'Hanging out'. A term that once meant being in camaraderie with those that you had a close or trusted relationship with. Now sadly, I believe the times have changed and are continuing to change. The term 'hanging out' now involves another crucial aspect--technology.

Technology. It seems like such a simple term but yet it can imply numerous aspects. Technology can include things such as computers, iPhones, any form of a smart phone, iPods, MP3 players, any cell phone, and bsically any device that is used to interact with the cyber or entertainment world.

It has recently been brought to my attention that spending time with my friends always involves them bringing along someone else, commonly known as their iPhone. It has become a crucial part of a person's well-being and they seem to feel 'naked' without it. It is attached to our hip and some may say it is our companion.

Why is this a problem you may ask? Because our entire relationships and 'hanging out' time now revolves around what is going on in various social media worlds and how we can prove what we are doing is 'cool enough' to talk about on those sites. It is never just about enjoying the company of those we are with but always worrying about what is going on that we are not involved in at the time.

Instead of embracing those little awkward moments that happen with human encounters, we resort to looking at updates on our phone, on Facebook, on Twitter, or whatever site you may choose.

Final thought: The little priceless moments of life and friendships can be lost if we base them upon the iPhone world instead of the real world. Technological interaction is replacing our original view of human interaction.