Cell phones are so damn distracting. There’ve been times when I’m with a gang of people and I see us all in a circle of phones, lost in a different conversation, a different email thread, a different snapchat, a different app, a different game, etc. I understand that it shouldn’t be expected to entirely avoid using phones when hanging out since missing a time-sensitive email update can get you screwed. However, there should be a cap on how often to whip that rectangular joy machine out.

Playing a game on your phone when you’re with a group of friends… are you serious? Abusing your cell phone’s data plan when you’re surrounded by human beings seems silly. An excuse: “We’re not really talking about anything right now. I’ll stop using my phone once a conversation starts.” Waiting for things is awkward but it is sometimes a necessary rite of passage before an awesome conversation commences. Awaiting the start of a glorious conversation is similar to struggling through that long silence when the teacher asks the first question of a proposed discussion. If you’re unfamiliar with the example, think of a time a teacher has tried to start a discussion by asking an open ended question that merits an intelligent response. Usually there’s a long pause where everyone’s thinking and no one wants to be the first one to talk. But then the silence is broken by that one intellectual bad-ass and a great discussion is sparked (ideally, at least).

Liken that to a social situation where you’re idly waiting around. One option is sitting on a phone while attempting to bypass that awkward period and rejoin once something starts up. Choosing to do this usually just prolongs the quiet era, making you lose precious time interacting with your buddies. If we all waited through more of those awkward moments, I wonder how many more conversations would arise. Frequently using your phone during a social gathering seems to defeat the purpose of hanging out with friends in person. If there’s one thing I’d want to focus on, it would be my friends, not my snapchat.