Anti-Social - How I dealt without my phone

iStock_000032832252Small

So, if you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed a great lacking in posts since the Friday before last. I misplaced my phone at some point during the night, and it has not been located. As a blogger, and all-round social media nut, I thought I would document some of my ideas, thoughts and tantrums since losing my phone. I am not one to fiddle with my phone during a conversation at a restaurant, and I can happily keep it off should an event arise where it is unacceptable, but like most people around my age, I felt the pinch of not having the phone with me.

Sat 31/05

8am I lost my phone last night, and I am having big withdrawals. I search high and low, Facebook people to see if they’ve seen it, turn my car inside out and retrace my steps - no luck. Send out a Facebook status (via my laptop of course) and let others know that I will be uncontactable for a little while. I struggle to think of how I normally spend my time. How do people live without a phone exactly!? I am attending a Girl’s Night tonight and won’t be able to text anyone to see what they are wearing - gah!

6pm While others have been happily chatting admist taking selfies and updating statuses, I feel alien. I find myself eating a lot more to just do something with my hands! I am not being ignored and having a great time, but I do feel strange. Not having a connection to see if anything is happening on twitter or instagram begins to eat away at me. I glance sideways at other people’s phones. They are so shiny and pretty. Ugh.

10.30pm Heading out (got a friend to text the boyf so he can carpool us to the clubs) and I am a bit worried about not being in contact with the others and the boyf. I will need to make sure I don’t stray too far from the group. What if something happens and I need to call a taxi or text someone?? What if

4am Nothing bad happens of course and I end up home safe and sound. No late night selfies and no calming music to go to sleep with in my ears. Just deafening, blank silence and my mind races and I attempt to switch off my brain.

Sun 01/06

12pm With no alarm set, I sleep right through until lunchtime. Whoops. I don’t feel hungover though so that’s a plus. My laptop still allows me to catch up on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs but it is much harder to carry it around the house. I get worried about how I am going to wake up tomorrow morning for work without an alarm. I don’t even have a clock in the house! The microwave clock doesn’t set - all I have is my MacBook Pro.

Mon 02/06

6am My partner wakes me up and I can’t risk going back to sleep so I get up. Hmph. I much prefer tweeting, facebooking and other social media connectivity activities on a phone. Even watching videos on Youtube is preferable, I love tuning in while I get ready for my day on my phone.

5pm I was in meetings and trainings all day which means no phone access anyway, so it wasn’t too bad. But I am dreading the next four days of inductions up in Rockhampton. At least I will have wi-fi at the hotel.

Tue 03/06

8am I am off to induction training and pretty sad I won’t be able to have a phone to connect with anyone. Everyone else has to turn off their phones for induction anyway so I am not too fussed.

5pm Wi-fi at my hotel costs $5 an hour. Is that even legal? I send a quick message to the boyf on a co-workers phone letting him know the situation and cry a little inside at the prospect. Not only do I have no access to my phone, but now no access to the internet for four days. I am counting my lucky stars tat I set up my blog to have scheduled posts while I was away.

10pm Going to sleep without having ASMR in my ears to calm me down is horrendous. I can’t shut out the city noise outside so I put my head under a pillow and get to sleep around 2am.

Wed 04/06

It’s my Dad’s Birthday and I can’t contact him. I have no sense of time, I haven’t seen reddit in days and I haven’t taken a selfie in the longest time since before I had instagram. I don’t even have a mirror in my purse to make sure my lipstick doesn’t smudge. To put it lightly, I am dying.

Thur 05/06

Heading out tonight and I need to make sure I have a buddy at all times (especially in a town where I am not familiar with the geography). I hate feeling dependant on other people (even though these girls looked after me so well and I was in no danger). I just don’t feel in charge, and I don’t like it.

Fri 06/06

I am heading home today! Can’t wait to be reunited with my laptop! I am literally counting down the minutes until I can check Facebook and Twitter, not to mention comment back to my followers here on The Minted Beauty!

Mon 09/06

I am still without a phone, and I am fine. It’s not so much the phone I missed, but just being connected! I can Facebook my friends and family, I can tweet followers and blogger friends, and not feel like I am completely out of touch. I am in the process of finding a replacement phone still, and looking forward to getting back in touch with Instagram and all the other wonderful apps that it offers!

What is the longest that you have been without technology?

 

  • Wonderlusting

    I had about four days recently and after the total panic it actually felt quite liberating! You make a plan and stick to it - no last minute texts with people faffing around or cancelling. No constant pings demanding your attention. I did struggle remember my own land line which I use about once a year.