In today's world, everyone from college students, to business people, to elementary school kids are addicted to one thing: their cell phones. Whether it's an IPhone, Android, or some other type of smartphone, it seems like people have become completely dependent upon them. For good reason too: you can constantly be connected with friends and stay in touch with loved ones. However, it has created a problem in society as well. People don't know how to be alone. We all do it: a stranger sits down next to you, or you are standing in the Starbucks line alone, and rather than make conversation with someone around you, you instantly pull out your phone and pretend to text or check twitter. Cell phones provide comfort and security, while connecting us to our friends, but they also create a disconnected society.
Personally, I am so addicted to my cell phone that I recently used up all of my data for the month in just two weeks. So I had to go the next two weeks without my phone. While it was hard at first, because I was used to constantly checking social media ,or texting my friends, it actually wasn't that bad, and it was a bit of an eye opening experience.
During this time, I went on a road trip with some of my friends, and found that I really appreciated just being with them and noticing my surroundings. The four-hour car ride was spent telling stories and laughing, noticing every different area that we passed through, and jamming out to some serious throwback songs. Instead of doing what I like to call the “social media circuit", where you check Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and then repeat, we were spending quality time with each other.
So I am challenging you, reader, to go an entire weekend (or preferably a whole week) without your cell phone. Tell your parents and your good friends (so they don't think that you're dead) and turn off the data on your phone. You might just be surprised by how much you notice and appreciate, when you don't have your phone to distract you. It will be hard at first, and you may even make some awkward eye contact with strangers when out in public. But you will also notice things that you wouldn't have noticed before. Take this time to chat up the person sitting next to you in class, or in front of you in line at the grocery store, or just do some good old-fashioned people watching. I know it's a tall order and a little inconvenient, but trust me: it's totally worth it!
Instructions for how to turn your data off:
-Settings
-Cellular
-Cellular Data: toggle switch to off
-Boom. Eye opening experience ready to go.
