I was walking through the city centre making my way home when I came across a Starbucks and I got a sudden craving for one (this happens too often). I felt like a change on this particular day so I opted to sit in rather than get my drink to take away, as I always do.

My phone had ran out of battery earlier on so I had no internet, no music. Heck, in this day and age, if seems like if I don’t have those two crucial things in my life, what do I have? I was sat, lingering around the voices of the baristas making small talk, the smell of coffee and the common ‘ping’ from someone’s phone when they received a new message.

As I looked around and observed the room, it soon came to my attention that I was in fact, the only person, other than the staff, who wasn’t using a piece of technology. Now, I am not suggesting that I am any better than these people for it, because if my phone hadn’t ran out of battery, I would most definitely be on it. No doubt. But it sure made me realise how dependent our society is on technology. No matter where I looked, there was not a single person who’s eyes weren’t glued to their phone, or listening to their iPod. There were a few people who’d placed their phone on the table, you know, just in case something really important happened. As it does. All the time. There was even a woman with her kid and I am pretty sure she was playing Temple Run.

Being the only person writing in a notebook instead of being consumed by the internet made me feel kind of free. After this deep thought about the world, when I did get home, I decided against charging my phone and I left it in my bag until the next day. When I turned it back on, I had been tagged in a couple of photos on Facebook and had a text from a friend about something so unimportant I can’t even remember it. So, nothing really important had happened, obviously.

A month or two prior to this, I met someone and they told me that when he first moved cities, he didn’t know anybody, so he’d go to coffee shops without his laptop or phone in order to force himself to meet and talk to new people. I think he even said that he didn’t buy a TV, so that way there wasn’t anything to do at home. I remember thinking it was such a good way to live, it seemed like a breathe of fresh air. We don’t realise it but technology really does get in the way, especially when it comes to socialising. I know how useful phones can be, but do we really need to be that addicted to temple run that we’re not even paying attention to our kids any more?