Phone Diary: Abbey P

In today’s world we depend on technology such as cell phones. So when given the task to have to record every time I used my phone for 48 hours, I immediately was nervous that the amount of time I recorded would negatively reflect on me. But after finished my 48 hours I was surprised to find out that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

The Results:

How Many Times I Used My Phone:  12 times

Total Time I Used: 3 hours 53 minutes and 20 seconds

Total Textual, Social, or Both Interactivity: 12

Total Textual: none

Total Social: snapchat (3 times), vine (2 times)

Total Textual & Social: Snapchat with text (2 times), texting (4 times), twitter (2 times)

What I Doing While Using My Phone: Getting Ready (1 time), Watching Netflix (4 times), homework/studying (3 times), walking to and from class (2 times), Laying in bed (2 times)

 

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The Implications: 

Being forced to use a pen and paper every single time I used my phone was definitely a weird task. Most of the time it just felt unnecessary. Every time I pulled out my notepad I just kept thinking “why don’t I just write it in the notepad on my phone?”. That’s what technology has done to us. Nowadays there is no need for that pen and paper. Our technology fulfills that role and many of our other needs in one compact tablet or phone. If the roles were reversed and my phone played the role the notebook did in this assignment, I think it would have been a more positive experience. Not that the project wasn’t positive, rather I feel as if having to record stuff in a notebook almost felt like a step back technology wise. If I had to use my phone to record every time I wrote something down I feel as if it would have just been a lot easier since I have easier access to my phone.

The timeframe in which I recorded my phone usage does not accurately reflect how I use my phone at all. The two days I was recording my usage were the days before some of my hardest midterms, therefore I forced myself not to use my phone so that I could be completely focused on my midterms. That wasn’t the only factor that affected my results. I also think subconsciously I tried not to use my phone as much. I didn’t want people to think I used or depended on my phone too much so as a result I tried to limit the amount of time I spent on my phone. Also having to take out my notepad and pen every time I used my phone was a pain to do, so it definitely affected how much I used my phone.

My results show that while I do use technology a lot, I don’t need it as much as I use it. I was able to cut how much time I spent on my phone over a 48 hour period and I survived. I didn’t die without using my phone and I think that shows that I really don’t need it as much. As for when I did use it, I think it really shows how much I like to engage other people through technology. Whether it was through snapchat, twitter, or texting, I just really love to communicate via technology. I think the reason I, and many others, rely on technology so much is because of how popular it is. For one, it serves as almost a sign of ones status in society. By having all the up to date technology and apps, you are considered “in”. Also technology is being used for more than it used to be. Nowadays, people communicate news, jobs, and everything in between via technology. By not being aware of this technology you are almost missing out on things.

Overall I learned a lot about myself through this project. I learned that technology is so powerful and has a hold on everyone, whether they realize it or not. And while we can technically survive without technology because without it you miss out on a lot of things going on in the world. I think it’s a good idea to take a break every once and a while to engage with those right in front of you.