Storytime: Last week, I was in a tiny bathroom, changing into my workout clothes for my Bollywood Dance class. It was a cramped bathroom, in a building full of other girls who needed to change before their respective dance classes. I had ten minutes before my class started, but I still felt the need to hurry.
I rested my phone on the toilet paper dispenser and laid my pants on top. Nothing to fear, right? Wrong. Suddenly, a girl next to me slammed the bathroom stall door, and I heard a distinct plop. I spun around, terrified of what I would find.
Ah, yes. My phone had landed in the toilet.
I reluctantly fished it out, and immediately went to the sink to dry it off and pray that it wasn’t done for.Via GiffGaff
When I got home, I tried the whole “rice in a bag” method. My poor phone suffocated in there for over 5 days, and still has not come back to life.
It’s been a week since I have been phone-less. Luckily, I have a MacBook Pro and I have been able to iMessage/e-mail/Instagram from there. I’ve learned a lot from being phoneless. Contrary to what some might think, it’s not all bad.
1. I can’t communicate on the go
I live off-campus, which means I commute at least 30 minutes from my house to campus everyday. Occasionally, I get texts from friends asking me to bring _______ or remind me that I need to turn in _______. This has proved slightly difficult, considering I can’t get messages unless I’m connected to WiFi. So, sometimes I would leave my house only to realize once I got to campus that I was supposed to bring something that day.
What I Learned: I can rely on other ways to remember things, like sticky notes all over my room. I don’t have to be dependent on others.
Related: What College Has Taught Me About Change
2. I can’t order online
And no, I’m not just talking about Starbucks or Tapingo. I’m talking about Uber. My car battery died a week ago, so Uber was my only way of getting back home. Fun fact: Uber *claims* that you can order an Uber online, but in reality, the website NEVER WORKS. Also, it asks you for your phone number and a verification number, but guess what!? That’s kind of impossible if your phone is DEAD. I had to figure something out, so I Googled and Googled until I figured out how to solve my problem.
What I Learned: When I’m faced with a problem, I can actually figure things out on my own.
3. I broke my streaks. On purpose.
When my phone first broke, I borrowed my brother’s phone so I could keep my streaks. Eventually, Snapchat updated, and we all know how the update makes us all feel (hint: not happy). But besides the horrible new update, I asked myself something: Why do we value Snapchat streaks so much? What is so important about a number next to someone’s name?
What I Learned: I shouldn’t associate my level of friendship with someone based on the number and emojis next to their name on Snapchat. There’s more to a friendship than that.
4. I can’t listen to music on demand anymore
Listen. I’m a Spotify enthusiast. I love making playlists, listening to my Discover and finding new indie artists. However, instant gratification is one of the trademarks of millennials, because everything is easily accessible, all the time.
What I Learned: It’s actually satisfying to live in the moment and accept the things you cannot change, in this case, not being able to skip songs or pick exactly what song you want to listen to.
I thought losing access to my phone would ruin my life, but I’ve actually felt more at peace without it constantly in my hand. I feel more present in my conversations with people, and I enjoy not feeling burdened by the pressures of social media. So, I challenge you to take at least one hour everyday to shut off your phone and be present, collegiettes. I promise it won’t ruin your life. Who knows? You might like the peace and quiet.