Do you ever stop to consider just how much you use your cell phone? I mean, truly think about it. Even the least tech-y people of modern society rely on their cell phone. But I think
as a college student, we are even more dependant on ours.

I don’t know many people from our generation who have home phones, and I am no exception. For me, my phone is my connection to family and friends. If it isn’t via Facebook or my cell phone, you’d be hard-pressed to get in touch with me because between school and work, I’m rarely ever in one place for very long.

So last week, when I dropped my phone and rendered it useless, I finally understood the term “First World Problem.”

Suddenly, my brain was flooded with all sorts of imaginary scenarios. What if I slipped in the shower and broke something? Or what if my temperamental vehicle decided it didn’t want to start for the seemingly billionth time? Or what if some sort of medical emergency was taking place within my family, and I had no idea? My overactive imagination was frantic with doomsday scenarios.

In the five days that followed in which I was awaiting a replacement phone, I couldn’t help but reflect on just how much modern society has come to rely on technology, and from a personal standpoint, it was frustrating. Why did I feel so off-balance? Why had I let myself become so dependent on a single device to help keep my life on track?

I suppose it’s an issue of convenience. By having our ability to communicate, find, share and save information all wrapped into one device, our natural preference for ease and  convenience has caused our society to slowly, but surely, adopt cell phones as a staple part of how we accomplish small tasks on a daily basis.

All in all, I think it was a frustrating yet eye opening experience. I realized I have let convenience rule my life, and perhaps I need to take more time to rely upon my wits and ingenuity.
I’d like to say I intend to turn my phone off on the weekends and instead focus on life around me, but the worry-wart in me says, “Don’t kid yourself, Morgan. The minute you powered it
down, you’d suddenly wonder if one of your friends is stranded on the side of the road, needing a ride home.”

I can, however, vow that I plan on taking more time to put my electronic lifeline on its charger, and instead focus more on living LIFE in its simplest form. Wait, we can count laptops as “simple,” right?