Modern life is impossible to imagine without a great number of devices that make people’s lives easier and help to keep many things under control. There are applications that we use at home or work, as well as those that we carry around all of the time. As an experiment, I decided to abstain from using my smartphone for twenty-four hours and keep a diary of observations related to abstention.
Description of the Device and Discussion of Its Use
Almost every person nowadays has a smartphone. Whether cheap or expensive, this device has a number of functions that help people to stay organized and engaged in social life without the need to use several different items of technology. Smartphones allow users to make calls, set the alarm clock, take pictures, make notes and reminders, and do many other things. Those appliances that have access to internet let their owners communicate with family and friends in a number of social networks.
I have a smartphone produced by Samsung. Its type is Galaxy J7. It is made by a Korean company Samsung. The device has a 5.5″ HD screen and 16GB of memory (“Galaxy J7 16GB, n.d.). It was optional to add 256GB of additional memory, which I did. When I bought it, it cost $230. There are no ongoing costs except for some applications independent from the device that I may want to purchase. Due to the carefully established politics of the company, Galaxy J7 smartphones can be recycled (“Responsible recycling,” n.d.). There are no specific terms of use. Owners can do whatever they want with their devices. However, when it comes to data stored on the smartphone, I have the privacy rights, and I am the owner of all data.
Samsung Galaxy J7 has a rather pleasant interface. If I want to, I can change the screen picture or the theme of the device. However, I preferred to keep the factory settings. Instrumentally, my smartphone has everything I could ever need: I use it as a phone, alarm clock, reminder, music player, camera, email box, and, of course, as a means of communicating through several social networks. I do realize that it is just an inanimate object, but I have some strong emotional connection to this device. It contains much personal information and many precious moments captures in photos and videos. I think that if I ever happened to lose it, I would feel upset and devastated.
I think that the major reason why I love this device so much is that the company strives to make its smartphones comfortable for people rather than merely develop technology (King, 2016). Some of its innovations allow the device to compete with the extremely popular Apple products (Kovach, 2015). Personally, I use it every day, and it was hard for me to imagine how I would spend twenty-four hours without my smartphone.
Diary of Observations
Innovations in the sphere of information technology have occupied every aspect of people’s lives (Barbrook & Cameron, 1996). Some scholars even consider this impact as political power (Winner, 1980). As I started my experiment, I realized that I am a “victim” of this power to the fullest extent. My abstention began in the evening when I was going to bed. I turned my smartphone off at ten p.m. and set the old alarm clock that I borrowed from my grandma. At six a.m., I woke up to the most unpleasant sound and could not realize what it was.
As soon as I turned the alarm clock off, I made a usual gesture trying to pull my smartphone from the table, but it was not there. At that moment, I realized that I started the experiment in the evening. During the whole previous week, there were some road repairs made on the road to my college, and each day, I would check for updates. On the day when I had no smartphone, I could not find out whether I needed to leave home earlier. So I left at seven not to be late.
I had no opportunity to listen to my favorite music on the way, so I heard different sounds in the street. I was surprised at how beautifully birds were singing. I was sorry for having missed so many natural miracles because of technological advancements. On my way, I was trying to remember whose birthday it was but failed. I realized that I had not been training my memory at all, and could not even remember my parents’ phone numbers in case of an emergency.
In college, I did not get distracted from essential things. I listened and looked attentively at everything and everyone, and I noticed many interesting details. However, I must admit that each time somebody’s smartphone produced a sound, I immediately reached into the pocket where mine was supposed to be. On my way back, I could not contact anyone at home to ask whether anything was needed at the shop. Also, I could not call anyone who might have given me a lift home. However, I once again was fascinated by nature around me. I decided that I would spend more time without the smartphone and dedicate it to communicating with the real world.
When I got home at 4 p.m., I had dinner and prepared my home task. I did not see any pictures of my friends, but it did not feel too bad. Anyway, people rarely post something really beautiful. I turned my smartphone on at ten p.m. to find just five missed calls, about twenty messages, and a few notifications. I realized that a day without smartphone could be rather pleasant, even though a little uncomfortable.
References
Barbrook, R., & Cameron, A. (1996). The Californian ideology. Science as Culture, 6(1), 44-72.
Galaxy J7 16GB. (n.d.). Web.
King, S. (2016). The secret to Samsung’s success: Marketing exec speaks out. Android Authority. Web.
Kovach, S. (2015). How Samsung won and then lost the smartphone war. Business Insider. Web.
Responsible recycling. (n.d.). Web.
Winner, L. (1980). Do artifacts have politics? Daedalus, 109(1), 121-136.