Page Chen, G10, RDF International School

As social media and video games consume a lot of our time, we read fewer paper books, communicate less with friends and family, and have less fun in real life.

Since the summer holiday began, I have been busy studying and playing on my computer. I seldom had a word with my grandparents. So, I was determined to bridge the gap and have fun in real life again.

Bridging the gap is not as easy as it seems. Games, comics, and trending news are not interests that I can share with my grandparents. “What is of universal appeal to us?” I questioned myself. Then it struck me that food could be the answer. So I decided to cook a meal for my grandparents. I have learned certain skills of cooking, and I am pretty talented at this task. I am confident about how much salt and sugar should be added, and I choose and mix the suitable seasonings quite well. However, I struggle with cutting meat and vegetables. So, I invited my grandparents to join me in preparing the meal.

We all contributed our best efforts, and after two hours, several delicious dishes were neatly arranged on the table. We all sat around and enjoyed this wonderful meal together, and the living room was soon filled with chats and laughter. We shared stories from school and our travel adventures, traveling back to the good old times when my grandparents and I were close at heart.

When we reconsider our daily lives, we will be surprised to find how much time we spend on electronic devices. Games, films, and short videos — they make our lives so much more exciting in the virtual world. However, reality should be the focus of our life. We should have wonderful experiences in real life instead of getting addicted to our phones.

If we look carefully and slow our pace, we can discover plenty of beautiful scenes and exciting moments awaiting us in real life. So put down your phone, act now, and make that wonderful idea crossing your mind a reality. You can have an outing, play some sports, or chat with loved ones over a meal. These real experiences will become awesome memories when you look back.