Sometimes life deals you a hand of cards that absolutely sucks. Well, in my case, I dealt myself a bad deck of cards and had to pay the price.
About two weeks ago, I broke my phone. While I will not disclose how I broke my phone, I will tell you that it stopped working completely. No parts of it shattered but I could only see a black screen on the screen of my phone. It wouldn’t even turn on.
At first, I thought to myself, “Well, shit. This sucks.” But this seemingly unfortunate situation turned out to be an incredible blessing.
Since I no longer had a phone, my only way to communicate was through texting, FaceTime or Snapchat (though I couldn’t open or send snaps). This left me with only one choice: dealing with the fact that I would have to look like an absolute goober carrying a laptop around to communicate in today’s digital age.
While I did look like a goober, I gained an incredible amount of time from not checking my phone 24/7. With this extra time, I was able to stay more present in the moment, do more activities I enjoy and get tons of schoolwork done.
Staying present in the moment proved to be the most beneficial part of not having a phone. A day or two after my catastrophic loss, my first test occurred at a date party. I went without any form of communication, which can turn complicated if you lose who you came with.
Going out with no phone felt freeing. I never felt that anxiety that someone is texting me or that I am needed elsewhere. I felt like the moment was exactly where I needed to be. I engaged in better conversations, took in the sights, smells and sounds of the environment and just felt better about myself since I wasn’t constantly checking my phone.
In a similar fashion, my time in the gym or time working at Bar 1868 felt more satisfying without a phone. My workouts went quicker and challenged me more, because I focused less on what music I needed playing or checking what Snapchats I’d received. At work, I felt like I could engage with customers and co-workers more and like I was working harder. This, in turn, made my shifts feel quicker and made me feel proud of the work I’d done that night.
Now that I have my phone back, I can’t help but feel a little bit of a weight back on my shoulders. The constant urge to check my phone has returned. I’ve been fighting it as much as I can and I hope my experience without a phone will remind me to unplug and stay present in the moment.
Some steps I am going to take to reduce my phone usage (and hope you will try as well) include the following:
First, do not check Snapchat. I do not need to see a picture of someone’s forehead every two minutes.
Second, put your phone in a different room. You’ll be amazed at how much time you gain back if you leave your phone at home during a workout or put it in a different room when you try to study.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
Finally, try going out or hanging out with friends phoneless and encourage friends to do the same. The conversations will flow, you could learn something new about someone and even meet a new person who could impact your life greatly.
10/10 recommend breaking your phone and living off your laptop.
Read More
Thanksgiving is giving mid
By Parker Green | 5 hours agoOpinion writer Parker Green argues why Thanksgiving should not be considered a top tier holiday.
Alanna and her silver camera
By Zoee Robinson | 2 days agoBefore coming to Miami University, first-year student Alanna Sweet was gifted a digital camera by her father. Now, she uses it to document her time at college.
The band member
By Bailey Ryan | 3 days agoClaire, first-year student, strives to stay out in every day, through her outfit choices and her clarinet case by her side. Even on the field with her fellow band members, uniqueness is important to her.