Let’s be honest – technology rules. Even the least tech-savvy person can attest to that. Where would us college students be without our UMass BusTrack, UMass Crushes Twitter feed, Instagram, Email, and Flappy Bird in the palm of our hands? I know that I personally feel dazed if my iPhone isn’t constantly nearby. But maybe there are some times that we could step away from our cell phones, if only for a little while. Because although technology rules, it doesn’t have to rule us. Here’s a list of five places where we could try to put our phones away.
1. Class
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I haven’t perused my Instagram feed during class in a giant lecture hall. It’s easy to let your mind wander. But take a minute and think about your fellow peers. Some of them might actually be paying attention to the material being taught and might find your bright screen distracting. Think about your professor. Yeah, this might not be the most entertaining class you’ve ever taken but they’re not oblivious and to them it seems a tad rude. Bonus: if you put the phone away and try focusing, you’re sure to absorb the information better.
2. Concerts
You’ve got tickets to see T-Swift and you’ve been counting the seconds for this day. She’s just about to rock out to 22 and you’re not going to ever forget it because you’ve got your iPhone and you’re going to record it. Pause. Take a quick pic, and put your phone in your pocket. You’re going to enjoy the show a million times more if you’re in the moment jamming with her rather than holding up your phone and watching her through a screen. It’s already hard enough for people way in the back to see past people’s heads let alone our hands in the air clutching our phones. Don’t worry, you can always watch what someone else recorded for YouTube later.
3. Walking
We all know texting and driving is bad. Walking and texting is almost an equivalent. On a huge campus like we’ve got here at UMass, there are a lot of students rushing to get to the other side of campus for class. The last thing they need is traffic. Walking behind slow moving folks with their heads in their phones, or someone running into you because they didn’t look up is almost as annoying as being stuck behind a slow and swerving driver. So try waiting to text until you reach your destination. Pick your head up and smile at people. And don’t forget to look both ways at the crosswalks.
4. Dinner
Of all the places I’ve listed that you should try to put away your phones, this is the most important. With all the craziness in our lives and technology surrounding it, we need to have some time where we enjoy the simplicity of the human connection. Here at UMass, your friends are your family. So put the phone away at dinner, talk about your day, and listen to each other. And try and follow the same habit when you’re home with your family. It makes a world of a difference to just enjoy one another’s company.
5. Unicef
So this isn’t exactly a place to put away your phones but it’s a great reason and a great cause. Clean water is something we all take for granted and 768 million people live without access to clean drinking water. If you can leave your phone untouched for just 10 minutes, one day of clean drinking water will be provided for a child in need. Give it a try!