This week, I had to face what terrifies most teens: a school day without my phone. My iPhone was completely broken for almost two days with absolutely no explanation. It refused to turn on no matter what I did with it. The thought of school on Monday without my phone terrified me, which is something that most adults would probably shake their heads at and go off on an “in my day…” rant.

However, times are changing fast, and with it, technology is a necessity. Teens have adapted to a point where they use them for everything, not just texting their friends. Waking up for school was especially difficult without the four alarms I normally set on my phone, and I ended up missing my bus, which worked out because I wasn’t not sure if I could deal with having to actually listen to the conversations on the bus as opposed to turning my music all the way up.

While some older generations would probably consider this to be pathetic, I think it is a way to adapt to new technology. If everyone uses something constantly, being the only one without it can be difficult. While I was whining about my broken phone, my parents tried to convince me that it was just like it is at sleepaway camp, without my phone or any other technology. However, this isn’t true. At summer camp, no one has their phone. Whether they are at home or at school, everyone has their phone. This can cause a small bubble of exclusion around people who don’t have one. It’s extremely awkward when you’re the one person with nothing to do with their hands while everyone around you is tapping away on their phone. I’m not usually in this situation, unless my phone suddenly dies an the experience  made me realize how uncomfortable it can be.

While my day didn’t end up being as horrible as I had imagined it,  and I got my phone fixed that night, it was a very eye-opening day. Phones are becoming increasingly necessary in today’s society, and this could be because of the fact that everyone else uses them. However, while it isn’t preferable, it is possible to go without them. Even though I’m glad my phone is now usable again, I’ve also realized that being forced to look up from the small screen can be a good thing.