces.
But we won’t let it, mostly because nobody likes the idea of “The World’s End,” trending on Twitter.