Alice Vol. 2 No. 1

[54] Alice November 2016
Hi, my name is Jada, and I’ve been
attached to my phone for 10 years now.
When it comes to our phones, I
think we could all agree we’re a bit too
attached. From simply texting, calling
or using Facetime to our unrelenting
use of popular apps — Snapchat and
Instagram, for example — we use our
phones an average nine and a half
hours each day. That’s more than onethird
of the day, folks. In addition to
our constant dependence on Google
Maps, Google Search, Spotify or Apple
Music, we love our phones and use
them often.
My attachment began when I received
my first cell phone in sixth
grade and my 11-year-old self thought
it was without a doubt the coolest thing
ever. Keep in mind this was 2005,
when the most popular choice for a cell
phone was the LG Razor. I didn’t have
a Razor. Instead, 2006 me toted what
she thought to be the trendiest phone,
an LG EnV. Yeah, that chunky phone
with buttons so small a baby elf probably
couldn’t even text correctly? Bingo.
But honestly, texting was the least
of my worries. This phone had games
and music features that allowed me to
download all of TRL’s current top hits
and make them my ringtones for all
my family members and friends. And
bonus feature: I could also select songs
and make them my alarm sound. Talk
about the thrill of waking up to The
All-American Rejects.
I took that phone everywhere with
me — to school to text in-between
classes, to volleyball practice during
water break or whenever I could sneak
in a little text after rotating out. I
even took it in the bathroom. So then
imagine my attachment for a LG EnV
compared to the superb and ever-innovative
iPhone. I mean I can order
food from a simple click on an app and
have it delivered to me. In a Millennial’s
eyes, that’s like finding gold. So
I’ll admit, I still use my phone in all
of those scenarios and many more —
while at a red light, waiting at the doctor’s
office, walking around campus,
even while eating out with family or
friends. I know this constant usage of
my phone reflects the priority and significance
of a smartphone in my life,
and it distinctly points out an undeniable
attachment.
So when asked to endure a four-day
journey without the use of my smartphone
(emergencies excluded), my initial
reaction resembled something to if
Game of Thrones character Khaleesi
when asked if she could live a day without
her dragons: “Absolutely not! It’s
my life.” But then I thought to myself,
“Am I really that attached to a four
and-a-half ounce rectangular piece of
metal that I can’t go without it for just
four simple days?” Upset that my instinctive
reaction was “yes,” I bravely
agreed to do it knowing these next four
days would be a rude awakening.
Day 1: Ripping the band-aid off
9 a.m.: Rise and shine, it’s wake up
time. Upon deciding to go four days
without my phone, my first thought
was, “How in the world am I going
to wake up on time without my five
alarms?” Yes, I’m that person. So I
resorted to the old school way and decided
to actually use the classic analog
alarm clock I had bought from IKEA
freshman year.
I was excited about this because I
love little knick-knack vintage things
and using them for practical reasons.
So the night before, I set the alarm
with a heart of giddiness and hopeful
expectancy I’d actually wake up.
The morning came and as soon as
the clock began to ding, I awoke in confusion
and grabbed the clock, full of
fury and determination to shut it up.
A few seconds later I remembered why
I had the clock set.
9:15 a.m.: Usually after waking up,
I’ll spend a good 30 minutes to an hour
playing around on my phone, checking
social media or catching up on emails.
I’m positive I remember groaning in
response to not being able to check
my phone.
10:30 a.m.: I began my day as usual
with making breakfast, reading, showering
and cleaning, but I usually enjoy
doing these things to music using Spotify
on my phone (because if you can
dance while doing something it makes
it all the better). Yet, despite not having
a phone I didn’t have to go without
my normal morning jig, and I resorted
to using my laptop. #clutch
11 a.m.: It was now time to make
plans for the day, but without my
phone. How exactly am I supposed to
go about talking to my friends? Again,
I resorted to my laptop and happily
use Messages.
But here’s the thing: Messages
for me sometimes acts a little funky,
can’t we all relate? So upon sending
out some texts, I didn’t receive any
response for an hour. So experiencing
#FOMO (fear of missing out), I wanted
to know what my friends are doing.
As creepy as this may sound, the usual
way that my friends and I find each
other is by using an app called “Find
My Friends” that allows you to view
your follower’s location via the location
of their phone. So my #FOMO continued
as I couldn’t use my phone and still