"Is that your phone?" I hear the chuckle and the awe in my new friend's voice at the same time. They quickly grab my T-9 brick phone and punch away. The immediate pleasure of the difficulty in texting and "ancient" technology is very real. They then continue to question why I carry this phone around with me when I have a usable smartphone I could connect service to in the room over. I love my brick phone, I chose my brick phone. Here's why.

1. Price

I love adventures. I am all about activities, whether that's travelling half-way across the world or finding a new coffee-shop, I am all for it. As good as I have gotten at finding free activities and figuring out ways to cut down on costs, I would still rather spend my money on adventures than anything else. Of course, many people can get a new phone with their plan, but I don't, and phones aren't exactly cheap. Even if you get a phone free with your plan, you then have to keep that phone in good shape for the next period of time or else you'll have to buy a new one. My brick phone cost me a total of $15 that leaves lots of money for adventures.

2. Social issues

There is yet to be a totally, fair-trade phone made. People in factories on the other side of the world are in poor working conditions and are being paid low-wages probably created your phone. Not that my brick phone was being made any better, I refuse to spend so much money and support a company when I know the people making it aren't being paid close to enough. There is one brand getting close called Fair Phone to being not only ethically made but also environmentally conscious. This phone is quite pricey, but if I did decide to go back to the smartphone, this would for sure be my pick.

3. Camera

I love photography. I love the memories, and I love the way a beautiful photograph can make you feel. But sometimes I get lost in my camera when I have it so attached to my hand. Your phone goes pretty much everywhere with you, which means your camera goes everywhere with you if you have a smartphone. The problem with this is then everything becomes a picture. Life is constantly being viewed from a screen instead of wide-eyed and glamorously real. Some of my best memories are when the camera wasn't in front of me, and I was able to completely just soak in the moment. There's nothing wrong with a camera and pictures, but the danger of seeing everything beautiful through a lens is a sad one.

4. Indestructible

I am honestly one of the clumsiest people in the world. I will fall just standing still. I drop my phone on a daily basis. Plus, I am a nanny. Children like to play with phones. Brick phones never break. I can throw my phone across the room, and it will still be fine. And, even if the unfortunate incident of getting caught in a storm occurs and my phone somehow doesn't survive, a new one is only $15.

5. Sleep

Smartphones hurt your sleep. They take time off your sleep, and they confuse your brain. I have problems with anxiety attacks when I'm trying to fall asleep and night-terrors when I am more stressed out. Using a smartphone just increases these problems. They over-excite the brain and fill your brain with all of these images just before you're supposed to relax and rest. There's lots of research about this that goes into more detail about this, but the point is, I like to sleep and if I don't have the temptation to scroll through Facebook for three hours before I go to bed, that is not a bad thing.

6. Text less, call more

I'm bad at texting. I say the wrong things and forget to answer. People can't get across everything they want to. Besides, phone calls are faster. Plus, there is nothing better than a long phone call. A brick phone really makes you prefer phone calls more over punching the buttons over and over again until you get the word you want.

7. Directions

I have gotten really fond of getting lost. We are all constantly rushing from place to place instead of enjoying where we are and where we're going. We rely so much on technology, we can barely get around our own cities. I have had to write directions on paper since I got my brick phone, and I have gotten so much better at looking at my surroundings for the streets I need and so then really learning where I am going. If you're lost, you're forced to talk to strangers. I have met some very kind people just by asking them where I should turn. Isn't getting lost half the adventure?

8. Social media #FOMO

I have no problem with social media. I take great pride in the aesthetics of my Instagram. Facebook lets me connect with my friends who live across the planet. Social media is a wonderful tool, but it is way overused. When I have a phone in my hand, I am constantly scrolling. Social media too much turns into "I know what everyone is doing and I want everyone to know what I am doing, and I want it to be better." I can admit I am far from perfect. I hate Snapchat because it turns me into this person who knows everything about everyone at all times. It gives me major FOMO, and I position my camera in a way to make my life look so fun and amazing without even living in it. My life is incredible, but I shouldn't need to prove that to anyone for it to be true for myself. I don't want to know what everyone is doing at every second of the day, and I really don't want them to know every second of the day what I'm doing, either. Doesn't that take half the mystery and fun away in the first place? I have no problem with other people using it, and I get the appeal of Snapchat, but frankly, it turns me into someone I have no interest in being. It's good I am not constantly scrolling through my Instagram and Facebook feed.

9. Conversations

I sit in a circle of people, and they all stare at their phones. Before smartphones, people were forced to talk to each other for entertainment. When things got tense or awkward in a situation, people didn't get to just look down at a screen they faced it full on. Honestly, if the only reason to get rid of a smartphone was conversation, it'd be worth it. I've made friends on airplanes, police stations, walking down the street and pretty much everywhere else, too. When you're forced to put down the phone and get to know each other, cool things happen. I realized I would be with my family for hours a day and yet have no idea what was going on in their lives simply because I was to glued to the screen in front of me that showed me blank stories. I can't just look up on Google what the right answer is, I have to think about it. I can't request Siri bring me to a good restaurant, I get to ask a local instead. Of course, there are great things about the internet and being able to do these things, but it's also made my life a lot more rich to have had so many colorful conversations.

My brick phone might look like a down-grade to most people, but it was the best upgrade I've ever made. I'm not sure if I'll always have a brick phone, and there is nothing wrong with a smartphone, but it's nice to have a break. And hey, if you want to make the switch, it will only cost you $15!