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Tuesday 16 December 2014

How losing my phone made me a better person

Its true, 
Having a permanent screen light shining on your face truly brings out an ugly side in someone.
It's such a shame to think that we are so dependant on a device that really acts a vice or comfort and support.

After having my phone shut off, leaving me out of contact from the cyber world for 3 weeks, I learnt a few things about myself.



It wasn't voluntary thats for sure, and I can only admit to you that I tried everything in my power to try and get 'back on the line', until i realised I liked being out of touch and tried to milk it for as long as I could. 

Unfortunately, it just isn't practical to not have a phone these days, with work and walking to my car at dusk and going out to 3am- I need to have a method of communication other than a payphone.

1800-REVERSE isn't ideal when you don't have any change and no one really answers blocked numbers anyway.

Week One

It was excruciating, something I can only imagine would be similar to rehabilitation from some sort of drug. Addicted to scrolling, double tapping, updating and 1- I forgot what it was like to live in a world which didn't revolve around news-feeds.

I tried to switch to my old Nokia- god bless the long life brick that never needs charging. However, after a series of unfortunately events- my Nokia too gave up on me and I was left in the dark once again. 

For some reason that I am unaware of, I took this as a sign that maybe I wasn't meant to have a phone - because it really is once in a lifetime that you ever hear of a Nokia breaking!



Week Two

It was still painful, being out of touch and feeling entirely out of loop of social media. 
However, something started to kick in- a little bit of humanity. 
Going out with friends became more intimate, moments of beauty weren't blurred by my screens camera and I began to understand why my parents never understood our generation.

I began to actually have and hold hours of conversations with people, and in return I became more fulfilled and enriched with the lives of others.

Although we like to believe that our phones and our apps keep us connected with those we love around us- they actually make us more disconnected than ever before.

I had people come up to me and actually mention that they preferred me without my phone- that I was actually a really decent person without that phone in my hand. (Yeah, that one stung a bit).

You never really notice the impact it has on you and your personality when you are constantly on your phone.



Week Three

It had now become a delayed choice to want to get back on the line.
Although people had mentioned that it was time i needed to get a phone because they couldn't call me when they needed to, I knew that if I was get a new phone- I wouldn't be able to succumb to the pressure of becoming a social media and phone addict once again.

I genuinely noticed that I loved being out of reach from the constant use of social media and not even just social media, but out of reach in general.

If people wanted to talk to me- they would go out of their way too.
I know longer had pointless text messages with people about the food I was eating and I wasn't woken up in the middle of the night with drunk phone calls from friends.

I got used to waking up to the sunrise instead of an alarm and I also enjoyed the silence of not being able to be contacted.

I didn't get upset about seeing photos of friends at events that I wasn't invited to, and I became more than just the number of likes that I would get on my photos.



Week Four

Just as soon as I began to live- my no phone phase was shortly lived.

As I mentioned earlier, it is quite unrealistic to not have a phone in our society. So just like many blissful experiences in life- it came to an end.

The iphone 6 is treating my wonderfully however, I cannot say that I am that better person that I was without my phone.
I am once again immersed in the social realm of likes, photos and news-feeds.

As a blogger, I kind of have to be. 

I know its no excuse- but heres showing that I learnt more about who I want to be when I didn't have to be online.

I am trying though, trying to find some middle ground in becoming who I was without a phone whilst still being contactable.



I fell in love with the lifestyle that not having a phone provided me with. It reminded me of when I was 14 and didn't need a phone (but still wanted one).

It's funny how the years have changed that into someone needing a phone but now, not wanting one.

Yes, it's nice being able to be back on facebook and instagram and to be able to be on the phone for hours with friends talking about what I ate in my day- however, silence never hurt anybody.


I do aim to reach my middle ground and somehow find the time to leave my phone at home (accidentally) every now and again just to get a few hours of tranquility.

But, for the time being all I have is this blog post and the memory. So I thought I'd share.

That is all for now!
Thanks,
UY



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