It’s a trip to watch people and their cell phones.  Really, friends, when do you find time to work or go to school? Are the chiropractors getting rich with all the new patients they have who are complaining about their sore necks?  Ya think drinking and driving is the worst?  What about texting and driving?  I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of sitting behind someone at a traffic light who is so involved with his cell that he misses the green light. C’mon, man, put down the phone.

It’s rude to not pay attention to others!

Losing social connections to our cell phone obsession is a real thing. Don’t believe me? Just look around.

(Enjoy this Dance Safari post for when you start talking to each other, “Get Acquainted Questions for Any Social Occasion“.)

To be sure, there was a time when cell phones didn’t exist.  If we needed to speak to someone we’d have to wait till we got home to use the landline or maybe try to find a pay phone.  Now, I realize there are some drivers who can’t imagine what that was like. These days, our cell phones give us instant gratification.

If you find yourself continuously reaching for your phone while you’re in the company of others, not only are you being rude, it can also be dangerous. Here’s what I mean…

If you don’t put down the phone, you might forget to pay attention to your surroundings.

Watch out for the other guy.

To me, this is a no-brainer. Safe driving requires all of your attention. It’s easy to get distracted by your phone. We’ve all seen drivers texting, making calls, and even watching videos. Driving is a big responsibility, so please put down the phone and watch out for kids, animals, walkers, old folks, etc.

Notice people and situations around you.

With your head buried in your phone, you might not realize someone is following you. If you can’t take your eyes off a great TikTok video and don’t watch where you’re walking, you’re asking for trouble. You could knock someone over, trip on a crack in the sidewalk, lose your way, or run into a car.

Recognize when something is “off”.

When you’re out and about, paying attention to your gut feeling can be a lifesaver. Furthermore, you need to really be on your guard so you can react quickly. Maybe it’s the New Yorker in me, but I feel like there are some people out there with bad or selfish intent. And, I’d like to think I can put down the phone long enough to see them.

So, yeah, you could lose some friends because of your obsession with your cell phone. But, if you’re not careful, you could lose more than that.