Yes, it's me. I am a 19-year-old girl who doesn't use an iPhone or even a smartphone for that matter. Do you remember the first cell phone your parents gave you? Probably a slide phone for your 12th birthday? Well, me too, except I got mine when I was 16 and it's my main source of communication. Living a little more under the radar than most can be annoying at times, but there are definitely positive sides to it as well. Here are the Pros and Cons I face on a daily basis.
Pro: I Don't Have a Phone Constantly In My Hand
The problem everyone seems concerned with as phones become increasingly evident in daily life is that people are always holding them, looking at them, even thinking about them. We have a hard time setting them aside. My phone can only send and receive phone calls and text messages, so since my phone is incapable of doing anything else, it doesn't have much of a hold on me.
Con: I'm not very Available
Smartphones make it so that you can share your location with friends and family and check in and out of places. Since my phone doesn't do these things and because I'm never on my phone, I often let a day or two go by before I respond to a text message. I always miss phone calls. My friends wonder if I live in a little cabin in the middle of nowhere because I am simply not a super available person. The downside to this is that I want to the type of friend that's there immediately when you need them. The relationships in my life are my most prized possessions so the fact that I struggle to make myself available to those people I love is one of my least favorite things about myself.
Pro: Conversations are never compromised
In any social situation you could think of, I have never been, and will never be, the person in the corner, totally disengaged because they are too busy on their phone. This is a major pet peeve for me. I've had it before where I was having lunch or hanging out with one other person and they chose to be on their phone than to be present with me. This is hurtful behavior and just downright rude.
Con: Retreating Isn't an Option
Everyone has had the type of bad day in which you simply need to isolate yourself and the only reason you would leave your room is to get comfort food. These days mean waiting in line for your mac n' cheese while wearing sweatpants, sporting a messy bun, and flashing the world your naked face. You're in no mood to make small talk with the super cute guy standing in line behind you. This is the perfect situation to pull out your smartphone and do some snapchatting, insta scrolling, whatever your escape may be. Pulling out my lil' black slide phone tends to make me feel less comfortable than I was before I'd pulled it out.
Pro: I'm Not Constantly Seeing Social Media
I am guilty of seeing photos of other people and instantly comparing myself. For a short time, I had Instagram downloaded on an iPod and I always closed out of it feeling a little worse than I had before I'd scrolled through. I know it's better for me to just not be involved in it.
Con: I sometimes feel "Out of the Loop"
This photo is a perfect representation of me finding out, 8 hours late, what everyone was talking about at school that day. I was the lagging strand of what was going on in high school and at times it made me feel oblivious and naive.
I made this Pros and Cons list because there truly are positive and negatives to not having a smartphone. For now, I'm content with my phone that a friend once stated looked like "a big ass beetle". It serves the purpose it needs to and I like to think that I may be a more thoughtful and "in the moment" kind of person than I would be if I did own a smartphone.
