“Please get off your phone!”

No, this isn’t my teachers telling me to write something meaningful, nor is it my doctor or parents wanting me to inform you that your eyes could go bad. This is me, a student just like you with immense regret for the days of my life wasted on my phone.

In a world where screens dominate our existence, I find myself wishing for a reality untouched by the light of my phone. If only I could turn back time and reclaim the hours wasted in the palm of my hand, maybe then I wouldn’t feel this deep sense of regret.

Every time my phone buzzes, rings or dings, it’s like a moth to a flame. Immediately it’s all I can focus on, losing all train of thought, itching to see who or what it was that made that familiar noise. In my quest for connection, I’ve unknowingly cut ties with the world around me. I’ve traded genuine experiences for lousy digital palm-sized substitutes, creating a false reality that offers little human connection.

It’s a paradox. In our pursuit of constant stimulation, we have been trapped by our own devices. Our phones serve as time machines, hours pass as worries of the present moment fade. But as the hours slip away, so does our grasp on reality, leaving us stranded in a world strategically picked by an algorithm.

I can’t help but feel sadness as I think of all the moments I’ve missed because my eyes were glued to a screen. Even the simple pleasure of a conversation has been sacrificed by the power of digital distraction. People struggle to leave their phones because of their fear of missing out. Our phones let us be anywhere, with anyone, at any time, but our real fear of missing out should be physical—not digital.

And yet, despite my growing awareness of the problem, I find myself unable to break free from the grip of my phone. It has become a source of comfort in a world that often feels overwhelming and uncertain. In relying so heavily on my device for entertainment, however, I have lost something essential to my humanity: the ability to find joy in the simple pleasures of life.

All this being said, I encourage you to live a little bit. As cringe and as repetitive as it sounds, go outside, do something new, talk to people—perhaps then, you will truly be present in your own life.