Technology plays a huge part in our daily lives. We’re constantly using computers at school, typing up essays on our phones, even watching VTV; it all comes back to technology.

But the scary thing is, how much it has taken over our lives.

When the current seniors were back in elementary school, we never would’ve imagined having a cellphone, or an iPad, at that young of an age. Now, it seems as though every kid about the age of five has one. And that is terrifying. The fact that kids who are still learning algebra have the masters technology, is something many never would’ve imagined happening in a million years.

In a study conducted by CNN not even a year ago, 50 percent of 1,240 teens said they felt they were addicted to their phones. Fifty nine percent of their parents agreed. Kids would rather sit inside watching Netflix or playing video games by themselves, than socializing with their friends or going to the movies or doing anything productive. In a survey done at our very own Triton, 69 percent of the students questioned said they were addicted to their phones.

Even in the past decade, things have changed drastically. Kids today think it’s natural to constantly text or Snapchat our friends every day, keeping up “streaks,” but no one else would ever have thought of doing that. Our parents always yell at us for being on our phones too much, mainly because they never were like that. Today, nearly 80 percent of teens feel the need to check their phones hourly.

However, it’s not just technology that is taking over our lives. Social media also plays a large role in our technology craze. Teens today are nearly obsessed with update their rinsta’s and finsta’s, tweeting, posting on Facebook, anything to keep up with the latest trends.

Even for us seniors, finding a roommate for college is a lot easier because of Facebook groups, but in the past, you wouldn’t know your roommate until you got there. Along with social media comes a lot of downfalls. You don’t get as much social interaction, and there are a lot of risks. Cyberbullying and online harassment are at large, as are incidents of sexual harassment. Some pediatricians have even said that social media can cause “Facebook depression,” which involves teens developing symptoms of depression after using social media, like Facebook, excessively.

In today’s world, it’s hard to avoid technology and social media, as nearly our whole lives revolve around them. Without Facebook, how would we keep up with what’s happening in our grade, or who’s wearing what to prom? But, even though we can’t just drop it, there are ways to limit ourselves so we don’t become completely obsessed. At times, when one starts to feel the urge to use our phones, take a walk, go outside, or even exercise. Sometimes the simplest things can help this addiction more than we’d think.

Technology is an essential tool in our lives; we just need to learn to limit ourselves to live a happier, healthier life.