Teenagers’ love affair with cell phones has become into a full blown addiction. These devices are interfering with classroom instruction, studying at home, and even personal relationships. People fidget with their phones in the elevator, whip them out as soon as they leave class, or even before they leave class, and are constantly chatting away while walking or driving. It’s safe to say that most of our generation feels like its life depends on a five-inch-long robot.

“Are you kidding? I can’t live without my phone, its my life,” said sophomore Regan Nesbit.

Akisha Ray, a ninth grade language arts teacher, said she’s seen students take out their phones at the most bizarre times. “I realized a kid was playing on his phone while an administrator was evaluating the class. I was so embarrassed,” she said.

The temptation to check your cell phone is so prevalent that it can even tamper with healthy sleep schedules. A late-night phone call with a crush where you’re telling him or her to hang up first has meant some students are hitting the hay at unhealthy hours. “One night, my boyfriend and I stayed on FaceTime until three in the morning,” said junior Courtney Nation. “I know it was late, but I just couldn’t tell him ‘bye.’”

Let’s be clear. It’s not the cell phone itself that has taken a toll on the Warriors. Rather it’s what’s inside these devices. Social media has taken over the world. Communication has been rapidly growing accessible through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. People, especially young people, look for notifications and updates on the juicy details of their peers’ lives. “I can’t go a day without Snapchatting at least something, and I get all of my information from Instagram,” said sophomore Khayla Jackson. “I don’t know how my life would turn out without it.”

From Facebook to Snapchat, social media has been a large part of many students’ lives at North Atlanta. Whether your addiction is severe or minor, ask yourself, “Can you live without it for 24 hours?”

If you can’t unplug, you, dear reader, just might be a social media addict.