A Millennial Without a Smartphone

For almost 3 weeks, I was without an iPhone. And I survived!

My iPhone had such an excellent time vacationing in Mexico that it decided to stay there. Without insurance or upgrade eligibility, my options were slim.

It was a roller coaster of a 3 weeks. After the initial shock and constant reaching for a phone that wasn’t there, I actually began to enjoy it and felt liberated. Then I realized how reliant I had become on it to manage my everyday life.

The Pros of Life Without a Smartphone:

• I had to be on time. I no longer had a crutch of texting “be there in 5 mins.” I actually had to follow through on commitments. (I think it’s called responsibility.)
• As I waited in lines without checking my phone, I rediscovered the world’s oldest sport: people watching.
• Checking social networks had to be intentional, not just because there was a phone in my hand and my fingers automatically started messing with it. As a result, I checked Facebook much less often.
• I had absolutely no temptation to look at my phone while driving—the biggest plus.

The Cons of Life Without a Smartphone:

• Without Spotify on my cell phone, I actually had to listen to the radio. Eww.
• I really had to plan and write down directions before going anywhere. Remember Mapquest, anyone? I felt like I was stuck in 2001. I had to plan even further and prepare alternate and reverse directions so that I wouldn’t have to pull over to a KFC and connect to their wifi on my iPad (true story).
• Without texting, I had use an ancient and cumbersome form of communication to get in touch with people: email.

The pros definitely outweighed the cons, but I don’t think it’s possible for me to completely live smartphone free. However, I learned that I can survive without it and that it’s important to disconnect once in awhile, even for just for a few hours.

Fun Idea: Make everyone put their phones in the middle of the table at dinner and the first one to check their phone does the dishes or picks up the tab.