I have a flip phone. There. I said it. I have a flip phone and I love it, despite getting teased about it by co-workers. I know, it's the same kind of phone you had when you were in middle school. Yes, it's the same phone your grandma uses. So why am I using it? I'll be 26-years old next month. I'm still young, right? Why am I using an "old fashioned" phone? Simple answer: Because it's available to me.
While everyone else is standing in line waiting to pay hundreds of dollars for the newest smart phone, I am at home, sleeping in my bed knowing that I am saving money by not upgrading. Believe it or not, smart phones are not a necessity. You can live your life without a smart phone. All I need is something to call and text people with. I don't need a hand held computer. I don't plan on straining my eyes so I can watch my favorite shows on a six inch screen. I want to enjoy what is going on around me.
As all my Facebook friends can probably tell you, I love memes. I spend a lot of time on my computer just viewing and posting funny pictures and tagging friends. Just imagine if I could do that from my phone. I would have a lot of trouble focusing on the people around me. I've seen how some people get sucked into the tiny, virtual world in their hands. They are completely unaware of what is happening around them. I don't want to be like that.
I also love the fact that I can drop my phone a dozen times, and nothing ever happens. My screen in still intact. And I can even fit my phone in my pocket. I see people carrying their phones around because they have nowhere to put it. I don't like carrying things around. I like to have two hands free. Most importantly, though, I can snap my phone shut. I feel so invigorated when I end a conversation and then snap my phone shut!
Seriously, though, I really do think that having all the apps and features on smart phones is taking away from our humanity. Take a look around you. When I'm walking on campus I can usually count on my fingers the number of people not on their phones. Everyone is walking while texting or googling or tweeting or Snapchatting. Put the phone down and enjoy the world around you. Have face to face conversations with your friends. Try something new. It truly saddens me to see everyone lost in their phones.
This is why I have a flip phone. I don't want to be lost in a virtual world. I want to experience the world around me, the good and the bad. I want to experience life.
While everyone else is standing in line waiting to pay hundreds of dollars for the newest smart phone, I am at home, sleeping in my bed knowing that I am saving money by not upgrading. Believe it or not, smart phones are not a necessity. You can live your life without a smart phone. All I need is something to call and text people with. I don't need a hand held computer. I don't plan on straining my eyes so I can watch my favorite shows on a six inch screen. I want to enjoy what is going on around me.
As all my Facebook friends can probably tell you, I love memes. I spend a lot of time on my computer just viewing and posting funny pictures and tagging friends. Just imagine if I could do that from my phone. I would have a lot of trouble focusing on the people around me. I've seen how some people get sucked into the tiny, virtual world in their hands. They are completely unaware of what is happening around them. I don't want to be like that.
I also love the fact that I can drop my phone a dozen times, and nothing ever happens. My screen in still intact. And I can even fit my phone in my pocket. I see people carrying their phones around because they have nowhere to put it. I don't like carrying things around. I like to have two hands free. Most importantly, though, I can snap my phone shut. I feel so invigorated when I end a conversation and then snap my phone shut!
Seriously, though, I really do think that having all the apps and features on smart phones is taking away from our humanity. Take a look around you. When I'm walking on campus I can usually count on my fingers the number of people not on their phones. Everyone is walking while texting or googling or tweeting or Snapchatting. Put the phone down and enjoy the world around you. Have face to face conversations with your friends. Try something new. It truly saddens me to see everyone lost in their phones.
This is why I have a flip phone. I don't want to be lost in a virtual world. I want to experience the world around me, the good and the bad. I want to experience life.
Related Article
Clayton, Nick. "Should you dump your smartphone for a flip-phone?" BBC. BBC, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.
Clayton, Nick. "Should you dump your smartphone for a flip-phone?" BBC. BBC, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.
Stampler, Laura. "The Few, The Proud: The Millennials Who Still Use Flip Phones." Time. N.p., 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 8 Feb. 2017.
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