Cell Phone

In Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the story of Chris McCandless' mobile and minimalist lifestyle is told. McCandless ditched his 1982 Datsun B210, a dependable car he treasured. He chased after a life free from ties to possessions or people, just a connection with nature. While I wouldn’t leave my whole life behind, one part of conventional society I’d like to give up is my cell phone. I got my first phone in 5th grade. I downloaded the trending apps, joined social media, and felt like I fit in. Problems arose with gossip spreading through the platforms, and with each swipe, I felt glued to my phone. Anytime I made a complaint about something to my mother, she would say it was “because of that damn phone”. I rolled my eyes at that comment after telling her I had a headache. But now I believe her, a lot of my problems could be avoided by giving up my phone. I would get more sleep, stop procrastinating, save myself from the judgmental eyes of social media, and focus on the important moments fleeting away every time I check a notification. This would be a challenge. I have built a dependency with my phone; it is what keeps me connected to almost everything around me. It gives me quick access to information, the ability to travel, make purchases, and communicate with family living thousands of miles away. I can be a possible task where I am now, but the things I normally would use my phone for would just be slightly less convenient, without the device that makes my life easier and harder at the same time. In a way, this could make me spend more time working on my relationships with others and make me an individual who stands out from the societal norms.