"I realized just how different I was"
"I realized just how different I was"
By T. Johnson
Last year, when I was fourteen years old, my family and I were part of a Missions Trip team that went to the Caribbean. One of the activities we did was going to schools and sharing our testimonies and messages before handing out Bibles. At one of those schools, I was talking with some girls my age and after chatting for a few minutes they asked me if I would return. I replied that I wouldn’t, but one of them suggested that we keep in touch online. “Do you have TikTok?” the oldest girl asked.
“No, I don’t,” I responded.
Another girl piped up: “Instagram?”
To that I had to say no.
“Well, why not? Surely you must have something.”
That I could answer. “My mom doesn’t want me to have social media,” I said. “And I might not even want it if I could.” All the girls I was talking to started whispering among themselves then, amazed and giggling. I could hear snatches of their words: “I’m twelve, and I have Instagram!” “Her mom doesn’t let her?!” “Why wouldn’t she want social media?” But before I could answer, my name was called and it was time to leave.
All throughout my teenage life, I’ve had lots of conversations like that one. I’ve always had to explain to people that I don’t have social media and, more recently, that I don’t even have a phone.
As a child, my parents were never ones for devices: a small, ancient iPad and an equally old iPod sufficed for many years before my mother bought an iPhone 4 to replace the iPod that had been sucked on by my baby sister. As time went on, my mom had to buy a new phone, so I received my first phone at the age of twelve. It was old and could do barely anything, but I did not care. It had a music app, a few games, a camera, stopwatch/alarm clock, and a notes app for writing. That was all I needed. And until a few months ago when my phone finally died, I was quite content. “Who needs the latest iPhone 14 or whatever they have now? I’d probably break it anyways,” I thought to myself.
When my family and I moved to Mexico in the fall of 2022, I realized just how different I was. Girls my age and younger sported the newest cell phone that they couldn’t even afford and had to be put on a payment plan for. Everywhere I looked, people stared at their phones: while walking around, shopping, relaxing in the pool, sitting at the beach, driving, etc. It made no sense to me why people would rather be glued to a screen than enjoy the fresh air, nature, or the company of others. Whenever I got together with other teens from church, it annoyed me that they would whip out their phones when they were bored. Being on your phone with other people is a little rude and antisocial; why would you go to an event just to stare at a screen? At the same time, I felt a little left out. People didn’t seem to realize that I was the only one without a phone.
However, I do use my fair share of tech. My family and I like to watch funny old TV shows and entertaining videos. The important point is to limit the use of devices and attempt to replace devices in the household with other options. A pad of paper can be used in place of a list on the phone; a board game or fun family activity can replace watching a movie or show. When I find that I’ve been spending excessive amounts of time on a device, I try to take a break from the screen and take a bike ride or go for a walk and enjoy some fresh air. For me, “excessive” means over two hours straight. Yet it depends on the activity I am engaging in: mindlessly scrolling on social media is not very worthwhile and watching a tutorial or something similar is.
Whatever option I choose, the central thought is to limit and reduce device usage to maintain a healthy and vibrant lifestyle.
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