There lived Stag who went to drink water from a crystal spring. Upon seeing his antler, he much admired them and praised them, and a sense of pride came over him. He looked further to his legs and noticed how ugly they were. He did not like the sight of his ugly legs, and the pride subsided considerably. However, he convinced himself that the beauty of his antler overshadowed the ugliness of his legs by far. He then heard a panther panting from behind and thought to himself that if he ran fast and hid them in the forest, he would confuse the panther. So he took to his heels and into the woods. However, he got stuck by his antlers on some branches. The panther got a chance to pounce on him and ate him. The Stag undervalued what was important to him and overvalued what was less important to him and for that reason he died. Before he died, he realized that the legs that he did not value as much could have rescued his life, but the antlers that he appreciated more caused his death. In this paper, we will discuss the obsession of the current young generation with their phones at the expense of real human interactions. We will decipher the saying that,’ all that glitters is not gold.’

The Stag knew all along that his beautiful crown of antlers were the most precious things to him because they were beautiful and attractive to look at. He praised them at every opportunity he got to do so. He took care of the antlers more and gave them priority yet. In our society today it is not hard to find a teenager or an older person prioritizing their phones more than human interactions or other human beings. People have gone to the extent of personalizing these phones where a phone can have a cover with a picture of the owner or hold all the essential documents. People give phones more respect, love, and care. One would rather save hi or telephone when they bump into someone than save the other person’s life. Also, there is a trend of people keeping their secrets and heart desire in their phones through writings or documentation. Gone are the days when people would sit down and have candid conversations or shared a meal without phone interruptions. Either in the form of texts or calls or just social media. Some even carry their phones to dining tables.

Statistics show that a lot of deaths have been caused by cell phones, either through texting while driving or through cell phone distractions. According to the National Highway safety Travel safety administration, about 666000 drivers attempt to use their phones while driving. Approximately 3500 people die each year due to accidents caused by wrongful use of the roads. Text driving issues have been rampant in our streets and causing accidents to people of all ages. The saddest part of it is that most people who die in these incidences are innocent third or second party. An incident occurred where a 70- year old man stepped out to fix his car while another driver hit him on the spot due to logging into Facebook through the phone. Others reports have that people die due to phones overcharging and bursting next to them. Other incidents indicate that people texting while crossing the roads are at a higher risk of dying when knocked down by cars.

Smartphones are interfering with human interactions. People operate on text and cannot articulate themselves anymore. They have little human connection with other people and are likely to confide in people they do not know. It is not news when one hears that someone died and the body is discovered many days later. This shows that his or her human interactions were at low levels. Also, people avoid social interactions by laying games on their phones and end up not socializing. People forget that they will need these people they ignore when they are in trouble.

When something is right, it is also good to recognize it. The Stag noticed that his antlers were beautiful and he praised as opposed to not appreciating what he loved most. Likewise, phones have their advantages. First of all, they have made the world a global village where people from different continents can easily communicate, secondly, with the rise of international trading and E-commerce. People can easily buy and sell products and services through social media posts on Facebook or Instagram.

Moreover, business people have been able to outsource affordable services from a qualified individual through online administration. Some people make their living entirely on their phone by promoting brands and affiliate marketing. One can take pictures or videos through their phones and keep or print them without necessarily looking for a professional photographer. A phone can be multipurpose with applications such as Flashlight, alarm clocks, watches, and calculators. However, It merely has almost everything in one place including notepads and sometimes bible apps. Phones are a perfect mean of communication especially in incidences of emergencies. Phones are also suitable for entertainment especially when one is alone, and they are bored they can play games on their phones. Lastly, with the invention of technology, it is complicated to get lost when someone can access maps on their cell phones. Just like the antlers on the stag, Phones do glitter and they not only glitter but also are beneficial.

People tend to overvalue things that will not help them. Some despise what is most useful to them, and they regret later. Going by our narrative, the stag overrated his antlers. However, these were the cause of his death. He despised his legs and labeled them ugly, but the same legs almost saved him while being chased by a panther. The same goes for human beings. They despise what is most useful to them like human interactions and support from family and friends and overvalue material things like phones and social media followers. The Antler and the phones all glitter and they do so in bright colors, but when one is dire need of help, then they will require the assistance of the same people they despised. A lot of road accidents could be prevented only if people valued people more than their phones. A lot of social issues like child neglect and depression can be avoided if people put their phones down for some time and tend to necessary things like taking care of children and checking up on people at a personal level. The Stag would have saved his life if he gave more attention to his legs more than his antlers.

Work cited

Liew, J.Y. The effect of smartphones on social interaction. https://www.academia.edu/4661907/The_effect_of_smart_phones_on_social_interaction

The Stag & His Reflection: The Æsop for Children http://www.read.gov/aesop/017.html

The Stag and its Reflection. http://www.english-for-students.com/The-Stag-and-His-Reflection.html