When hanging out with friends, scrolling for hours and showing each other TikToks has turned into the norm. Hanging out with friends used to consist of actually talking, laughing, and making memories together instead of just staring at screens. It’s easy to get distracted by your phone and the endless scroll of social media, even when you’re surrounded by friends or family.
Sometimes it seems easiest to just lay on the couch with each other and doomscroll instead of going somewhere or doing something productive. Over time, those moments start to feel repetitive and kind of empty —like you spent hours together but don’t really have anything meaningful to remember from it. Sometimes towards the end of a sleepover Shelby Johnson (10) and her friends “end up laying on the bed just going back and forth showing each other TikToks” and barely talking. The most noise in the room consists of the sound from the phones and laughing at videos.
The convenience of entertainment being right in your hand makes it harder to choose activities that take effort, even if they’re more fun in the long run. Without realizing it, people can drift into a habit where being “together” doesn’t actually mean connecting.
This shift in how people spend time together raises the question of what we’re losing in exchange for constant entertainment. While social media can be funny and help people bond in small ways, it often replaces deeper conversations and real experiences. Choosing to put phones down, even for a little while, can lead to more genuine moments spent with loved ones.
Life without social media makes hanging out feel more real, because you’re actually present with your friends instead of splitting your attention between them and a screen. People used to hang out by talking face to face, going outside, and finding things to do together instead of relying on phones for entertainment. Looking back, Viviana Perea recalls how when she and her “friends were in high school [they] would drive to the beach, mall, and spend long nights together,” showing how hanging out once meant exploring and making memories instead of staying in one place. Although driving around for a long time might be hard with rising gas prices, going on walks and side quests is always enjoyable when with friends.
Walking to a nearby park and grabbing a football to play catch with, or a volleyball to bump around is a perfect way to pass up time. When you feel like staying in the house, grab a deck of cards or a board game and turn it into a fun, competitive game night with friends or family.
There are many ways to turn a day of scrolling into an entertaining afternoon that leaves you with real memories instead of just passing time. It doesn’t require anything complicated or expensive, just a willingness to put the phone down and be present with the people that surround you. Even small changes, like suggesting a quick walk, starting a conversation, or planning a simple activity, can completely change the energy of the time spent together.
At the end of the day, the best memories come from being fully present with the people you care about instead of letting a screen take up the time you could spend together.
