Rep. Jake Auchincloss Tells Fellow Members of Congress to 'Touch Grass'

Representative Jake Auchincloss says politicians need to ditch their phones and get in touch with nature ... telling us most are nice IRL -- but they can get real nasty online.

We caught up with the the Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts on Capitol Hill earlier this week ... and we asked him about the differences between politicians' in-person and online personas.

Auchincloss tells us he got a device over Christmas that "bricks" his phone -- basically making it a glorified paperweight -- and, he thinks his fellows in the House and Senate should get similar tech to brick their own phones and go "touch grass."

Rep. Auchincloss acknowledges social media is a useful mass communication tool -- like newspapers and TV -- but he still thinks face-to-face encounters lead to more understanding across political divides.

The congressman also defends most of his colleagues ... claiming a vast majority are trying to govern correctly -- but a small minority is ruining it for everyone.