Decrease virtual presence and live in the moment

We live in a country that is absolutely consumed with technology. Everywhere we go there are advertisements trying to entice you to buy the “best” phone, television, smart watch, tablet or computer.
It’s pretty easy to get consumed with the little glowing device that fits in your hand. I admit I’ve spent too much time on my phone, especially on apps like Pinterest. Maybe you are like me and want to change that.
Here are a few things to try throughout your day in the the hopes of helping decrease our virtual presence and increase our presence in the wonderful real world outside of your phone.
The first and maybe most important tip is putting your phone away at meals and get-togethers. Whenever I go to lunch or dinner, I try to keep my phone in my pocket or backpack. That also includes when I’m grabbing coffee with my friends or going bowling.
It’s important to keep it out of sight so you don’t feel like you have to check Facebook every five minutes. Being present in the moment is so much better than capturing it on your phone to share. It’s like trying to take a picture of a sunset. The camera never does it enough justice. So, be selfish and immerse yourself in the moment.
Another tip is to keep your phone away from you while you’re studying. I feel like everyone is guilty of checking Snapchat or Twitter when doing homework.
Yes, homework isn’t always fun, but if you put your phone across your room and check it every hour or so, you will find yourself being a lot more productive. I tried it over the weekend and got a lot more done than normally when I have my phone on my desk. You can always text your friends and apologize later for putting your education above liking the meme they tagged you in.
One last tip I have is keeping your phone away from your bed at night. I use my phone as an alarm, but I also have a tendency to spend an hour on social media after laying down to go to bed. I deprive myself of sleep to watch one more funny video and it’s never actually worth it.
As a result, I started putting my phone just out of reach. That way, I am not tempted but when my alarm goes off I don’t have to go far to turn it off. I really encourage anyone who feels like they spend too much time on their phone to try some ways to break those habits. We spend so much time talking about the newest phone or meme that we forget in a week, it won’t matter.
Although this may sound like a recommendation to completely stay off your phone, these are just a few ways to decrease the time you spend on your phone. Not to completely eradicate it.
So, on that note, go see more sunsets and less videos of people listening to music in their car. For some reason, we all have a person like that on Snapchat.
Be present. Be in the moment with your friends, not on Instagram with your “followers.”