I’ll admit it: I’m a technology addicted millennial. I have my phone on all the time. I can’t go five minutes without checking my phone. It’s a problem, but if you’re like me, you’ve got a thousand excuses to justify it: I get anxious when I don’t know what time it is. It’s a digital age, I need to stay connected. I can see and do things on my phone that I can’t in real life. Simply, I like my phone! This is all true. But there’s a difference between enjoying the use of your phone and being unhealthily dependent on it. And many of us – including myself – are.

So let’s go back to excuse number three: I can see and do things on my phone that I can’t in real life. When I’m sitting in bed, that’s true. But if you have the opportunity, why not actually go see and do those things? A gap year or studying abroad may be the perfect lesson in learning to live without relying on your phone.

I’m guilty of scrolling through my phone while having conversations with people. While I tell myself that I’m a great multitasker, I know deep down that it actually prevents me from fully listening and is incredibly rude. When you put your phone away, you can make deeper connections with the people in front of you, and hear things you might not have if you were trying to tweet and listen at the same time.

By doing so, you’ll learn so much about yourself, and who you are without the world influencing you 24/7. Without social media, you’ll have no pressure to impress anyone. You can focus on what you actually want to do, and not worry what anyone else will think of it. When you’re traveling the world, you want to be sure you’re having experiences that matter to you, not ones that you’re only having so you can post about it later. This in turn will teach you individuality and confidence in your own decisions, which will help you in both your school and career.

A gap year is all about new perspectives and stepping out of your comfort zone. For a technology addict, there’s no better way to achieve this than putting the phone away.

I’m not arguing you dump your phone for good (unless you want to! Power to you!). I’m sure we all have friends and family who we can’t often see in real life. You probably love keeping up with memes and trends. But remember to put real life first so that you’re in control of your technology instead of your phone having power over you.