Dear Editors,
As I read “Breaking Up With My Phone” by Anna Trevathan, I thought about how in this day and age, technology has been so integrated into our lives that we forget how to live without it. For a while, I had forgotten how to live without technology, too, but as I read the article, I’ve realized how much we can miss in life when we have a screen in front of our faces.
Throughout high school and even now in college, much of my time has been filled with using a phone or a laptop. In high school, I would usually start my day on a computer, whether that be doing an assignment or taking notes. During the break period, I would watch TikTok or reels, and then at the end of the day, I would go home and play video games or watch TV. College only amplified this behavior, due to having more free time than in high school. It got so bad that I averaged seven hours of screen time a day.
Due to this, I felt disconnected from the world. It left me feeling alone, and the only thing that helped a little was looking at my phone. After seeing how this habit was affecting my life, I knew I needed to make a change; just like the author said, “Things were not just unrealistic, but I felt myself settling back into bad habits that I had long been rid of.” This resonated with me because I wasn’t always like this, one of the things that stopped me from being on a screen 24/7 were my friends. We would always hang out, play sports, or just goof around. Sadly, college came around, and with all my friends going to different colleges, I found myself reverting to these old habits. Not wanting to go back, I decided to make a change.
At first, wanting to limit my screen time left me feeling bored and isolated. I felt like the only way I could connect with my friends who were far away was to snap and send them reels. We are all so concerned with the illusion of connection; whether that be sending a reel, liking a friend’s post, or snapping. It’s easy to do all those things and feel like you are connected to them, but in reality, you aren’t. However, just like the author realized, you don’t need that to stay connected, but instead to just take the time and effort to see them.
Once I did this, my life started changing. I would take trips to go and visit them to hang out. We even rented a cabin in the Smokies to catch up and connect with each other again. This is why when the author said, “Somewhere along the way, the device that was made to keep us able to connect from anywhere has also made us unbelievably disconnected,” it really resonated with me. Being able to see and hang out with my friends in person was a different experience than on a screen. Instead of the single laughing emoji reply when I would send a reel, we were all laughing together and truly connected with each other again. You can’t get that personal connection and experience through a screen.
Something else that resonated with me is how the author spoke about phones replacing interests: “My phone had been replacing more than just time with loved ones; it had also expedited things that I had no interest in losing out on.” This line hits hard; as for most of this school year, I have been in a cycle of school, screen time, work, repeat. I had lost sight of any of my hobbies or interests, but with this new motivation to limit my phone use, I had some space for my hobbies and interests again.
Just as Anna shut out her phone when she was re-experiencing music through the CDs and reading books, I was doing the same with my hobby, basketball. As I got older, I played less and less. However, I started to pick up the sport again and fell back in love with it. I would go to the open gym at Pellissippi State Community College to hoop with some of my friends, go to the YMCA court, or even just shoot around in my driveway. All this to say, when we are so consumed with using our phones or electronics, we tend to lose sight of the things that were interesting to us, and we shouldn’t sacrifice those interests for more screen time.
Overall, this editorial made me reflect on all the great things that we can experience or make happen when we are not on our screens 24/7. Anna’s personal story highlights the everyday struggles we face with phone use, and to an even greater struggle with trying to limit our phone use. But she shows that persevering through the struggles to limit our phone use can be very beneficial and is worth a shot.
Sincerely,
Julia Tellico, a fellow Pellissippi State student
Julia Tellico is a pseudonym for a Pellissippi State student.
