Do you go to the bathroom alone? Can you walk to class alone? Have you ever eaten by yourself at a restaurant? Can you handle going out in public without a friend or family member? If you answered no to any of the questions above, then you need to learn how to be alone.

Many people feel the need to always be with someone or on their phones connected to the world at all times, but this isn’t what our lives should look like. Now don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with friends and family while posting on social media, but there comes a point when it’s too much. Society has lost the ability to be alone. Most teenagers I know can’t go shopping, out to eat, or to the bathroom alone. What happened to being independent and confident on your own?

I’m not saying a person can’t go shopping with friends, but they, at some point, have to learn to go alone. The people who argue they can be alone, but would rather be with their friends are the ones who need to become independent. Are you really going to bring your friend into the bathroom stall? Everyone needs their personal space and a great way to do it is by having small moments throughout the day for yourself.

If an individual spends time alone they will learn more about their dislikes, interests, and new things they want to explore. If we never take the time to be alone, how can we grow as individuals? Excessive amounts of time with others can create the problem of taking on their interests and opinions, which makes you unable to form your own.

Being alone helps with social skills, trying new things, and branching out. If people never go to the new restaurant in town because their friends don’t want to, how will they know if they enjoy the food? If you don’t take the time to get to know yourself better, you will stay the same person and never change. For me, I didn’t realize  I hated Hy-Vee Chinese until I branched out of my friend’s opinions and found out that Ting’s is definitely my favorite.

You can say I’m wrong, but until you spend time by yourself or go somewhere by yourself, you’ll never step out of your comfort zone. I spend time by myself studying, going on a quick Target run, or a drive to Palo. These times by myself allow me to grow and be my own person. So, take a personal day, branch out, and explore yourself  outside of your comfort zone.

Claire Delaney 

A&E Assistant Editor