Pope Francis Tells Youth To Get Off Phones And Get Productive

It comes as no surprise that with each new generation, the addiction and dependence on technology and gadgets is becoming increasingly strong. And this trend has not gone unnoticed by Pope Francis (né Jorge Mario Bergoglio), who recently told a group of 50,000 German altar servers to get off their smartphones and stop wasting time on television and the Internet.

“Maybe many young people waste too many hours on futile things,” said the pope, according to a translation by Reuters. “Our life is made up of time, and time is a gift from God, so it is important that it be used in good and fruitful actions.”

What exactly is considered to qualify under 'futile things," you ask? Well the pope specified that "chatting on the Internet or with smartphones, watching TV soap operas, and (using) the products of technological progress, which should simplify and improve the quality of life, but distract attention away from what is really important."

And before you go assuming that the Argentine pope hates technology, know that he has previously called the Internet as a "gift from God" and was the one of the first popes to get his own Twitter handle last year -- you can follow him @Pontifex -- with over 4 million followers.

While the pope's words will hardly get teens to alter their ways, he may be onto something. According to 2012 data from the Pew Research Center, over 75 percent of all teens text and one in four teens report owning a smartphone. What's more, the New York Daily News reports that the average American spends 34 hours a week watching television.