A DAY WITHOUT A MOBILE PHONE
- Written by Pawel
- Published in Internet Addiction: Articles
We have carried out an experiment. Students were asked not to use their mobile phones for 24 hours and write their comments as a follow-up. Here are some Polish students' impressions after they have spent a day without a mobile phone:
'Most teenagers can't spend an hour without a mobile phone. Smartphones are the biggest cause of this addiction together with internet connection which enables us to use social networking sites through app's or traditional browser versions. Sharing our lives with other people is addictive especially for girls. I don't need my phone all the time and a day without it wasn't difficult experience for me, it was similar to school-free days. I prefer to spend my free time in front of a computer, playing games is my hobby (possibly my addiction). As far as I'm concerned phone-free days like cigarette-free days are a good way to show dangers and time for reflection about "where our habits are going?". I recommend this to everyone even if he/she thinks that everything is allright.' - Szymon
'I stopped using my phone at about 5 p.m. yesterday. For me it was a typical day. I spent the day doing my routine tasks. I didn’t have any problems caused by the lack of my cell phone. I went to sleep quite late, at 1 a.m. (mainly because the next day was my day off school). I couldn’t set any alarm clock to wake me up so the next day I woke up at 10.30 in the morning. But at first I didn’t realise it was so late. I wished I had had my mobile phone then. The rest of my day was quite ordinary. I did some homework, surfed on the internet, played with my dog and had my dance classes. I was also in the cinema and there I started feeling strange, because I thought I had lost my phone. But I a moment later knew it was safe. When I got back my phone I noticed I had a lot of notifications. Luckily, nobody had been trying to call me. Only my grandfather had sent me a message. Summarizing, I spent this day in the same way as a normal one. I have got a lot of other hobbies as well…trust me.' - Kamil
'During my day without a phone, I did not feel its absence. As a result, I could do a lot of other useful things, like: clean my room or read a book. I think I could hold out no longer. I have come to the conclusion that the phone only distracts me all the time and does not let me focus on the important things. It is not necessary for my functioning. Of course, the next day, I took it in hand, and I saw a lot of unread messages, I felt relieved that I had it and could write back. But if it had not been the case, nothing serious would have happened. I think it would have been even easier if my friends at that time had not used the phone. Then I would not have thought that, for example I had to write something important. I would not have had the feeling that I could not write back.' - Aneta
A day without a mobile phone. The story of slavery. Or not…?
Sometimes I forget to charge my phone, so it just lies around without use. It can be like this for several days, so for me it isn’t a special thing. This happens, because I use my computer to contact my friends, and I don’t go out very often, so… But, there were times when I didn’t have access to the computer. What then? I studied. Without the Internet I am more focused on what I am doing than normal, so I only gain from this type of experience. Sometimes having “a day without a mobile phone” is healthy. Doing all the hype about it makes you think that leaving your phone (or not using your computer) is a big thing. It isn’t. When you don’t have to hammer nails, don’t use a hammer. The same thing refers to a mobile. Of course, it has more applications… however, they are not endless. - Mateusz
Recently I took a challenge – I decided I wouldn't use my mobile phone for a day. I stopped using it at 11 pm. I switched it off and threw it onto a shelf. In the morning my mom woke me up because I was almost late for my school bus, but that was my first problem. I forgot to take a spoon for my salad for Christmas Eve in class and I had to beg my friend in school to ring up another friend to ask her to take it. When I was going home I was really glad that it was end of my problems. How wrong was I! My dad all day had been trying to call me, because he wanted to do something in the computer and he didn't know how. My mom needed some vegetables for the party and she also tried to call me. After all these problems I switched on my phone and I finally felt relieved. I promised to myself that I would never do this again! It may be a proof that I'm addicted..... - Gabrysia
It sounds bad if somebody says that a mobile phone is a man’s best friend. But it’s true that nowadays the cell phone is a very important thing in our lives. It can be a little computer, a clock or a calendar. With a mobile phone we can read books, listen to music, take photos – whatever we want to do. During my day without a mobile phone I did different things, e.g. I met my family members. However, the thought about my mobile was sometimes in my head. What if someone rang me up or send me an important message? I just wanted to check a display. I know I use my cell mainly in free time to surf the internet and maybe it’s unhealthy because I do it all the time. I think it’s so popular because we can take our mobiles everywhere. A day without a mobile wasn’t a big challenge for me. I had to use other things to check something necessary. It took me longer but the life without a mobile phone is possible. - Julia
