One plop, and my heart sank along with my phone. Another iPhone fell victim to the toilet, as my phone withdrawals immediately began. When the rice trick didn't mend the water damage after three long days, I accepted the fact that my phone could not be resuscitated. I ordered a new phone, and waited for what felt like months. And though I did not expect this, my time of bereavement became a learning lesson I will never forget. Here are the eye-opening lessons being phoneless for some time has taught me, and can teach you:
1. You've been having the wrong kind of FOMO all along.
Did you ever miss a few hours of Instagram scrolling and are suddenly so lost in the virtual land? The dozens of Snapchat stories you feel obligated to catch up on seem never ending. We can't sleep until our eyes catch a glimpse of the latest posts and gossip. Our fingers slide at the speed of light, calming our fear of missing out.
While phoneless, I could not access the social media that I, along with most of my generation, so sickly obsess over. I had to focus on the world surrounding me. What a difference I noticed between my eyes and the lens of a camera. I went on a hike with no concept of the time and unawareness of the area's Snapchat geotags.
For the first time, I felt free. Free to roam, explore, and take in the beautiful views, without checking my messages in between steps. This is what I should be scared of missing out on -- live moments. The sights, the smells, the feels, the tastes, the sounds -- what's happening beyond the phone. When you fear being out of touch in the virtual world, you lose a part of reality. Stop focusing on the wrong kind of FOMO and start being present in your own life.
2. Distance (in communication) truly does make the heart grow fonder.
We take for granted how simple it is to communicate with others in this day and age. When miles separate us, phone calls connect us. Text messages replace the conversations we cannot hold in person. When the phone is taken away, so is that secure net of contact. We lose the ability to remain in constant touch with family and friends.
In my phoneless days, I reflected on what I missed the most, and it was sociability. I was reminded how much those I talk to on an almost daily basis mean to me, and I will never take them for granted again.
3. The "time" we perpetually complain about not having actually exists.
We do it all -- classes, homework, jobs, internships and hopefully a social life somewhere in between. Don't forget about squeezing in a decent gym session, maintaining good health and still striving for an adequate night's sleep at the end of a long, busy day. It seems nearly impossible to fit all of this into our schedules. We convince ourselves that all of these tasks cannot be completed in the span of a day.
Yet-- we waste minutes from hours of scrolling. We choose procrastination over priorities. The time we claim to not have enough of is there, we just use it for the wrong reasons. Put your phone down for a day and see how much more you can accomplish, and how much less you'll start to care about it.
As you can see, a few days without a phone seemed like the end of the world at first. It turns out it was just a new beginning of mine. This experience taught me to focus on more important matters, to appreciate always and to stop letting a piece of technology interfere with this admirable life. Due to the benefits of this experience, I foresee plenty more phoneless days in my future, this time-- by choice.
