Your phone vibrates while you are in the middle of a conversation with your mother. You know that if you look down, your mother will get annoyed, but there is a nagging voice in the back of your mind urging you to check it. After all, it might be important.

The excessive usage of electronics, especially cell phones, is certainly a problem that is plaguing our nation. No matter where you are, it is difficult not to see someone mindlessly tapping away on their phone. It bothers me when I go out to dinner and see two teens on a date ignoring each other, one texting a friend and the other getting to the next level on a silly game.

We all know that people condemn the overuse of electronics, but the greatest problem is that we don’t know when to draw the line. For example, texting while driving is unsafe and, in some states, forbidden by the law, but that does not stop people from doing it, putting themselves and other drivers at risk for a single message.

Electronics are not all bad, however. With policies like BYOD , or Bring Your Own Device, in place in schools across the nation, electronics are encouraged as academic tools. Also, homework may require electronics for extra practice and research.

When it comes to texting, who is it okay to text and how often? I find myself in the position I described earlier very often. If I get a text from the president of a school club, I feel like it is okay to check my phone. And a text from my aunt seems acceptable. But what about a friend who is asking about homework? Is it okay to interrupt my conversation if that happens?

In social situations, it is rather rude to ignore your friends to text someone else or tweet about your whereabouts. However, if there is an awkward lull in the conversation or everyone else is already doing the same thing, what is stopping you? When does a quick text to your mom become a drawn out Instagram stalking? I often find myself contemplating how much is too much.

Electronics have made our generation a group of hypocrites – I often judge other people for doing the same things I do. We laugh at people absorbed in their phones on a date and then pose for a selfie to post on social media. Seriously? I do not understand it, but I am guilty of it.

The way to solve the problem, I think, comes with practice. Learning to live in the moment and savor your surroundings, no matter how awkward or drab, can help you to be a more cultured, happy person. Try to leave your phone at home one day or go for a walk without your headphones. As the cliché goes, you need to leave yourself some time to stop and smell the roses.