A few weeks ago, my phone drowned and completely broke. We’ve all been there. Whether it falls down a flight of stairs or randomly stops working, we’ve all struggled through at least a day without a cell phone. When I broke mine, I first thought it was the end of the world. Then, I decided to focus on the upsides. Here’s what I learned:
valued in-person time with friends
I’m not saying I hung out with my friends more because I broke my phone. However, when I was with my friends, I didn’t spend time staring at a screen. Instead, I focused on the conversations we were having and what was going on in their lives. I think this was the most important thing I learned during the week spent without a phone.
actively looked for news
Typically, I find out what is going on in the world through social media. Without having as easy access to Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook, I instead found myself looking at online news publications and even watching local news networks.
less to keep track of
If you’re like me, you probably consider yourself to be a mess and horrible at keeping track of things. Not having to worry about where my phone was all the time helped me focus on other things (like my keys).
no distractions
Without being able to waste all my time watching videos or browsing Twitter, I instead focused on my schoolwork and other responsibilities. You might not think you spend a lot of time on your phone, but if you instead studied for that exam an extra half hour when you would have been on Instagram, you’d probably do a little better on that big test.
still missed a few things
Since I’ve always had an iPhone, I never had to buy a real alarm clock. This left a gaping hole in my everyday routine. If you go to West Virginia University, you probably saw me running late to class with messy hair and pajamas on at some point. The thing I missed most about being phoneless was social media. I could use my laptop for some platforms but for the most part, I was completely disconnected. Something would happen during the day (like my homemade latte looking bomb), and I’d miss being able to show everyone.
Cell phones have become security blankets for our generation. Even though I did cherish the peace and quiet and have not been using my phone as much as I did before, I know I will go back to my constant use. Have you ever broken your phone? Did you feel the same way or was it just a hassle? Let me know in the comments below!
Featured photo by Kelly Rogowski.
