Cell phones are super convenient and useful devices that most people own. They help with day to day life aiding in things like quick google searches, checking the weather or watching an entertaining video.
Many people also use it as a way to express themselves or to find some entertainment when they are bored. These actions also apply to most people who go to Annandale also own their own cell phone.
Not me though. I’m one of the few people who don’t own a phone in this day and age.
A big reason for this is due to the fact my parents simply think I don’t need one at the moment. They often joke that they got their phones when they were older than I am, saying I’ll be fine.
One of the biggest annoyances I experience is not having fun without a phone. It can get really boring especially in high school. I know I sound like an old person when I say this but it really is true.
To help put it into perspective, let’s imagine you’re given the choice to have some free time in W4 or during one of your classes. Most people’s first option will be to go on their phones.
I can’t really do this, so I’m just left sitting on my seat, bored out of my mind. Of course, if you have friends you can just talk to them but it’s not like I have my friends in all my classes.
Basically, it makes it kind of difficult to talk to people if everyone is glued to their phones. Starting a conversation can be awkward and feel rude since I feel as if I’m bothering them.
The next difficult part about not owning a phone is how hard it can be to communicate with people online, with one example being my parents.
While it’s true I can always just ask my friends or the school if I want to call them, it’s not very convenient. I can’t text them for small things like “What’s for lunch when I get home” or “I’m going to stay after school today, pick me up at five.”
I can’t always depend on my friends to be there with me all the time. I always have to try to figure out my whole day’s schedule beforehand, so I can tell my parents what I need, which can become difficult if I need to make a schedule change.
It’s also pretty hard to talk to friends without a phone. I can only talk to my friends in school, lunch, or afterschool. Other than that I can’t really talk to them.
My solution to this was to get their numbers and just use my mom’s phone to text them. However this also had issues as my mom goes to her work, and she comes a couple hours after I do so I had a limited amount of time to talk to my friends.
It’s also frustrating when I’m having a conversation with my friends and then suddenly my mom needs her phone to make a call or something else. My backup way to talk to my friends would be to use GMail to text back and forth.
The last very negative thing I often feel is social pressure to fit in with people, often asking my parents why they can’t buy me a phone.
So many people have cell phones in my grade and even many people who are way younger than me have phones. Small teasing or jokes from my friends does slightly get to me, I mean obviously I know it’s a joke so I don’t take it too personally, but it does eventually get to me.
I constantly try to convince my parents but am always met with the same rebuttal of “you don’t need it right now” or “don’t compare yourself to others.”
This might be true, but I also just want to just fit in with everyone else and have a phone.
It isn’t all bad though. Like everything in life, there are positives and negatives. Going back to my first point about people always being on their phones, it kind of pushes me to try and talk to people more. If I want to be less bored I’ll have to do something about it myself.
It forces me a little out of my comfort zone and to try and start a conversation. It pushes me to try to make more friends.
Another thing it helps me do is try new hobbies. I’m already a fan of reading and drawing, so it gives me time to do those things when everyone goes on their phones.
This has helped me improve my hobbies and also try new ones. I’ve read many different books I probably wouldn’t have otherwise and it has given me an opportunity to improve my art skills.
That is how my general experience is of not owning a phone. Now you might be wondering, when will she get a phone then? After lots of pestering my parents they have said they may get me a phone before I start my junior year. Even if it’s not a set in stone plan I’m still hopeful it will happen. But with the plan of a new device I also want to make sure I don’t forget my experiences and responsibilities when I didn’t have one.