Living in Los Angeles

After spending 10 years abroad, moving back to Los Angeles has been a shock to the system. Two things hit me almost immediately: the cost of living has skyrocketed, and real human interaction has been replaced by nonstop cellphone use.

I use my phone all the time too, but mostly for staying in touch with friends and handling work. What I don’t understand is the constant need to be glued to it — watching videos while walking down the street, talking on speakerphone in public, or scrolling through dinner at a restaurant.

Honestly, it feels like I landed on another planet.

The other day, I walked to my neighborhood CVS, and every single person I passed was staring at a phone. People sitting alone in parked cars were locked into their screens. While waiting for my prescription, I noticed all eight people in line were on their phones too.

Not one conversation. Not one moment of awareness. Just screens.

To me, it’s sad seeing how many opportunities for real connection are being ignored by the people right next to us.

Even at the gym, people can’t disconnect. On the treadmill, in the weight room — phones between sets, phones during reps, phones everywhere.

I have nothing against cellphones. They’re incredibly useful tools that have improved communication, productivity, and everyday life in countless ways.

I just wish people would spend a little more time looking at each other instead of looking down at a screen.