iExamen 1

As I start to wake, still groggy and stirring in bed a buzz from my phone immediately catches my attention, giving me a rush of excitement while hypnotizing me out of bed. Pulling my phone off the charger, I eagerly checked my notifications from a variety of social media bases. It being Saturday, September 30, the weekend before iExamen one is due, I pledged to take note of all my social interaction and body language throughout the day. The assignment immediately made me realize I was already hollowly connecting with the world around me rather than seeking conversation with my roommates or even planning out my day. Instead, I found myself observing the Friday night shenanigans, what the early morning risers have been up to, and even checked in on my favorite celebrities. Not once throughout my time checking my phone did I reflect on my own Friday night or consider the day I had ahead of myself. Alarmed by my findings, I gained an enhanced desire to continue charting my interactions as well as some of the responses I received.

I instantly decided to put my phone down and openly engage with the world around me. Leaving my phone behind, I left my room to join the rest of my suitemates in an apartment next door. As I entered the room still unshowered and sporting some serious bed head, I was greeted with an unmatchable level of enthusiasm and the agenda of the groups day. It being less than an hour since I got out of bed I had to collect myself in order to meet the group's intensity. I found myself feeding off of the group's vibe and growing more and more excited for the day ahead of us.

By the late afternoon, I had managed only to check my phone twice, which allowed me to engage with my peers in the fullest. Unlike when I'm attached to my iPhone I found myself thriving off the energy of those around me. Its absence allowed me to fully escape the glass barrier it builds and fully submerge myself in the moment. While being absent from my phone, it also allowed me to realize the difference in conversations between those with their phones and those without it. I quickly realized there were generally two types of people; one being the people who constantly interrupt conversations to briefly check their latest notification and the other being people who either silenced their phones or maintain a willpower only to check it at the dullest moments. Throughout the day I found it much easier to connect with the people who also stayed disconnected.

My phones absence helped me appreciate the emotion and connection people can have in solely face to face conversations. The laughter, look of joy or anguish, or even the person's voice is irreplaceable via text. Even the energy of my peers was something that could never adequately be portrayed through a phone screen or digital message. By the end of the day, the connection I’ve been fostering with my phone started to appear like a burden. My realization after this assignment is that through the constant use of my phone I am constricting myself to a world outside the one I truly live in.

MP