Cell Phones

I used to find it acceptable to be on my cell phone around other people when I initially got one, but now... now I see why cell phones can be a social calamity. It is incredibly frustrating when I'm hanging out with friends and they are absent from the conversation, from being in the moment, from sharing their presence, their personality with other people simply because they are on their cell phone. I abhor when I'm sitting down eating with people (I choose eating as an example because I love eating and therefore spend a countless amount of time pursuing the activity), and they are checking their: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, texts, taking selfies (there are apparently an unlimited number of ways to grossly deform ones face and still be ok), checking ESPN and all the other amazing things their phones can do... which should be done when they are alone with their phone. If one is on their phone while "participating" in any form of social interaction, it is essentially, pardon my language, extending a prominent middle finger to the people who would talk to you. If you don't want to socialize, then stay at home, where you don't prove to other people that your phone is prioritized over them. To accentuate this point, here is a melancholic video that I watched recently shedding some truth on cell phone usage.