I have never considered myself dependent on cellular phones. Although they are very convenient, and my Android is really cool, I do not rely on cell phones. It seems really silly to me that anyone would even consider saying “I can’t live without my cell phone!” It’s just a phone people! Cell phones are a convenience, not a necessity.
Ever since I got my first pre-pay phone at the age of 10, I have used my cell phone mainly for phone calls. That is how it has been for a good deal of time. Occasionally I would play a game or play songs with my dial pad to kill time, but that was about the extent of it. I didn’t really start going with the crowd until 9th grade, when I made my first true friends. Then I started texting. I would text almost every night, to ask my friends how their days were, but I still wasn’t one of those types who never put their phone down. I would text before bed, or if I needed help with my homework. I still only used my phone for communication. Then I got my Samsung behold.
In November of 2008, I got a Samsung Behold. It was a top of the line phone at the time. I watched videos, played games, and even made some videos of my own. I loved my Behold. It was a new form of entertainment for me. However, it still did not occupy even a fraction of my time. I used it to play games and watch videos, but only to kill time. Otherwise it sat in my pocket unless I was texting or calling. After a few weeks, someone stole my phone. I had no cell phone until June, proving right then and there that I can live without it. When I got a new phone, it was another basic phone. No fancy gadgetry. It was just a simple telephone with a couple of low quality games. I had that phone until June 2011.
In June, I got my T-mobile Comet. It is a low-tech Android phone. For the first week I had it, I was at Boy’s State. I didn’t really have a lot of time to mess around with it because of the tight schedule. My phone remained in my pocket for pretty much the whole week. I think I texted Liz Diaz once and my mom twice. That was it. I was too tired to use it for anything besides my alarm. On Thursday, when the Governor visited to do a Q&A session, I made a video of some of the questions, which mostly had to do with education. It stayed in my pocket until the following day, when Boy’s State ended.
After Boy’s State, my phone became my main source of entertainment. We had no cable, and I had beaten all of my video games. Whenever I was at home, I spent my whole time on my phone. I posted on forums. I answered emails. I played games. Everything I did besides go to the beach was hang out on my phone. This was the norm until we got cable back in late July. Even then, I only watched the occasional TV show. I still spent most of my time on the phone. However, if you think I became dependent, think again.
After Hurricane Irene hit (which was a dreadful disappointment, by the way), we went to the beach to see the aftermath. The beach was totally flat. We left the beach, and the following day, I went back, wielding my skim board. It was perfect. I had an awesome time shredding up the beach. My phone was safely (or so I thought) above the waterline in a (supposedly) waterproof bag. Well, as you can tell by my sarcastic parenthetical comments, I was mistaken. A rogue wave went about 30-40 feet above the waterline, hitting my bag, and getting my phone wet. I was thoroughly displeased, as I had always been denied nice gadgets ever since my iPod got stolen in January of 2008. Well, it worked out fine- until I plugged it in. Then I realized something had gone wrong. It wouldn’t charge. Once the battery died, I was stuck phone-less for a few days. I found my old phone, and placed the SIM card into it, and was using my simple phone until three weeks ago. Then my Comet miraculously started working again. It has been working fine since.
What if the cell network was down for six months? I wouldn’t really care. So, we would have to return to landlines. So what? I’ve always preferred talking to a person as opposed to texting them. I like to hear their voice, as well as the awesome ringtone I set for them. I wouldn’t at all mind having to go back to the olden ways. Letters and phone calls just have more personality to them, more feeling, than a simple text message. I am not, have never been, nor will I ever be, dependent on my phone. It is convenient, yes, and I love to use google whenever I have a query, but I would be fine, phone or not, as my experience shows. Cell phones are a convenience, not a necessity, and you’re silly if you think otherwise.
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