Dear 21st Century,

I diagnosed myself as an addict. I don’t abuse substances or intake an uncanny amount of food, but I have fallen into the temptations of picking up my cellphone every time I have a spare minute or two.

Somehow, that “minute or two” becomes my whole day. I scroll through my Instagram feed twice. I retweet Katy Perry’s tweet about her feud with Taylor Swift. Then I read a BuzzFeed article about it. I send a Snapchat out to keep my streaks then text my friend and remind her to do the same.

If you experience any of the above symptoms, congratulations, you have been diagnosed.

So, it’s not just me. My guess is you’re probably reading this on your cellphone. And you probably aren’t just going to put your phone down when you’re done because with text messages and Snapchat, we’re never done. There’s always another post to watch or text to send.

There was a time (though I can hardly remember it), when staying inside all day was considered a punishment. Now, our lives are spent in dark rooms, with only the glow of our screens to see what’s around us.

We are a narcissistic people. We ask our crush out over text to avoid hurt feelings in person. We text our friend to let them know we are in front of their house, instead of walking up to their door. We post about how “happy” we are so that others see we are thriving.

I have trouble believing that any of us are truly enjoying our lives when the only verbal conversation we are having is with Siri.

I’ve noticed a trend amongst my high school peers: Taking a “break” from social media just to return again and resurrect their ghosted pages. This stems from either our need for attention or our helpless dependence on our Instagram accounts.

Have we lost all sense of humanity?

It would be foolish to think that this article could actually serve as a cure to our addiction. After all, I am typing this on my computer. It seems that posting about it is the only way to bring attention to the matter. I’ll say what has to be said, then I’ll log off.

There is no need to totally abandon our phones. It’s all about moderation. And I truly hope that a little cell phone diet will have a lasting effect.

Look around you and appreciate what you have. No picture and no status could ever fully describe the beauty in the lives we have. Live it. Don’t post it.