You probably read this title and thought to yourself: "What?! A gen Z person without a phone?!" Yet this is true and to this day, I still don't have a smartphone. I'm not going to lie, I might get one next year because I'm going to college and having a smartphone will make it much easier for me to email my tutors on the go, keep in touch with old secondary school friends and transfer files from home to college.
I did have a phone when I was really young, 8, but I treated it more like a computer just using it to watch YouTube and play games, and I wasn't free on it, my dad would always monitor what I watch. I didn't have credit in it so I couldn't talk to anyone, and back then I didn't even know what social media was let alone use my phone for it.
My dad got it me because he saw every other kid getting one, and saw me as the one being left out, but he soon realised getting me one was a huge mistake because going on my phone was pretty much all I was doing, and I was only 8. I was so addicted to the phone, I even used it on charge which caused the battery to fail, and I didn't know this, because I was only 8 so I just thought my phone was broken. I wanted my dad to fix it, he could have easily had it fixed, but he chose not to because he knew having a phone would have a negative effect on me as I was growing up.
So, I went without a phone and it didn't really bother me because I had other things to keep myself occupied, I could watch YouTube on my laptop, I had my loom bands, I used to write a book of short little stories, write in my diary, watch the television, do my homework, go outside play with the neighbours, I even tried to draw. I had so many other things to keep me busy, and now I look back and I actually had a childhood.
When I was 11-years-old I was actually happy I didn't have a phone because a phone would have made me stumble upon social media, and kids in my class were going on social media ( yes 11-year-old kids) and writing derogatory things to each other, on Facebook. It got so bad we even had an assembly about it, and kids who took part in this got in so much trouble. What kind of a childhood memory would that be to have?
However, when I went to secondary school, I had a hard time fitting in, adapting to the new changes. I went from a school with about 400-500 students attending, to a school with 1700-1800 students attending. To say the least, it was a colossal shock. My closest primary school friends went to other schools, and the primary school friends I had at this school got put into separate classes to me, so most of my lessons were kids who were basically strangers to me at the time, and kids from my primary school who I never really spoke to.
I wanted to make new friends and fast, and one of the ways I thought that would happen is getting a phone. So, I asked my dad and he told me no this time. A countless amount of times I tried to persuade him, to get me a phone, but he always refused to get me one.
I thought I was the one missing out, I thought my dad was being unfair and stupid and overprotective.
Not having a phone however has actually benefited me, and I didn't really realise this until recently. A lot people my age, are addicted to taking selfies, all different angles, different lightings, different filters, every single day, just seems vain to me. Now I'll be honest I do take the occasional selfie sometimes with a filter, but not every single day. It's unhealthy.
Also, my school has recently banned phones out on school premises. Some students find this rule hard to follow and if the amount of students which have got into to trouble over having a phone out in class or something is shocking. Then they refuse to hand over the phone and make things worse for themselves. Just imagine if they didn't have phones, they wouldn't get in trouble.
I get decent sleep, because I don't have a phone constantly pinging at night distracting me with messages, and I don't even have the temptation of going on the phone because it's not there so I can just go straight to sleep after reading.
I've found myself real hobbies, rather than just uploading pictures of myself on social media and awaiting a certain number of likes or comments. I write and I'm into computer programming.
Plus I don't waste my energy on pointless arguments on social media, about who commented what on somebody's photo. When I do use social media I use it to improve my writing, like I am now :P
Long story short, I've found not having a phone much more beneficial, than having one. I have had a real childhood, with nice memories not getting sworn at on Facebook or swearing at people, and I don't put a smartphone on the same level as breathing. When I do get a phone, I'll use it for the right things, because I'm now mature enough to know what's right and wrong, I'm not a 12-year-old kid anymore who would do anything to get friends or who is curious about social media and the internet. I know what is and isn't out there. I know about social media, it can be good if you use it for the right purpose, I know to avoid trouble. I'm 16-years-old now, and am much more responsible than I was then, and I'm glad I didn't have a phone then because not having a phone has made me a happier person. :)
Thank you for reading this MyTake! I wrote this because I just see the stereotype of my generation all the time, how people think we're all looking down at a screen 24/7, and it just feels wrong because not all of us are like that. Some of us do in fact have lives outside of our screens.
Bye! ^_^
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