In a world of texting fanatics, app aficionados, and Facebook enthusiasts, cellphones are the perfect tool. Because of the capabilities these portable devices carry, they have become an addiction that many find hard to break.

Particularly in the last few years, the emergence of iPhones and Androids have taken cell phone use to a whole new level. Nowadays, cellphones are not simply cellphones: They are MP3 players, cameras, GPS systems, weather channels, game systems, computers and so much more. In a short period of time, mobile phones have transformed in such a way that anything someone could ever need is right in the palm of their hand.

But it is time for people to start disconnecting from their trusty sidekicks because these devices have been rudely interfering with reality. Cellphones are guilty of intruding on dinner dates, interrupting face-to-face conversations, allowing people to walk into walls, displaying ugly pictures of our friends through Snapchat, and objectifying meals via Instragram.

These sleek, lavish devices are slowly turning people to the dark side. Internet memes have taken note of this sensation and dubbed it as a contemporary zombie apocalypse. More and more people are being plagued by the evil temptress that is the cellphone. Sidewalks are flooded with people trudging along at a sluggish pace, immersed in their own digital worlds. We no longer see the eyes of those we pass because they are fixated on a 3-by-4 inch screen while wearing stoic expressions. All of these people have been infected.

In order to prove the power these devices have, I asked some of our very own campus zombies about their relationships with their phones. 

Sophomore Robert Emmons says, “My cellphone is equivalent to Iron Man’s electromagnetic heart — I need it to live.”

Danii Mitchell, junior, confesses, “I’m constantly on (my phone) whether it’s texting, checking emails or on social networks. I just always find something to do with it.”

Admittedly, Patrick Proctor, junior, says: “I love having my cellphone on me! I would definitely like to have it on my hip all the time.”

Even Jacob Frankovich, program director for Social Justice and Leadership Education, who agreed with my argument, ends up confessing, “Of course I’m saying this while on the bus checking Facebook and not talking with the people around me.”

Clearly, the cellphone has become many people’s right-hand man. The irony lies in the fact that users tune out the world in order to supposedly connect with life. While many people are using their cellphones to keep in touch with family and friends, they are ignoring reality and the people around them in the process.

Because of this, they miss out on the joys of relishing in the moment. And not to mention, cellphones prevent the fun pastime of people watching in public. There is nothing more satisfying than getting a silent chuckle out of noticing strange bus riders, quirky couples and others who march to the beat of their own drum. But with eyes glued on a phone, this simple pleasure cannot be enjoyed.

The issue of always having our cellphones in front of us extends beyond the physical impact. Many people have become so attached to their phones that they even experience anxiety without them. The term coined for this phenomenon is nomophobia, which derives from “no mobile phone phobia.” The fact that individuals cannot stand to be apart from their beloved digital friend is almost frightening. If this much panic can be created from being separated from a phone, I worry about how certain people will be able to cope with real-life issues.

While cellphones provide entertainment and other useful purposes, people need to step back and remember that there is more to life. Take it from someone who owns an outdated slide phone with no Internet service. Believe it or not, I am still alive and functioning relatively normally without the fancy gadgets that a smartphone provides.

Greater satisfaction can be felt when you sit through an entire conversation without checking your texts or updating your Twitter. Even something as simple as putting down your cellphone to look out the window can bring a feeling of tranquility. And once in awhile, it is nice to look up from the screen and notice the weird people and wonderful places you walk by daily.

Nicki is a sophomore in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].