Verizon forgot to advertise their most important feature to their cell phones.

Now, I'm not just talking about any feature, I'm talking about the best feature ever, also known as "the awkward situation prevention tool." This tool comes in quite handy when dicey situations arise, so I'm willing to wager that about 85 percent of young adults who own cell phones have used this at least once or twice in their lifetimes.

Still don't think you do it? I'm about to rattle your cage.

Take for example: You're alone in the elevator and that guy you made out with two months ago at that party (and haven't talked to since) gets in. Um, can we say awkward? So what do you do? You get out your cell phone and text (or pretend to text) somebody.

Or let's say you're walking across campus, late for class, of course. Nobody else is around, and you cross paths with that girl who lived on your hall last year and was way witchy to you. Awkard with a capital A! What do you do? Get out your cell phone, duh.

Or maybe you're like my friend who sits next to the really "hot" football player in class and doesn't know what to do in that really silent time before class starts, so she gets out her cell phone and texts before class.

Or perhaps that evil Teacher's Assistant who gave you a B- on your English paper last semester is waiting in line in front of you at the Grand Market Place. I think you get the point by now.

Now, I know I'm not the only one who does this. I just don't think most people are aware that they do it. I really hate that I do it, and it really bothers me when I watch other people do it.

Why can't we just confront awkward situations up front? I think we do this because technology has made us lazy as a generation. When I say lazy, I mean that we have become lazy about dealing with uncomfortable situations.

We can text, e-mail or call people when we have something we don't necessarily want to say to them in person. This is why most of us feel like we need to dodge people by using our cell phones as diversions and distractions. This is something as a generation that we need to change before all of us become completely incapable in dealing with unpleasant occasions.

Now I don't know what the solution could be to this problem … maybe people like myself should actually attempt to stand up and face potentially awkward situations head on? Nah, that's way too hard. I'll just get out my cell phone and text (or pretend to text) somebody.