My iPhone is easily the thing I depend on most in my life and I take great care of it because I use it for most aspects of my daily routine. I use it for my schedule, my social media, my reminders, my phone calls, my pictures, my calculator, and my music. So the day when I dropped my phone, it cracked, and then it stopped working was a traumatic one. I panicked because I wasn’t up for an update in my cellular plan and I felt like I couldn’t go a day without my phone. I ended up ordering the same version of the phone for a decent price, and it came three days later. I thought three days would feel like forever, but it was surprisingly nice to have a break from it.
My iPhone was usually (and is now again) attached to my hand, but that three-day break reassured me that I could survive and life would go on without it. I found myself enjoying things more and noticing things I didn’t usually. I wasn’t constantly checking social media updates, text messages, or emails; I was walking with my head up and looking around for once. It was so astonishing that this object that everyone takes for granted and that manifests in most Americans lives affects more than people realize. It affects the way we see the world, how we do things everyday, and how we interact with society. I feel like most people do not realize, let alone think, about this. I know I didn’t until this object was abruptly removed from my life.
The secret power of the iPhone in my opinion is the fact that it, in a way, it brainwashes people with the idea that they can’t live without it. This is a part of the iPhone myth. From my personal experience, people who have a different phone brand apart from an iPhone are seen as a minority. It comes off as unusual to not have an iPhone. An iPhone is glamorous, sophisticated, and people always want the newest and best version. The iPhone can always be better and improved. I think my dad has had every version of the iPhone, and I’m not surprised as getting a new iPhone is exciting and exhilarating. Apple has done a scarily good job of making sure that their products seem essential to function in our culture.
I have had an iPhone throughout my high school and college careers, and I don’t think I will switch to a different type of device in a long time. It is easy to sell my iPhones for a decent price because there is a market for their parts, and even though there are frequently new versions and updates, the way to use an iPhone remains the same. It is easy and low-maintenance, so just about anyone can understand how to use it.
Even though the three-day break was nice, I wouldn’t want to break my iPhone again. I have a relationship with my phone, which scares me to admit, but it is true. And this is why the myth and the secret behind the iPhone survive.
