As much as adults point out to millennials their unhealthy obsession with technology and social media, these reminders go in one ear and out the other. Unplugging ourselves is much easier said than done. Most college and high school age students use Instagram, Snapchat, and a growing number of other apps to stay up to date on what their friends are doing and to show off how fun their own lives are. Most are guilty of checking their phones all day more out of habit than anything else. It is something that we all claim we “could quit if we want to”, but it became pretty clear after a week forced to go without my phone that I relied too heavily on it. We all do. The past seven days revealed that loosening the grip my phone has on me is well worth it.
After the first couple of days of itching to pick up my phone, I didn’t care what anyone else was up to. Without the temptation of a phone in my hand, I realized I wasn’t checking my Instagram out of genuine interest for what other people were doing, but because it had become a daily ritual. I went from glancing over every few minutes in hopes of a new notification to being able to put my phone away without feeling anxious.
We’re all well aware of the distractions that come with a smart phone, but it still came as a surprise to see how much more focused I was on my work. Checking Instagram, opening Snapchat and then refreshing Instagram again was an endless cycle I would go through just to avoid studying. Without a cellphone aiding me in procrastination, it felt like studying was my only option, so that’s what I did. After acing the first exam in one of my most challenging classes, it was obvious my phone actually made things a lot harder.
Sure, it’s reassuring to have on me at all times, but is that the worth the anxiety that I experienced within the first half hour without my phone? The dread of going to a social event without being able to document it made me almost not want to attend at all. Pictures or it didn’t happen, right? Wrong. So many of us figure what’s the point in doing something fun if there’s no proof? That IS the point. Having a good time and making lasting memories is what should matter most.
Attending a concert without a phone was strange, new experience. I struggled to find topics to talk about before the show started without the comfort of being able to check my phone when the conversation hit an awkward pause.. I instinctually reached for my phone when sang my favorite song began but realized that I was enjoying ACTUALLY watching the show. It hit me that I never fully experience half the concerts, movies and dinners I spend all this money on because I’m so busy making sure everyone else is jealous of my social life.
Having my phone break was some of the worst news I could imagine, especially when feeling homesick during my first few weeks of college, and knowing I had lost my primary form of communication with my friends and family back home. It forced me to stop picking up the phone whenever I was feeling nostalgic, but instead to push through the feelings. I got a peek into the college experience my parents had, and exposed me to the prospect of genuinely working through my stressors all on my own.
Despite the fact that my phone is fixed and I still post to Instagram and find time to send ridiculous selfies on Snapchat, the way I use my phone has changed. I encourage everyone to spend just a day without using it just to see if you can because you will realize you can get along without it.
