UNITED STATES—I almost wish I could rewind time nearly 30 years ago, a time where technology was advancing, but not as advanced as it is now. It seems the world of technology is ever advancing, so much to the point that doing typical banking is no longer the same. It raises a very important question as to why technology has come to dominant our lives compared to us utilizing technology to make our lives easier.

It’s a loaded question, and one that many Americans refuse to tackle or address. I mean I remember 10 years ago that having a fax machine was a must, nowadays not so much. Why? Well you can send over emailed documents that have been signed, and let’s be honest it’s a lot easier to do that anyway. Why waste time dealing with a fax if you don’t have to?

We then have the issue of the cellphone its presence is haunting and debilitating for so many people. I mean we’ve become so attached to our phones that the notion or mere thought of detaching from the device is foreign. We don’t know how to do it and even if we did, we continue to find ourselves engulfed with the notion that we have to have it because we’ll miss something.

Here is the problem with the cellphone: it prevents socialization. I mean I remember my freshman year of college, where people still carried CD players to class, things have so vastly changed that everyone is walking to class with their face in their phone. I’ve seen people crash into trees, benches and worse, fountains because they failed to pay attention.

Why the obsession with the cell phone? It is because of social media and this notion of making everything so convenient. The notion of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, Snapchat and so much more have consumed the lives of the youngsters, the millennials and middle-aged adults. We want people to know what we’re doing, where we’re doing it and who we’re doing it with at all times of the day. We’re slightly self-absorbed and we can’t see the bigger picture that there is so much more going on than our own lives.

The phone can be dangerous! I’m not linking my bank account to my cell phone because if I lose my phone I’m screwed and someone could have access to private data and simply turn your life into a nightmare. Why put yourself in a situation if you don’t have to. Don’t be lazy, go to the bank, and go to the brick and mortar establishments. We have gotten why too comfortable with technology making our lives easier, this idea of ordering groceries online and having them ready when you come is just baffling.

Is this what we have come to America where we are too lazy to get off our butts to go to the grocery store to shop for food? For those who can’t get out and about I can understand, but for everyone else it’s just ridiculous and sickening to say the least. I don’t want ANYONE picking up groceries for me, because I’m picky about meat, veggies, fruit and dairy. I want to know I’m not getting meat that is near expiration, that doesn’t look like its old or fruit that is rotting or dairy that is about to expire. The people shopping for your food don’t care, so you have to be aware of that.

We are too absorbed in the technological arena that life is passing us by. People we should be making connections to we are not, time is zooming by and we have no idea that we’ve lost golden opportunities. Take a moment and do yourself a favor: turn off the cellphone, give the computer, laptop, tablet or TV a rest for a day. You may not realize it, but 24 hours of a technological detachment brings so much peace, solitude and a reinvigoration of energy that you never imagined!

Written By Kelsey Thomas