As Ferris Bueller poetically states, "Life moves pretty past. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
There's one thing I think should be tagged onto that statement for modern times: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it... if your phone isn't charged."
If you were to walk down the street in a crowded city or school hallway, not looking at your phone, would you see other people doing the same? Most likely not.
It seems that people are too distracted by their phones to enjoy everything going on around them. Whether it's checking your phone during a movie, looking to see if you have any new texts while out to dinner, or trying to take a picture when you should just be living in the moment, phones are now too often the cause of decreasing face-to-face interaction. Interpersonal relationships are now primarily lived through a screen. While technology has brought us so many advances, it has also made us dependent on it for socializing.
I'm not one to criticize, though--I own an iPhone. During the school year, I check it all the time. But last summer, I decided to conduct a little experiment: what would my summer be like if I didn't really use my phone?
Scandalous, I know.
After thinking about what I'd actually do, I decided to leave my phone upstairs in my room all day, and only look at it occasionally (maybe to post on Instagram or something). If my family was going somewhere, I wouldn't take my phone with me. If I was going somewhere with friends, I would take my phone in case I needed to call my parents for anything.
At first, I struggled, not going to lie. But then, as the summer went on, I noticed that I felt more relaxed. Yes, I could actually enjoy life without my phone! I was spending quality time with my family and friends, focusing on these relationships instead of how I was going to present them on social media.
I benefited a lot from having my phone out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and I think that a lot of people in my generation should at least attempt this experiment. You'll be surprised by it, I hope. Now, since I've gained some independence from my phone, I'm attempting to start part two of my experiment: calling people and actually talking instead of solely texting.
Granted, there really wasn't social media in the 80s when Ferris first hit theaters. And, granted, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a teen movie and doesn't have the intellectual acclaim as other movies. But just because it was made in the 80s doesn't mean we can't take anything from it. I think our generation can learn a lot from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, especially Ferris' outlook on life. Just abiding by three of Ferris' mantras could help you to live a simpler life--possibly without your phone.
These three mantras are:
First, most -ism's are not good.
Second, you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work.
Third, take a little time to enjoy your life before you miss it. If you spend too much time on your phone, life will pass you by.
