Dumb Phone, Smart Phone

I know that we live in a world where having a smart phone is seen as a necessity, but is it really? Do we really need to be on our phones all the time?

Whether you give it up or check your phone every few seconds is up to you, but here’s what I came up with:

I have more time to think. I’m standing in line to get my lunch in between classes and I immediately feel awkward standing there all alone. So what do I do? I pull out my phone and scroll through anything just to feel like I’m participating in the world. I look up to see that everyone else is on their phone as well and in dawns on me that if I would just put my phone back in my pocket, I could talk to the person in front of me. The only problem is that I’m a little shy. However, when I finally did put my phone down, I noticed that I had a lot more time to sort out what I had to get down and my stress levels totally went down. So now I stand in line and sort out my life instead of wasting time playing the latest fad game. It is awkward at first, but what isn't?

I talk to people. When my friends and I hang out, some of us have the horrible tendency to reach for our phones. We never talk about anything in depth because we get distracted with what is on our little screens. One person is on Facebook while the other person is Snap Chatting (Snapchatting?) and we can go an hour without saying two words to each other, and not in the good way. Now that I’m the only one without a smart phone, I serve as the enforcer and get my friends to set down their phone and actually speak. Hanging out is a lot more fun. 

I notice the world around me. Cliche, I know but how much do we miss just because we insist on walking down the street with our phones in hand? Cool things always happen when I’m walking down the street and now I don’t miss them… as often. Not to mention the fact that I’m not an easy target for muggers. 

I have more privacy… sort of. Now that I’m not on the internet all the time, I’m not tempted to post every small detail of my day/life. I tend to be more of a private person, but sometimes it’s a little too tempting to post every cool or funny thing that happens. Not boring or annoying everyone is also a plus. 

Needless to say, I am more focused on myself since switching from the smart phone life and that’s probably the biggest plus. If you disagree with me, I totally understand, they do make your life easier in many ways. But for those of us who love the private life, I definitely recommend going off the grid.