thoughtsharing* by Arianna Baffa, ’20

     Have you ever wondered how you would survive if you were born decades ago, when you couldn’t call you mom at a moment’s notice to pick you up or when Netflix didn’t even exist yet? I definitely can’t. But I’ve also come to notice the addiction people have with technology. People have come to feel like social media is an adequate replacement for real interactions with your friends or family.

     On one half day, I was walking into Dunkin’ Donuts with my friend and I noticed some boys sitting at a table, all just staring down at their phones without a single glance at each other. At that point, why even hang out with your friends? There’s just no point if you don’t bother to pay attention to each other. When I remarked about it to my friend, she thought there was nothing wrong with it. I was shocked because I suddenly realized that that this is what our society has come to – lives dependent on communicating, not always with each other, but with screens. If all of the phones in the world were to be hacked or just combust one day, I think the human race would fall into chaos.

     So now I like to try and remember to talk to my friends. When they’re staring down at their phones, taking weird pictures of everything they see to keep a streak with someone they barely know, I make sure their attention is on our conversation. Good friends know when to simply look up from their phones and put their attention to their friends.

     What really equates to human happiness anyway? How many likes we get on our updated cover photo in our new super cute dress? Humans are social animals, and we thrive on interactions with each other. If we replace one another with technology, we will always be comparing ourselves to a more perfect image and will never be satisfied with ourselves, when we should be enjoying each other and being thankful for our lives. So next time your phone goes off when you’re with a friend, make a conscious effort to ignore your ridiculous english group chat and try to compliment whoever you’re with so you both feel happier together. Then when you get home, you can lie down on the sofa and watch re-runs of the Office. 😀

* “Thoughtsharings” are pieces of art, usually writing, in which members of the Red Ink staff and Wellesley High School community share their ideas and beliefs, with a particular emphasis on people’s thoughts about events and circumstances surrounding their current lives. Check right here on our website for regular thoughtsharings! *