I spent 2 months out of my summer without a phone.
Reading that line, you might be shocked and thinking to yourself "I could not live without mine." I was thinking the same thing when I started my job working at a summer camp in the middle of nowhere. Cell phones have become such an important part of our daily lives that most people rely on them more than anything else in their life.
Without our phones, we couldn't have immediate contact to our friends and family, there would be no Snapchat or Instagram to see what everyone is doing, and we wouldn't have a GPS to guide us from one location to the next.
Living without a phone, I realize the stress and anxiety my phone has brought me. Before I went to camp, I was addicted to my phone. I wanted to see and hear what was going on in everyone's life around me. I was worried about who was hanging out with who and if I was going to get invited to go hang out or go somewhere fun.
Being away from social media was one of the best parts of this summer. I no longer saw what everyone was doing on Snapchat. I wasn't worried if my pictures looked good or were getting enough likes on Instagram. I started to enjoy being clueless about the things going on back at home and was able to focus on myself and be in the present.
It also brought me to have better relationships with the people around me. I couldn't hide behind my phone to get me out of awkward times. I no longer had it as a security blanket and I was forced to talk and build connections with the people around me. Because of that, I have met some of my very best friends.
Although I do understand the appeal of not having a phone, I will not be ditching mine. Throughout this experience, I have learned that everything in life requires balance. Cell phones make life easier and are very convenient, but they aren't always necessary. Just like everything, they have their pros and cons.
