Don't let this happen to you.
I was recently on a long weekend trip thousands of miles from home when I found myself with a broken iPhone. Have you ever had one of those sinking feelings deep in the pit of your stomach? That’s how I felt. It was like I had lost my right arm. I felt helpless. I walked around for two days not knowing what to do with my free hands. I no longer had the luxury of texting, checking my e-mail at will or calling whomever I wanted, whenever I wanted. My downtime was uneventful – I never realized how much I would miss Scrabble.
This is a true testament to how technology affects our lives every second of every day. And its not just your phone. It may be a TV show or regular Internet access on your computer that you have trained yourself to need. Take a step back and think about how your life would be affected if you were without your phone. For me it was the loss of free connection to the outside world, the loss of all email communications which immediately made me think something terrible was going to go wrong. It was the loss of my alarm clock and the loss of my entertainment. I am quick to get bored.
It’s amazing to me that the smallest of devices can have a huge impact on my life. Incidentally, I was able to replace my phone within a couple of days and set my world back in order, but this experience made me step back and think about where I spend my time and what technology is actually necessary in my life. I challenge you to go a day without your phone, Internet or email. You’ll be amazed at the things you see and the decrease in the number of times you trip because you’re not looking where you’re going. Plus, sometimes it’s nice to take a step off the grid.
Image by Tricksixtyfive.
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I can relate to your blog. I found out that it’s a bad idea to wash your iphone with your shorts. I have concerns about clients ( and my family) being able to reach me, but I am also finding that I miss several other applications like email, mobile web access and figuring out where Citrus restaurant is downtown.