I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction, Albert Einstein is thought to have said. The world will have a generation of idiots.

I fear that day has come.

With each new-fangled device or fun app, people withdraw deeper into the world of technology. Instances where friends would once chitchat (at the dinner table, before class, on break at work or in the car) are increasingly quieted by the distractions of phones and tablets.

“It is a situation where technology makes communication more convenient. However, it has created a separation between people and we’re losing our social skills,” said Elizabeth Ribarsky, assistant professor of Communication.

I know I’m guilty of getting absorbed in Words with Friends or Fruit Ninja and completely ignoring the world around me. While technology can be a fun form of escape, people must remember to connect with those surrounding them.

If you’re going out to dinner with a group of friends, pile everyone’s phones in the middle of the table and the first to touch their phone has to pay for dinner.

Instead of just pinning an interesting activity on Pinterest, print the instructions out, leave the iPad in the other room, and create something with your family, being sure to let the conversation and good times flow.

Most importantly, put your phone in a bag in the back seat while driving. I think Einstein’s prediction of “a generation of idiots” has been fulfilled with people texting and driving.

The other day, I was stopped at a red light and looked to my left at the car stopped next to me. What I saw made me shake my head in disbelief. There were four people in the car and every single one of them, including the driver, had their heads down, playing with their phones.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted drivers kill more than 15 people every day. I’m sure your friends would rather see you arrive safely than get a text saying “See you soon” only to never see you again.

Distracted walking is also becoming a safety issue. In 2009, a teenager fell into an open manhole while texting and in 2011, a woman walked into the wall of a mall fountain and went for a little swim.

While these events may cause us to chuckle, there is serious danger in paying more attention to your phone than where you’re walking.

In 2012, a woman in Alaska found this out the hard way when she plunged 60 feet after walking off a cliff while texting. This horrifying incident should have been a wake up call to those who walk and text. However, it doesn’t seem to have had much impact as, just last month, a woman walked onto a frozen canal while texting and fell through the ice.

Fortunately, although battered, bruised and really embarrassed, these women all lived. Some day, someone won’t be so lucky.