Some of you know this about me, but I am not the most hip or trendy person. Despite my sister’s style advice, I have really never have been chic, contemporary or in vogue. It takes only one look at my Crocs to tell you that.
I often do find myself behind the times on various accounts. To this day, the cassette player in my car can still, on occasion, be heard playing the “Good Burger” soundtrack. My video gaming has yet to progress past the original Super Smash Bros. I still use a typewriter for all of my papers (just kidding — that’s too hipster for me). I do not even have a Twitter account. Some of these things I am nostalgic about keeping, others I just haven’t felt the need to change. But there is one thing that I have been quite deliberate about retaining. And that is my flip phone — my beautiful, utilitarian flip phone.
In a world dominated by smartphones, I have attempted to survive without Snapchat, Trivia Crack and group texting. To some of you, losing those might seem more than you can bear, and yes, it has been quite a journey, but I have not yet suffered greatly for it. Rather, I have enjoyed the simplicity of having a cell phone that I use as a tool, rather than as a means to distract myself. It does everything that I need it to and nothing more, and that is completely satisfactory for me. I feel that the lack of temptation for distraction allows me to be more intentional with people around me. Rather than turning to my phone in an awkward or boring situation, I try to tough it out. Or I just walk away because I feel awkward or bored.
I do not desire to make everyone who owns an Apple product feel inferior to the mighty power of a phone that you can flip open to talk. I do not want you all to feel guilty either. I just want us all to realize that phones are made to enhance communication, not hinder it.
Most of us suffer from short attention spans, and our phones are not contributing to a solution. So next time you automatically reach to your phone as a reflex, consider leaving it in your pocket, and perhaps attempt engaging in a good conversation with a neighbor. You can even talk about how you wish you had a flip phone.
