I love Netflix. From binge-watching seasons of TV shows to discovering new movies, I love everything about it. I am sure the majority of people on this campus do, too. All I heard about last week during the “icepocalypse” was how it was a perfect opportunity for Netflix days.

When not watching Netflix, I’m either listening to music, reading or texting. When out and about, people text, check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. I have noticed this is the case when people are by themselves or with their friends.

People in this age are very “connected.” We have access to technology, and therefore access to events around the world, 24/7. Any time we want, we can whip out our phones and check to see what is going on in a certain place. I am not saying there is necessarily anything wrong with this. Like I said before, I love Netflix, and all the technology I use. They are great distractions from life at times — and sometimes that’s the problem.

Distractions. We all need them in our lives. If we didn’t have distractions and various forms of escapism, I am convinced we would go crazy. I am not just talking about distractions from studying or from a bad breakup. I am talking about distractions from life in general, and from our own heads. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I just sat in silence. If I am honest with myself, sitting in silence can be a pretty scary thing. In silence, with no distractions around us, we are forced to encounter thoughts we did not even know we had to begin with. We can come across thoughts about our society, ourselves, God or our belief system in general.

While it can be frightening, having those thoughts does not have to be a bad thing. Our society today markets all of its new technological advancements as connections to the world. Through being connected, though, we really just end up being disconnected. We can very easily become disconnected with our surroundings, our friends and ourselves. I am not encouraging throwing away all of our distractions. Rather, I am simply encouraging everyone, myself included, to just take a break from them every once in a while. Disconnect yourself from the things that make you disconnected.

Sit in silence. See what thoughts pop into your head. Let’s not stop there, though. Once you do that, discuss these ideas with people. Only when we discuss those thoughts can you see that you’re not alone. You may just find that the person sitting next to you is having those exact same thoughts. But you’ll only become connected with people after you’ve disconnected.