If you’re Gen Z, you probably remember the day you got your first phone. You were finally able to text your friends, make phone calls, and essentially had the entire world accessible at your fingertips. I certainly remember the day I got my first phone and it completely changed my perception of the way the world works.
However, my life completely changed when I got a phone. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere without it, couldn’t imagine not keeping my friends up-to-date with my every move, and couldn’t imagine being detached from my phone (via my wired earphones).
This inspired me to think, “What would happen if I stopped using my phone for two days?” So that’s exactly what I did. Here’s what happened!
rules
It’s difficult to go cold turkey from using your phone and nearly impossible if you’re a college student. Due to this, I made some ground rules.
This “experiment” was not intended to cut out all forms of technology. I still allowed myself to use my laptop to do homework and assignments. I still allowed myself to send important messages via MacBook’s Apple ID; however, I was not able to see incoming messages that were on my phone.
I cut out all use of social media and unnecessary forms of digital platforms that were not required for me to survive my classes. The only exception was I allowed myself to use my phone for Duo Push, a two-factor authentication required to log in to my university account.
challenges
As expected, there were a few challenges to this experiment. One was Duo Push since I was unable to completely get off of my phone because I had to use it to log into my university account.
Another more anticipated challenge was FOMO. My fear of missing out is not nearly as bad as it was during my teen years, but it is unfortunately still present. I had thoughts throughout the day like “I wonder what my friends are doing right now?”, “I wonder what’s being posted on Instagram right now”, or “I wonder if I’m missing important news?”
The biggest challenge was my withdrawal. In just two days, the number of times that I wanted to mindlessly reach for my phone would be innumerable. This was surprising, but more so alarming. Why was I allowing my phone to control and interrupt my life?
results
Overall, I learned a lot from not using my phone for two days. It allowed me to reflect on my priorities and the way I view relationships. I had 5 key takeaways from this experience.
Using your phone less makes you:
1. More present and focus on what matters in real life! Unlike oxygen and water, you don’t need to keep everyone updated on your every move to sustain your life. It’s important to have a balance and to live in the moment.
2. Realize that people who matter will be in your life no matter what! This is more difficult for loved ones that are separated from you by distance. The point is that you don’t need to stay connected 24/7. Setting time aside for the people that matter will help you to give everyone and everything its proper place.
3. Less anxious! Coming from someone with “text anxiety”, it can feel overwhelming when a friend takes longer to respond than usual or you feel the urge to respond to every message you receive instantly. By taking a break from this, you will realize that this lapse in communication should not be taken to heart. The real focus should be on prioritizing communication off the screen when possible.
4. More locked in! If you have difficulty concentrating on completing tasks or procrastinating going on your phone less might help you!
5. Less addicted! Cellular devices are one of the most addicting things in modern life and although harmless, they can impact your quality of sleep, stress, and productivity. That’s why it’s important for you to take control, so your phone doesn’t control your life!
Would I recommend it?
Despite the challenges, I would 100% recommend this! I plan on doing this again to take charge of my sense of self and focus on what matters in life.
Moving forward, I will try to continue going one day a week without using my phone, maybe I’ll call it “no phone Wednesday.” Consider this my PSA to those I won’t respond to on Wednesdays, haha. Maybe I will do this again with something else and see how it impacts my life. Any ideas? We’ll see in 2025!