As a generation of young people, we are addicted to our smartphones.

We’re all guilty of it. It’s practically ingrained in our brains to check our phones every five minutes, just in case something monumental, such as Kylie’s new baby or some new executive order from Trump, were to pop up again.

Smart phones have changed the way we utilize technology to communicate and connect with people with whom we would otherwise not be able to stay in contact.

Posting photos on Instagram and seeing the amount of likes and comments you get is a special thrill that can’t be ignored. Texting under the desk in class to make lunch plans is practically a ritual for a lot of students — high school and college alike.

Walking in the halls around campus, it’s hard to spot people who aren’t looking at a smartphone, either just putting one away or just getting one out of their pocket.

What does it say about our society that we can’t go 30 seconds of no stimulation, without getting out our cell phones?

But what if we weren’t so attached to our cell phones?

What if, for a day, we all put our cell phones in our backpacks on silent and didn’t check them every five minutes? What changes would we notice?

In my opinion, things would probably be a lot better.

For once, we would actually connect with each other, face to face. How many times have you video chatted with a friend who was a few floors below you in your dorm hall or video chatted your parents when you could take a trip home to see them over the weekend?

While I agree that sometimes it’s not always possible to speak face to face with someone, a text, call, video chat or Snapchat can’t replicate the connection that face-to-face conversations create.

We would also be less stressed if we relied less on smartphones.

In Feb. 2017, the American Psychological Association (APA) released a report on a study they conducted in 2016 on the relation between smartphones and stress. 

The APA sent an online survey to approximately 3,500 adults and found that people who are always looking at their digital devices reported higher levels of stress compared to those who checked their smart devices less.

In the same report, the APA found that the amount of time people spend on social media contributes to their stress levels as well.

Forty two percent of people who check their digital devices constantly reported that conversations on social media about culture and politics stressed them out.

Since we’re often checking our social media on our cell phones, it’s logical to say they’re the root of the problem.

So, maybe we’re overdue for a smartphone break.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m definitely guilty of pulling my smartphone out while waiting for class to start, going up the stairs and walking to and fro, all over campus. But I’m not saying we should throw out smartphones completely; instead, I’m suggesting a break.

Start small. Designate 30 minutes of your day without your smartphone, or whatever digital device you use as such. After a few days of 30 minutes without your device, try an hour.

Detaching yourself from your smartphone for a slice of your day is worth the decrease in stress and the memories you will make without your screen, in real life.