Photos by Bianca Scarlato

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology. I don’t think it’s disgusting that people are always on their phones or always on the internet. The internet is the love of my life. I love that we’re given the ability to communicate with whoever, wherever, whenever. That being said, it would be nice to once in a while be able to get away. With your phone, you’re never alone. There’s always someone you can talk to just a text or call away, there’s always something to look at, but not today. If you’d told me two months ago that I’d have to spend a day without my phone, I’d panic. Lately, I’ve been feeling differently. If you know me, you know that my entire life lies within my cellphone; a day without my phone should be something like a vacation, right? Out of curiosity, I decided to shut off my phone for a day and here’s what happened – Initial Response: Calm
 
It was weird waking up and not immediately checking my phone to see what was new. For once, I didn’t have any obligations. It was nice. I obviously took to my laptop to find out what was going on outside of my bedroom and found myself not wanting to be there.

I got ready for class and headed to school.

A Regular Occurrence:

When I was alone without a phone, the most I felt was bored. When I was in public, I often felt uncomfortable. My phone is my comfort zone; it gives me something to do with my hands, something to look at when I don’t want to make eye contact, something I can use in an emergency. Without my phone, I have nothing to do when I’m standing alone with someone in an elevator. I have nothing to look at when a conversation dies. Without my phone, I have to sit in uncomfortable silence without a safety net. It wasn’t the best, but I didn’t necessarily hate it.

Mood: Antsy

I wanted to check my phone. I wanted to see what was up with everyone else. I was bored. The one thing I was glad about was that today, I wouldn’t have my phone on me to distract me from the essay I had to write that was due tomorrow. My phone is usually where I go to waste time. I can scroll through Instagram for hours, I love SnapChat, and texting.

I finally finished my essay, not in any record timing. I still found a way to distract myself without my phone around. I noticed that a lot of what I’d usually do on my phone, is now available via my laptop. I ordered my dinner on my laptop.

I picked up my phone for the first time that day.

Initial Response: Panic

Prior to dropping my phone for the day, I had been insanely stressed. After returning to the world in my phone, I was once again insanely stressed. I had too many missed emails, texts, and notifications.

Conclusion:

Technology is a friend of mine, but I enjoyed my time disconnected, even if only for a few hours. I liked not having any obligations, but then, having them all thrown at me at one time was stressful. My cellphone is my comfort zone. It keeps me organized and I’m comfortable with it in my life. Am I obsessed? I don’t think so. I think it’s difficult to remove something from your life that you’re so used to having access to. Maybe our parents are lucky, because they had to wait for the boy they just met to call their house-line if he wanted to hang or maybe they’re missing out on 3am “you up?” texts.

WYD???