I have always been told, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone”, and I realize, even with the little things in life, it certainly is true. I have never been one who likes to think that I am obsessed with my phone, I feel freer without it. After the week of not having my phone, not only did I have much more motivation to do school work and plenty of time to myself, but I also realized I missed a bunch. One of my best friends had a birthday come and go, I missed being there for one of my best friends who was dealing with a tough breakup while I was away, and quite simply, I lost connection for the week with some of the people who make me happiest.
“Cleansing” from being attached to my phone felt great, and I would not hesitate to do it again, but it also opened my eyes to all of the great things I do with my phone. Sure, I could use Tik Tok and Instagram less, but I realize that my phone is not just a distraction from everyday life, it brings me to it. Especially during quarantine, connecting to the people I cannot be with is very important.
Since being back on my phone, I have spent plenty of time on FaceTime with the friends I haven’t gotten to see in over a month, I celebrated my friend’s birthday in a line of cars filling the air with celebratory honking, and I have even begun taking photos and videos to document this intense time. Since the week without my phone, I appreciate all of the wonderful things I use it for while becoming more aware of how I use it to waste time. I recommend everyone trying to put down the phone for at least a day, and I realize now it is not only to “escape your phone”, but also to remember how grateful you are to have a tool for connection and learning at your fingertips!