The Consolation of Phone

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The Consolation of Phone
It’s morning again and I begin my routine. The first thing I do every morning is unplug my phone from the charger and start scrolling through Instagram. Then, I check all my Snapchats. After that, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube. Finally, I actually get out of bed and start to get ready for the day. While I am getting ready, I continue to make sure I Snapchatted everyone and liked all of my friend’s posts on Instagram. All of these forms of social media began to consume me. I do not even realize how much time is going by. I check the clock. “Oh no. I am running late for class,”  I said. I run outside and get in the car. I begin driving and get to a stoplight. I check social media. I get to the next stoplight and I check social media. This happens all the way to school, during school, and after school. I even stay up late in order to check all my social media. I eventually go to sleep, just to wake up and do this all again tomorrow.
The next night on was on my phone like normal and I feel something tapping me. I look up and it is a humanly sized phone. I was extremely surprised and confused. He asks, “Do you know how long I have been standing here?” “No! What are you? Why are you here?”, I ask. “I am the Phone. I have been standing here for fifteen minutes and you were so engrossed in your phone that you didn't even notice me,” he says. I ask the Phone again, “Why are you here?”
He answers by saying, “I am here because you are obsessed with your phone. You are unbelievably consumed with social media. You are letting your life pass you by being more concerned about what's happening in other people's lives than your own. I am here to change that.”
I try to argue with the Phone, but he is very persistent. I told the Phone, “I am not obsessed with my phone or social media. I love my life, it is fine. I do not need you to help me.” The Phone rolls his eyes. Deep down I knew I needed help. I just did not want to admit to myself that I had a problem. The Phone told me he was going to make me see just how much my world revolves around my phone. The first step was to hand over my phone to him. This was extremely hard to do. I always have my phone. Next, the Phone checked the average amount of time I spend on my phone every day.  The average time was twelve hours! I can not believe it. This started to make me think, do I really spend half a day on my cell phone? The Phone says, “I want you to look at your friend’s social media and all of the things they are out doing and then, think if you have done any of these things.” As I am scrolling through all of my friend’s profiles, I realize I have not done any of the stuff they are doing. “You see, they are out having so much fun while you are sitting here watching them do it. Don’t you want to do that?”, the Phone says. “Of course I want to do that! Why am I not out there with them?” I finally grasp the point Phone is trying to make. I know he is right and I need to have a change in my life. The Phone says, “I believe my work here is done and it is my time to go.” The Phone disappears.
After the Phone leaves, I turn my phone off and go to sleep. I wake up and do not even look at it. All day at school, and no phone. I am starting to enjoy the little things in life. I see more. I laugh more. While I am out at lunch with my friends I look over and to my surprise, I see the Phone again. I know the reason he is here is different than the last time. He is here to remind me of the progress I have made; where I started and where I am now. He helped me become aware of living in the moment and not through a screen. I look at him and mouth “thank you”. The Phone nods and disappears once again.

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