So the other day I had to get the screen on my phone fixed after I had damaged it – complete with a hole in the phone and all – (don’t ask). For the hour that I spent with no phone in my possession at all, I realized just how dependent we have become on this small electronic device. It’s become something we absent-mindedly reach for even though we know we don’t have it.
I literally didn’t know what to do with myself for that one hour. It was the strangest feeling. Anything I thought of doing to pre-occupy myself involved having my phone. But I was forced to zap myself into a reality that I once called normal – the one without the ‘third arm’.
And once I did that, I had an epiphany.
I realized just how long it had been since I felt the true essence of the pre-digital era of the early ’90s – of when home phones were still a thing, of when people still called each other to say happy birthday – of when people would actually interact with each other face to face without a camera lens between them.
At that moment, I embraced the fact that I had no phone. I felt like I was re-discovering a forgotten version of myself. It was actually an amazing feeling.
I sat in a nearby restaurant and allowed myself to just think and reflect. It reminded me of how much of ourselves we truly lose when we over-indulge on our mobile devices. We are constantly disrupted and distracted by all the ‘noise’ online that it becomes difficult to just escape from that once in a while in order to maintain some semblance of self-preservation.
And ironically, what I initially thought would be the longest hour ever to pass, ended up going by fairly quickly once I embraced the absence of my phone.
This is also why I have a special appreciation for certain celebrities that, to this day, have never caved into social media. Jennifer Aniston is one of them and kudos to her for keeping it real. Now would I be one of the first people to follow her on Instagram if she created an account? I certainly would because I’m a huge fan of hers, but at the same time, I really admire and respect her committment to personal privacy.
So I guess the takeaway here is that we obviously live in an era where phones are a necessity, and there’s no going back from that, but it’s equally important to consciously take mini timeouts for yourself, away from your phone, to simply restore the beauty of just being aware of your surroundings and rediscovering your value and purpose in this wonderful, yet mysterious thing called life.
Sarah Warsi 
I know exactly how you feel. I was actually relieved the day IG went down. Like, oh well. I guess I’ll go live my life now 😂😂
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lol! I know right? Actually the irony is that I was almost happy that my phone screen was so messed up because that in and of itself kept me from wanting to be on my phone so much! haha
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I know exactly how you feel
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I recall the day that I never had a mobile phone. All my friends around me were getting phones, but somehow it never appealed to me. Then I started working and I needed to have one. I remember my old Motorola Razer. It was brilliant and it was just a phone. At the time blackberries were becoming popular and my brothers all got them. But it never fascinated me. I found the blackberries far to bit and too clunky. Why did I need to have emails on my phone?
Well my Motorola gave out and my company issued me with an iPhone 4. Yes.. I waited that long to get one. It was a couple of months after that, did I realize what had happened.
My phones changed me.
When I didn’t have the phone, I never cared. Then when finally got one, I couldn’t be without one, because I needed it for work. But that was just a phone. I never understood the idea of having emails, etc at my fingertips. I didn’t need an iPhone, but when I got one and started using it features, now I can’t imagine my life without one. The idea of having those things on at my fingertips… I had become a slave to the tech without even knowing it.
I don’t know if anyone remembers the series, ‘Phil of the Future’ on the Disney network. The future kids had this thing called the “Wizard” that does everything for them. We coming to where we are right now, our smartphones are pretty much getting there and just like the folks in that series, we’re beginning to rely on it for everything – even find Love.
I can’t tell you how many times, I’ve come home and then just left my phone to charge and never bothered to pick it up again, because I just feel that it is a drain… This tech that is supposed to make my life better has in a way become a bit of burden. The fault isn’t on the tech. The fault is mine and mine alone.
I made it that way. I think the best way is to try to put your phones down as much as you can don’t let it rule you. Not every moment needs to be posted on the internet. Not every post needs to be “liked”. Not every email needs to be answered on the dot. Know the difference. You have a life outside of that screen. Live it.
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Certainly! Thank you so much for your detailed comment, Julian. I really appreciate it. We must not lose ourselves – that is the key message. 🙂
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Great post Sarah! The first thing in the morning that I do is to check my phone. If I am without my charger, I start freaking out. This is so true, that we need to take a break from the phone and electronics to really appreciate all that is going on around us and to us.
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Thank you so much! Yes totally, it’s all about moderation and just finding that balance between the real world and the online world. 🙂
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