In middle school, my smart phone was a novelty. I remember the excitement of getting my first “smart phone”. I had one of those cellphones with a slide-out keyboard. You KNOW I whipped that bad boy out when it was time to send a long-winded rant to my best friend. More importantly, I had this powerful technology that few of my friends had: access to the internet. I rarely ever used the internet since my phone’s archaic technology made a google search take far longer than my middle school attention span could withhold.
In high school, my smart phone was my social life. I would send thousands, even tens of thousands, of texts to a variety of group chats spilling tea and gossiping like it was my job. Not only was I texting, but I was sending photos on snapchat, “snapping”. I was scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit. A distraction, but a fun one, my cell phone was more enjoyable than anything I was doing. Why wouldn’t it be? I was talking to Olivia, Serena, my friends sitting next to me, and my friends miles away.
And, in the terrifying march of time, college has come. These days I’m looking at emails, checking Blackboard, and doing assignments on my smartphone. Sprinkled in the stress are quick, distracted scrolls through Instagram and catching up on drama in group chats. I use an app to keep track of my plans and my sleep schedule. I use apps to keep my life together.
My cellphone is my entertainment, social life, and work life. Honestly, it’s become my life!
By Mikaela Tajo
