In our generation, we live our lives at full speed. We use high speed internet and instant messaging so we can get information the second it becomes available. We have even changed the English language to suit our fast-paced needs. Words like “are” and “you” have been shortened to one-letter words “r” and “u,” making our communication that much faster. People have turned proper nouns into verbs, saying “Let me google it” or “I just instagrammed that.” This compromised English language is the lingo of Deerfield Academy.

We are allowing our iPhones to take over our lives. For example, a group of students sit silently at a table, all checking the same Twitter or Facebook feed. A girl with her head down, thumbs moving a mile a minute, sends a text to a boy sitting on the opposite side of the room eagerly awaiting the “ding” of an new message. We are losing the sense of community that has been a cornerstone of Deerfield Academy for generations.

The desire to be connected to one another is still strong; it is the way we go about doing so that is flawed. Instead of asking each other what we did over the weekend, we simply check Instagram, see a double scoop of moose tracks, and know our friends went to Richardson’s. Or we spot a mobile upload of a line of green helmeted boys following a bagpiper and know boys lacrosse had a home game. While technology does make our lives easier, we must ask ourselves: how much of our lives are we willing to replace with pictures, videos, and nonverbal communication?