Relying on technology may not be the best idea for us. Though it has provided us with something to do during our moments alone and entertained us with its many facets, technology is our biggest weakness. With the progress that the modernizing world has brought also comes a step back from simple human interaction and independence. People are too reliant on their technology. If we don’t revert back to our self-sustaining ways we will forget what it means to provide for ourselves, and ultimately, what it means to be human.

The first technology-based game I was introduced to as a child was the Nintendo Gamecube and later, the Game Boy. As a child in the early 2000s, these virtual playgrounds provided a new way of having fun that at the time was out of this world. Now kids can enjoy the Xbox, PlayStation and the Wii, creating a more high definition and clear picture of different virtual universes. As time moved forward, the much-loved and nostalgic image of the box and game controller that characterized the Nintendo Gamecube fell out of popularity with additions to the gaming world such as the Wii U and the small, square handheld gaming device that we knew as Game Boy was overthrown by the Nintendo DS.

My first phone was a doozy. While others in the seventh grade were receiving fresh-off the-market iPhones, my parents decided to keep me humble. The phone, which slid upwards, could only make calls but I was satisfied with the fact that I could call it mine for the time being. I was not allowed texting until this year, as a junior in high school, and still not allowed many forms of social media.

I never truly understood my parents reasoning behind keeping me abstinent in the world of technology. I was given a smart phone my freshman year and now when I use it I can see one reason why my parents wanted to keep me from the technology starved world we lived in. I, like many teenagers my age, have become too dependent on technology. When alone I can’t help but admit how much easier it is to go on the Internet rather than strike up a conversation with someone I don’t know. When I am typing a school report I allow myself to make a habit of laziness with confidence that spell check will keep me honest. I have fallen into the cycle of dependence that characterizes the teenage population, and as time goes on I find myself struggling to break from it.