By Nicole Duplessis
Technology is a dominant part of our everyday lives. Many of us use it at work, for homework, to play games, keep in touch with family or for shopping. While this used to only be possible through desktop computers and laptops not too long ago, this is now all possible through cell phones.
Our culture is diverse, however. While it seems many individuals in younger generations are more dependent on their cell phones, it currently seems to be a varying mix between multiple generations. What if everyone had their cell phone taken away from them for a single day? From tweens to college students, and full-time working adults, who would struggle the most?
Dustin Dubay, a 22 year old senior accounting major at Husson University, says that having a cell phone hasn’t always been part of his lifestyle.
“Not going to lie, I didn’t have a smartphone until last year. I was totally fine without it, but now that I have one, I think it would probably be a lifestyle change to go without,” Dubay said.
Dubay says he first got his cell phone before moving to Boston for an internship. He says the phone was a life saver when he needed directions or phone numbers for a taxi. He currently uses his phone for work, as well as for social media websites.
“So, I could live without it, I had to do it for a couple of weeks once in Boston when my phone broke, but it was difficult,” Dubay said.
It seems we often take for granted what we have right at our fingertips. We don’t realize how simple it truly easy to gain access through everything on our phones until we no longer have our phones.
Tina Pare, originally from Van Buren, Maine, now lives in a new location outside of Maine. When asked if she could live without her phone for a day, the thought seemed to fluster her.
“It would be most difficult for me because I travel a lot and I use my phone as a GPS,” Pare said. “Therefore leaving me to relying on a map or the computer would be my next option, yikes!”
Brittany Chasse, a 21 year old junior occupational therapy major at University of New England, also says her phone plays a vital role throughout her day as well as maintaining contact.
“It would be very difficult for me because I work from my phone and it is my only connection to my parents,” Chasse said.
While some people, such as Pare and Chasse, rely very much on their phones for certain day-to-day tasks, others didn’t really seem phased by the question. Kevin Prentice, a 23 year old senior marketing communications major at Husson University, says cell phones can’t compare to human interaction.
“I’ve gone most of my adult life without a cellular device,” Prentice said. “The communication is needed in today’s life, although having a cellphone to do so isn’t essential. For me, it wouldn’t be so difficult, personal interaction is preferred rather than through a social media or texting.”
Facebook, Twitter, and all the known social media websites are what draw many of us to our phones. Checking our emails, watching the latest Vines and sending Snap Chats consume so much of our time that we often don’t realize. Smartphones are essentially miniature computers, allowing people access to anything, anywhere, at any time, provided they have internet connection. While they are great tools, they have limited and changed many of our perspectives on human interaction.
It’s hard to conclude which generations rely most on their phones. There will always be a handful in each generation that either relies on their phone, or would be fine without. If the question were in your hands, could you go a day without your phone?