You lost it. You broke it. You had it stolen. You may or may not have insurance. Losing or breaking your phone can be really traumatizing because, let's be honest: how would you operate it? People have grown accustomed to the feeling of a metal rectangle in their hands, the absence of such a feeling makes life unbearable. Smartphones have revolutionized the way we drive, eat, drink, and even think. Google is a household name and the iPhone has joined the light bulb as one of the greatest inventions in history. According to a recent poll, more Americans fear an electromagnetic pulse than a bomb. With that technology, you can send America back into the stone age. And the fear comes from the inability to operate without a phone, or electricity for that matter.
But losing a phone is a crisis so many people face every day. Or they may just break it. The city with the most "lost phones" is Atlanta, Ga. according to a study released by Time Magazine in 2013. So how do you deal with the agonizing process of getting a new one? Well, psychologist Anna Turmble suggested that the way we deal with the loss of a material possession and the way we deal with the loss of a person are almost mirror images of one another. So, in theory, we can surmise that the five stages of grief can also be applied to losing your phone. And we have our favorite Pawnee, Ind. "Parks and Recreation" deputy director, Leslie Knope, the queen of badass enthusiasm, to show us!
1. Denial (not just a river in Egypt).
Denial is the first step in the stages of grief. You'll look for the phone for days, swearing that you haven't lost it. You may even try to lie to yourself and say that you haven't lost it. You will deny, deny, deny, and deny before you finally can realize that your iPhone is gone and you can move onto the next stage of the grieving process.
2. Anger.
Anger can come in many forms. As Leslie Knope shows above, it can be passive-aggressive, or very intense. But the worst part about anger is that you often take it out on the people you love. So just because you have to check your Facebook on a real computer, that's no reason to beat anyone up. And just because you can't use Snapchat, don't snap anyone in half.
3. Bargaining.
The bargaining phase can be quite manic. People often pray. Perhaps you get a prayer circle around the phone that is damaged and you pray to God (or maybe Satan) for it to be fixed. You may even try to sell your soul (not a good idea). People often come to a sudden realization or have an epiphany, or even a spiritual awakening when this phase comes to fruition. Begging an invisible entity for a new phone, however, is not a good idea. Just try your best to move on.
4. Depression.
This phase can often be the longest depending on what you lost. But if you are still crying about a phone you lost two years after you lost it, you may need to see a psychiatrist. The key to this phase is to never take it overboard, move at your own pace and take it slow. Speeding up the grieving process or veiling emotions can cause internal damage. But rest assured, your phone is in a better place now.
5. Acceptance.
The final stage is acceptance and it usually concludes the process. Losing your phone has been a whirlwind of emotions and has been so stressful. But now that you have accepted the fact that your favorite phone is now dead, or gone forever, you can move on and get your new phone or fill out that insurance claim. The important thing is that you did it! And now, you can move on.
In conclusion.
Losing or breaking your phone can be a stressful whirlwind of emotions. But you can get through it just like Leslie Knope does! So keep on going, you beautiful land mermaids!
