As I attempt to write this article, I struggle with ongoing urge to continue my game of Draw Something rather than focus on finishing and meeting my deadline.  With so much accessibility with smart phones, most of my attention is averted from school and towards apps and social media.

At one point in time, texting played as the major distraction in teenage lives, but with over 50,000 apps available for the iPhone alone, and two million downloaded each day, texting has taken a back seat to the new distractions offered by smart phones.

With a majority of students now owning smart phones, it is hard to find someone that doesn’t dedicate at least some of their time to browsing the web, checking Facebook, tweeting or playing a game.

I, personally, was at the point where I was watching movies on Netflix during most of my classes. This could partially be blamed for my lack of motivation due to my bad case of senioritis, but still, having these distractions makes it inevitably harder to pay attention in class and do well in school.

My addiction to my phone also affects me at home. I usually spend at least half of my “study time” scrolling through posts, playing Words With Friends or tweeting. Though I used to meet the recommended eight hours of sleep, now most nights I will stay up and watch Netflix. In the past six months I have finished in entirety the series Lost, Mad Men, Weeds and Malcolm in the Middle.

Using my phone so often has deteriorated my motivation, killed my mood and worsened my senioritis. Technology is creating a world in which in-person communication is becoming obsolete. People rely on their phones for simple everyday tasks. This overindulgence of technology can even be a health risk.

Some psychologists and MD’s believe that there is a direct link between the increased use of technology and rising rate of children diagnosed with ADHD. They believe that a child’s ability to find information at such a fast rate lowers his or her attention span, which, in turn, affects the child’s ability to focus and learn.

Remember, you don’t have to rely on your phone for everything. Instead of texting someone, try talking to them face-to-face. Human interaction is a good way to build character and public speaking skills. And have enough respect for your teachers and peers to put down your phone and listen when they are talking. Life doesn’t need to revolve around technology.