I'm a dog, which means I'm very focused on my environment. When there's an unusual noise, an unfamiliar sight, an odd smell – I'm at full attention. Every part of my body and mind engage in assessing the right response to whatever new experience I'm having.

Sometimes my heightened awareness introduces me to something new that I enjoy. Sometimes it warns me of impending danger. And sometimes it simply signals a false alarm. Regardless of the outcome, I never forget that being aware is one of the most important parts of being alive.

I've noticed, however, that many people do not seem to share my opinion. Instead of taking in the world around them, lots of people are constantly engrossed in rectangular devices of various sizes. All of the rectangles have screens, and some of them have pictures that move. Sometimes sounds come out of them. All of them can fascinate people to the exclusion of everything else. In fact, people are so enamored with their screens that they die for them. People who drive while sending or reading text messages are 23% more likely to be involved in an accident than other drivers, and a crash typically happens within an average of just three seconds after a driver is distracted. Other types of screen distraction are less tragic, but still troubling. People simply withdraw from real life and retreat into the ether, thereby restricting genuine interaction and awareness.

Obviously, I'm using my own rectangle to write this column. But when I'm done, I'll get on with my day. I'll have real interactions with the pets and people in my house. I'll run around my yard without checking my rectangle 30 times. I'll eat my dinner without Instagramming it and posting to DogBook. I'll go take a walk to the mailbox without checking in on Foursquare. At the end of the day, I'll go to bed and leave my rectangle far from where I sleep, and I won't wake up in the middle of the night and check to see if Tucker liked my comment.

Lest I sound a little judgy of people, let me tell you that I think technology is amazing. It helps countless humans and animals every day in countless ways. I think people should embrace it, applaud it, and watch with excitement every time the next big advancement emerges. It's just that I can't imagine liking it to the point of distraction. Even if I had opposable thumbs, I would never forget to smell the flowers – or any of the other unmentionable things I like to smell. I would never forget the comfort of being held or the thrill of feeling the wind in my fur. And I would certainly never value technology over life.

People can learn a lot from animals. It seems the biggest lesson we can impart in 2014 is to look up, get out, get moving, and take at least some time each day to truly appreciate this short and precious life. By and large, the good stuff isn't happening on a screen.