When I got my first phone, a blue Env3 (one of THE coolest phones at the time) I was beyond ecstatic. I had begged my parents endlessly, and ended up getting it the first day of school in 8th grade. This was pretty late... as most kids in my town were getting them in the beginning of middle school in 6th grade.
At the time, I really could not imagine anything better than being able to have my own phone that I could text all my friends with, and take poor quality pictures with. Of course, like most things, the novelty wears off eventually. Soon enough, I was eager and anxious to get my next phone, a similar texting phone to the Env3. Then, iPhones became the newest and coolest phone that everyone had to have (including me). Of course, this iPhone phase has not ended, and probably will not for a long time, because before we know it there will most likely be an iPhone 14.
Lately, I have realized just how much I, and everyone around me, spends so much time on their phones. It's pretty much the main thing I check that I have with me whenever I leave to go anywhere... but why? Somehow over the years, a phone became less of an object to me, and more like a part of me. Obviously, phones have made our lives easier in several aspects. I can keep in touch with all my friends back home, while I'm away at school, or FaceTime with my family whenever I want. In many other aspects though, I feel like It's taken things away from me. This is my fault, but I have definitely spent way too much time looking down at a screen, when I could have been looking up and enjoying the surroundings I was in at that moment.
I realize that its not just others, but I too am totally guilty of spending way too much time on my phone. Walking on campus at school, almost everyone is holding a smartphone in their hand, and many of those people are just staring down as they text someone or checking their social media accounts.
Of course, phones are never going to disappear now, and are probably only going to become more advanced, and more prominent in our lives. It is so easy to get sucked into spending so much time looking down at your phone, but once in a while it is nice to look up at who you are with at that time.
Looking back, I am so grateful that my parents made me wait (not that long) until 8th grade to get my first phone. In reality, I definitely did not need one any earlier than that!
