At the airport you most likely are not reading a book, or a newspaper, or even conversing with another human being; odds are you are on your phone, passing the time with some mindless game or another Instagram picture. And while these distractions are not always bad, it is important to think about how disconnected we are sometimes.
My checklist? Phone, wallet, and keys. I made sure that I had these three things every time I walked out the door up until one week when I decided to break my tie with technology.
I am a college student at a small college, but more importantly, I am a nineteen year old young adult born and raised in a country that, as of May 2013, had reached a 91% ownership rate of cell phones amongst adults, according to the Pew Research Center, and 78% of children between the ages of 12 and 17 used cell phones.
It was a beautiful day out, and a college concert was set to happen later that night. After lunch, I left my dorm and headed out with friends to enjoy the sunshine and the festivities that always surround a concert. Before leaving, I made one crucial decision; I left my phone in my dorm. I had no idea what a big decision this would turn out to be.
Cell phones have played an important role in my life, and I am a part of the first generation to have the luxury of being able to reach anyone or find out anything at the tips of my fingers. However, as the day turned to night and the show approached, I began to realize something that was legitimately magical; I was living life unplugged.
Throughout the course of the night, I realized that I had seen everyone I had wanted to; I had done everything that I had wanted to, but I also realized something even more important. I had actually been fully present in each of these moments, something that is done less and less these days.
There was one more important thing that this experience showed me. Cutting the tie with technology is much easier than you may think. In a world where our media lives are literally linked to everything, it can become harder to see a world where you aren’t plugged in.
Louis C.K. addresses his crowd brilliantly in one of his specials, “Don’t text or twitter during the show, just live your life. Don’t keep telling people what you’re doing.” The link we have developed with technology may seem unbreakable at times, but with a simple choice and a little bit of optimism, you can kick the habit. That one night has turned into a life where I use my phone a fraction of the amount I used too. So, the next time you’re going to go out with friends, leave your phone at home. It may be hard to believe, but take it from me, a 19 year old college student living life unplugged; it is much easier than you think.
