A Week Without My Phone

Monday: Last night my phone told me something shocking: I spend almost six hours a day on it! So I've decided to try an experiment. For one week, I'm going to live without my smartphone. Before bed, I turned it off and gave it to Mom. She laughed and said, "You'll want it back by Wednesday." This morning I woke up late and missed the bus, because my alarm was on my phone.

Tuesday: Yesterday I bought an alarm clock so that I could wake up on time. School was harder today. Between lessons, everyone was looking at their screens, and I kept reaching into my pocket for a phone that wasn't there. I wanted to visit my friend Jonas, but I couldn't text him. So I walked to his house and knocked on the door. His mother looked surprised. "Nobody does that anymore, Nadia," she said with a smile.

Wednesday: Mom was wrong. I still haven't asked for my phone back. However, I got lost while I was walking to my guitar lesson. I always use the map on my phone, so I've never really learned the streets of my town. In the end, I asked an old man at a bus stop for directions, and he walked with me to the right street.

Thursday: Something strange is happening. I usually look at my phone in bed until midnight, but this week I've gone to sleep before eleven every night. Tonight I finished a novel that I started in the summer. Although I still miss my phone, I'm starting to enjoy these quiet evenings.

Friday: Today was the worst day so far. My friends went to see a movie tonight. They made the plan in our group chat, and nobody remembered to tell me. When I called Mei from my brother's phone, she said sorry immediately. "We forgot you weren't online," she explained. I understood, but I still felt lonely and a little angry.

Saturday: I spent the whole afternoon drawing in the park. I haven't done that since I was twelve. Nobody needed an answer from me, and there were no messages to check.

Sunday: Mom gave my phone back today. There were 143 new messages, but most of them weren't important. So, what have I learned? I'm not going to throw my phone away. I need it for maps and for making plans with friends. But from now on, it's going to sleep in the kitchen, not next to my bed. This week was harder than I thought, but it was also calmer. Maybe I don't have to choose between my phone and a quiet life. I think I can have a little of both.