The other day, I overheard some people talking about how the advancement of modern technology should have halted at the invention of the flip phone. Some argue that we shouldn’t be able to carry tiny computers around with us and that the ease of accessible information is dumbing humanity down.
As much as technology is demonized in today’s world, you may be thinking that your life as a student would improve if no one had access to smartphones. While this may hold some truth socially, it is also true that smartphones make our lives easier and open us up to a new realm: the online space.
Without smartphones, directionally challenged people like me would have to say goodbye to Google Maps and the like. Luckily, with smartphones, finding someone’s house just by knowing the street name or locating it on a physical map is a thing of the past.
If we didn’t have a calendar app, the convenience of adding something in your phone with a reminder would have to be moved to the old-school method of paper and pen, or an actual paper calendar. And without your smartphone, a physical alarm clock would be necessary if you wanted to wake up on time.
Instead of looking up questions or quick definitions, you would have to write down your thoughts on a piece of paper and hope to try and find the answer later. Your notes app would be gone — you’d need to go right back to pencil and paper.
Another notable mention is the massive amount of tutorials online. I would not know as much as I do about my hobbies and passions in the way I do now without the use of technology — for free, I might add. These are often overlooked conveniences when it comes to living our daily lives. If smartphones were eradicated, these things would definitely take some getting used to.
Despite these conveniences, one popular discussion on social media is that the way we communicate would be significantly altered, meaning students would have to talk on landlines, through another online space or by meeting up in person. This is something that many lament, and many Gen Z students have even gone as far as to get rid of their smartphones altogether.
According to a USA Today article, “(A student) bought a $20 Nokia flip phone from Walmart with a $6 per month plan. For a year, he waffled between his smartphone and the flip phone until he pulled the trigger and fully ditched his smartphone in March.”
Without social media apps like Instagram and TikTok, students may feel less pressure to curate an online identity, which can fuel stress and anxiety. While this is true, students would also miss out on easy ways to stay connected to distant friends and maintain mutual relationships, which one could argue also fuels anxiety.
Aside from social media, we tend to overlook the ways that our phones are intertwined in our daily lives. Ultimately, I’m still debating whether the root of the problem lies in the smartphone itself, or if the real power lies in the apps and systems within it, like social media, streaming platforms and other apps that control our society.
Sophie St. James is a junior English major from Central, South Carolina. Sophie can be reached at [email protected].
