Wherever I go, I always see people looking down; not to see if they dropped ketchup on their clothes, but instead staring into a pocket-sized screen, indoctrinated by the world of the smartphone.

First patented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone was originally invented to talk with people around the world. Nowadays, technological advances allow people of all generations to do everything but vocally communicate with others, including surf the Internet, play games and update social media. However, are mobile devices really suitable for our society?

Back when my parents were children, the idea of fun was to go outside with friends and enjoy a sunny day surrounded by nature. In today’s generation, people spend their free time indoors, sitting in a corner of their house playing Flappy Bird and Candy Crush. Even when sitting in a restaurant, I’ll see couples across the table from each other, expressing their love for their Twitter followers instead of their love for each other. No eye contact, no communication.

Not only do smartphones make verbal and visual communication more of a struggle, but they are a financial hassle. The device alone costs a whopping $200-$400. Then there are the monthly payments, which range from $30-$50, equaling an annual cost of $360-$600. Then there are the phone cases, apps and any other accessories that come with it.

When I first got my classic Nokia 6121 in 2006, I remember everyone thought it was the coolest phone ever. Still owning the same phone in 2014, people tease me and persistently pressure me to fit in with today’s social norm.

However, though my phone may not have a color screen and doesn’t take pictures, it is better than a fancy touchscreen phone. Not only do I pay far less than the average iPhone 5 owner, but my old Nokia is practically indestructible. I’ve dropped it countless times, never even causing the screen to scratch. One time the keypad fell out after I dropped it, but I just put it back in and the phone continued functioning like nothing had happened.

Whenever one of my peers gets a new smartphone, the paper-thin structure gets severely cracked or broken shortly after the purchase. IT just shows that good looks do not necessarily bring high quality.

As we continue our journey through life, we need to think about what is truly important: will it truly make us happy to drain our wallets over a miniature computer, or could we use all that money to support charities or pay for education?

Do we really need to spend all our time cranking out friend requests to people we will most likely never say “Hi” to on the street, or should we put down our technology and pay attention to that one person who we care for the most?

We only get one life. Don’t live it behind a screen.