Put down your phone

You are at a coffee shop, hanging out with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. The two of you are casually talking. You go to get a frappucino and come back to see her widening her eyes, flaring her nostrils and sticking out her tongue. This lasts for 3 seconds, and then she calmly resumes conversation.
Five years ago, most would assume the girl to be mentally ill and scuttle away quickly. Today, such instances occur often. They can be attributed to the popular phone app Snapchat, which allows Smartphone owners to send captioned photos to their friends for a short duration. People can use it in any situation and often do.
Snapchat, however, is not by any means the sole technological distraction. In a given group, someone will be slingshotting birds or cutting ropes to feed little monsters. People incessantly text, Facebook and Tweet in the company of others. While all of this is cool and new, we often forget that these apps aren’t meant to take precedence over social interaction. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been with a friend talking about something important to me, only to see them playing Draw Something under the table. It gets frustrating because I feel like I have to work an inordinate amount to get that person’s attention; I find myself competing against Temple Run.
We have gotten so caught up in the glamour of Smartphone apps that we’ve been ignoring social etiquette. Not only is it distracting and impolite when someone is on their phone during a hangout, but it diminishes the value of being face-to-face. Texting and gaming shouldn’t deter from forming and cementing in-person relationships. We as a society need to stop being glued to our phones and iPads; instead, we should embrace to the fullest priceless quality time with friends and family.