As I sit here staring at a blank computer screen, listening to iTunes, my cell phone an arm’s-length away, I can’t help but think back to the days when homework meant grabbing a pencil and notebook, and calculators were considered high-tech. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, a little nostalgic-but there’s no denying the fact that technology use has skyrocketed in the past decade.

Whether it’s for class, work or leisure, the average American invests the better part of their day using some technological device or other. Teenage Americans send and receive an astounding average of 2, 799 texts per month, while the 18-24 age group sends/receives around 1, 299 texts each month 1. The average American watches around 31.5 hours of TV every week 2. In 2009, a study revealed that there are more televisions than people in the United States 3. From 1999 to 2009, the amount of time kids spent on a computer tripled 1, according to Nielsen, a consumer data agency.

The statistics go on and on, but I don’t think I need to list any more. I’m sure we all get the idea: our days are no longer the sunny, carefree days of our childhood-this is the real world, and it’s getting busier. Step outside and you’ll see students shuffling to class with their Blackberries an inch from their noses, iPods tucked safely in a pocket and earphones in. My own day seems to consist of checking CyMail, WebCt, Moodle, AccessPlus, regular email, the news, Facebook, cell phone, etc. Throw in classes, homework, meals, work, clubs, whatever-and it’s a nonstop rush from point A to point B, week after week.

Of course, I’m sure if I cut out Facebook and half of the texting I’d be a much freer person, but this is all easier said than done. There seems to be something about technology that just swallows people whole, and refuses to release them. What would it take to get people away from their Smartphones and iPads, their video games and social networks, for even a little while? Is it possible, or even worth it? Maybe not. Maybe it’s ridiculous to suggest such a thing. But there comes a time when too much is simply too much.

Children should be outside climbing trees, building snowmen or frolicking in fields of daisies instead of crouching in front of Xbox 360s. Teenagers should be attempting to learn during class instead of texting ‘wtf’, ‘lol’ and ‘omg, did u see Tracy’s hair?!’ When Americans are spending four-to-five hours a day in front of a television screen, something’s not right. Our culture is caught up in the misconception that the virtual world is more interesting than reality. Americans measure status by the number, the cost, the novelty of the gadgets an individual owns. There is more to life than this, yet few seem to acknowledge such a radical notion.

Technology is, of course, an essential aspect of the world we live in. Without some of the technical advantages we have today, who knows where we’d be as a society. Even I — she-who-repels-technology — can understand and agree to that. It’s a fact of life. But perhaps it’s time we all took a little break from the digital frenzy and spent an hour or two each day sans media. Who knows, we might actually enjoy it.