What technology would you be better off without, why?
If I had to choose one piece of technology I’d be better off without, it would be my phone. And before you think I’m being dramatic, hear me out—I’m not saying phones aren’t useful. In fact, that’s the problem. They’re too useful.
My phone is the first thing I grab in the morning—before I’ve even remembered my own name—and the last little glowing gremlin I look at before drifting off to sleep. It’s my alarm, my calendar, my entertainment hub, my camera roll of questionable selfies, my map when I’m lost (which is often), and my endless fountain of “news” I didn’t even ask for. Some days it feels like I’ve packed my entire life into one tiny rectangle of light. And oh boy, does it know how to tug at my attention—pulling me in a hundred different directions even when absolutely nothing important is happening. It’s notifications I never needed, scrolls I didn’t mean to start, and screen time I definitely didn’t mean to spend.
But the funny thing is… whenever I accidentally leave my phone behind (usually because my brain decided to take the morning off), something magical happens. The world gets quieter—in a soft, comforting, “I can hear myself think again” kind of way. I notice sunlight. Birds. The sound of my own thoughts. Time seems to slow down, like it’s finally stretching its legs after being scrunched under a pile of apps.
Without my phone in hand, I feel more present. More grounded. More… me.
It’s wild how a few hours away from a screen can make real life feel so much richer.
I’m not saying I need to break up with my phone. I’m not ready for that level of drama. But I am learning that maybe our relationship could use a little space—like separate bedrooms but emotionally supportive. A few healthy boundaries. A little less clinginess from both sides.
Would I be better off without it entirely?
Maybe.
But would I be better off putting it down more often and living a little more offline?
Absolutely.
So here’s to being present. To quiet moments. To mornings that start with sunlight instead of screen light. And to cups of tea that stay warm because I wasn’t distracted by the glowing rectangle yet again.
