On my 13th birthday, I received a small pink box. Back before this decade, you would assume in that box you could find a bracelet, or perhaps a set of art supplies. But no, in that box was a cell phone. My first cell phone, and boy was I excited. It was a razor flip phone, and it was pink. Seriously, what could be better? The next day I arrived at school and was the coolest among my friends. Everyone wanted to see it and I seemed to attract people I never even spoke to. This day is one I will remember forever. Isn't that sad?
A day to remember. That is a phrase often spoken of, referring to a day containing a memory you never want to forget. These days should include riding a bike for the first time, starting college, finding the love of your life, etc. Getting my first cell phone should not be included in this list but, sadly, it is. Sure, cell phones are important and they offer quite a lot of good. However, my cell phone stands as one of the highest sources of stress throughout my day, and here is why. A day in the life of a college student simply relies on cellphones. It is no longer just a gadget used to call someone when your car breaks down, or when you need 911. It is my life. Here is an example of a normal day for me, a college student.
8 a.m. I wake up to my alarm I had set on my iPhone. I spend roughly 45 minutes checking texts, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and my email.
10 a.m. First class is over and I walk back to my dorm. I text my roommates and we talk about how class went, when we want lunch, how the cute boy we all love to look at is doing. My entire walk is spent looking down, at a screen.
1 p.m. Lunch ended. My friends and I disperse to classes and to study spots around campus. I sit in the library to get work done. 40 percent of my time spent there, is spent reading for homework or writing a paper. The other 60 percent is spent on Facebook, Twitter, or texting friends. Scrolling through Instagram takes priority during the time I allotted for schoolwork.
3 p.m. Classes were tiring so it's time for Starbucks. The line is long, so I pull out my phone and text my friends from home. I simply ignore everything happening around me, and I miss out on friends and hot boys walking by.
6 p.m. Time for dinner. My roommates meet me at the cafeteria. Dinner is spent looking at our phones. I think we only said hello and goodbye.
8 p.m. Back in my dorm, a time meant to bond with roommates and get work done for classes. I spend at least an hour on all social media before even cracking open a book.
11 p.m. Time to sleep, so I plug my phone in and place it underneath my pillow case. On my bed, resting right beside me.
At least half of my day is spent worrying about when I will be able to charge my phone. 50 percent. This is unbelievable, but it is extremely common for adolescents growing up in this time period. We base our entire day, month, year around this one simple object. I can only hope that our kids, the kids we raise and bring into this society, are taught lessons we were not taught - that there are things happening around us constantly, and looking down at a screen can change the way we live.
