In late summer, the music of nature is everywhere, but it's the strongest in forest preserves where nature is the freest. The melody seems to be the croaks of the frogs and the sweet songs of the birds along with the soft lapping of the water against the shore. The chirp of crickets in the grasses and the whine of cicadas in the trees make up the harmony. The song is beautifully accompanied by the rustle of the leaves and grasses as a breeze blows softly through them. Unfortunately, many people don't go out and enjoy this music anymore; most would rather stay inside and watch tv or drown out the world with earbuds and music on their phones. People are missing out on the beauty of nature and even their own lives. The call of the screen addicts society to social media and other apps and instead of enjoying the moment, many people are too busy trying to capture it to “the cloud” and share it with the world to realize they are missing the moment themselves. Technology has society firmly in its grasp and that is a major problem of today’s society.

I remember when I first got my phone I was on it all the time because it was a new toy to play with; like a simple board game received on a birthday that is only played with once. It wasn't until my parents informed me that they felt like I was a ghost of my normal self because I was so focused on my phone that I was never off of it that I realized how much of a part of me it had become. It was as if my phone had become an extension of my hand. Once I realized how obsessed I had become with this new object, I also realized that I had barely talked to anyone in person, just texted them and that I missed hanging out with people and spending time together without being glued to a screen. I had to make a conscious effort to not be on my phone too much. Once I got off of my phone, I realized I was paying attention more and enjoying company of others more. I started to notice when other people were always on their phones and I knew that they were missing out on truly living their lives without even realizing it. Another conclusion I came to is when a phone becomes an extension of people’s bodies, they start to live their lives through the phone instead of for themselves. I also had more time to go outside and truly enjoy nature as it is, without technology. Many people don't realize how much being on their phone affects them and their relationships with other people. With social media many people already know what is happening in other people's lives - which can be a good thing - it cuts out the necessity of talking with one another to find out what's really going on. Due to this, people talk to each other less and relationships start to feel the stress of not talking face to face.

On the other hand, many people will argue that always having their phones is essential to their job. While this is true, having a phone on one's person at all times for work does not mean that the person has to always be on the phone or have the phone directly in his or her hand. This should also not inhibit the person from spending time outside. Additionally, there is the argument that phones are important for communication and updates on current events to stay informed. While this is true, phones can cut out face-to-face conversation as well. Also, according to Statista, the top four most used smartphone apps are Google Maps, Facebook, YouTube, and Google+. So, other than getting navigation, smartphones are most commonly used for social media and entertainment rather than updates in the news and education. Phones are very important for necessary communication and work, but more often than not, phones are used for more than just the necessities.

Another Example of technology controlling people’s lives can easily be seen amongst my peers. I have noticed while editing some papers for friends that people are having a much harder time spelling words correctly, are not using correct grammar, and are not using complex vocabulary in their writing. I know from talking to many of my peers that they rely heavily on spell check to correctly spell many words. In the past, people needed to know how to spell words off the top of their heads or they’d have to find the word in a dictionary, but now knowing how to correctly spell words is not as important when the electronics can simply do it for you. Also, grammar has seemed to get worse over the years, especially since we have been required to type out many papers instead of hand write them. One of the reasons of this is the simple fact the electronics check the grammar for the writer instead of them having to figure it out themselves. To continue, the vocabulary of many people, especially my peers but even adults, seems to be shrinking. I believe that one of the major causes of this is texting. When people text they want to be brief so they can get their message across quickly and many people do not want to read long, eloquent text messages with grand vocabulary. I have had many instances in  which I have used what I believe to be common vocabulary and then had to define the word for someone mid conversation. This breaks up the train of thought and makes it difficult to have intellectual conversations with people.

Another change I have noticed in my peers is a lack of self control. I work in the scene shop in theatre; where we use power tools all day and are moving heavy material almost constantly. One of the most important rules of the scene shop is to not take out your phone. By taking out a phone and allowing oneself to be distracted, people are endangering themselves and everyone else in the area. I have noticed a difference even my freshman year to this year in crew. My freshman year, the rule was followed with ease and often times people did not even have their phones with them - they were left in backpacks. However, this year, everyone has their phones on them and are Snapchatting and texting so much so that it seems as though I consistently find myself reminding them to put their phones away. As a crew head and a student leader it is difficult to be working and constantly policing my crew. I do not want to have to constantly tell my peers to knock it off but it's simply not safe. Just based off of a few observations, I can tell that people are addicted to technology and that it is changing the way people learn and act in different environments.

Furthermore, it seems that people are getting out less. I remember walking or driving around the village ten years ago and there were many more kids playing outside. Every park was packed in the spring and summer, kids fighting over the swings or the slide. In the fall, it seemed as though kids were always outside playing kickball or jumping in the leaves. Then, when winter hit and snow blanketed the ground, the kids would race outside for as long as the snow was on the ground to build snow forts and go sledding with all of their friends. But now it's either too cold or too hot outside and kids and teens would rather be inside watching tv or playing video games. This lack of going outdoors is proven to contribute to depression because sunlight helps nourish our bodies and promote the making of chemicals like serotonin and Vitamin D that boost mood and happiness. Also, being on screens close to when going to sleep can trick the brain into thinking that it's day, making it harder to fall asleep. This contributes to the increasing amount of sleep problems in society today and, in turn, the worsening problem of depression in society. So, this takeover of technology is not only affecting relationships between people But also a person's physical and mental well-being.

People need to stop letting technology control their lives. Society as a whole needs to turn off the tv, put down the phones and tablets, close the laptops, and take back control. People will be happier and healthier if they get outside more, talk to each other in person, and get more sleep. But the only way this will happen is if the people start taking back the control over technology instead of letting the technology control the people.