You know how they say it takes 21 days to develop or get rid of a habit?? I guess I lost the habit of being attached to my phone but I developed the habit of always checking my social media accounts. I use Facebook more than anything to connect with peers, but if I want to discover anything interesting or see what’s going on in the world or the news, I turn to Twitter or Tumblr which then take me to other websites I browse through like Consequence of Sound, NPR, Highexistence among others..

Social media is a huge part of our world now. We wouldn’t know what was going on half way across the world if we didn’t have it. We wouldn’t even be interested in politics the way we are now. We wouldn’t even know where our old classmates are at in life if it wasn’t for social media deeming high school reunions pointless. On the other hand, too much social media can lead to depression on account of having expectations and comparisons to those of other people online.

I want to know what you guys think of the impact social media has had on our society. Good or bad? What impact it has had on our generation and the generations to come? Has it effected our ways of communication or has it improved? 

First road trip I have taken without the use of a GPS or smartphone.

It was eye opening. Lucky for me I already know how to get to San Antonio but where 281 ends and all the other high ways begin, I'm shit out of luck. I didn't think I could do it, to be honest. I wrote the instructions from google maps down before I left home and told my brother I'd be there in 4 hours. Coming and leaving SA was the hard part cause I took so many wrong exits trying to head south. Without the comfort of a GPS telling me where to go, I felt helpless and frustrated at times. I stopped at a store for directions to the hospital when I first got there, and the guy I asked just looked at me and asked me why I didn't have a GPS. (???)  Finding your way around is not that difficult if you're already familiar with the place. I would not do it in completely unknown territory. I'd lose my mind!!
That comfort and that fear right there is the result of a society and generation dependent on technology. And that's all of us and that's scary. If I'm gonna keep up this whole "disconnection" from technology, I'm gonna need to learn to read a map.

Also not being able to reach anybody when you're in a different city for anything really sucks. I don't know how people did it back then to travel or tell somebody they are somewhere so they can meet up. I had a hard time being stuck out of my brother's apartment with no way in and no way of reaching my dad to know where he was at with the key. Like NO WAY. They don't have payphones anywhere. I had to wait for EVER!!

If you try it, I'm sure you'll live. It just takes a lot of patience.

If you don't really know the place you're going to, please take a map and bring somebody with you. It's better to be lost with somebody than to be lost alone. And ALWAYS bring a selection of good music cause it's gonna be a long drive.

"It's been 168 hours..."

  That's a week. It sounds like a life time, especially when I throw that number in there, luckily for me with school and work I didn’t have much time to fret over my little handheld device. I have said this before and I will say it again cause it’s true, my focus for tasks have just gone through the roof. I’m surprised at how fast I’ve gotten stuff done lately and guys, knowing me I’m the biggest procrastinator in the world!!

 I did have trouble reaching out to classmates to meet deadlines during the week so that was really the only part that sucked. But I do recommend turning it off when you want to get some actual work done. Turn it off and put it in a drawer somewhere and forget about it for a while. Seriously, it really helps.

 I don't think we fully comprehend how much time is wasted just scrolling online or texting away. The days don't go by slow (for me) but they don't go by fast either. It just passes but you don't notice every single hour go by. We probably check our phone a thousand times a day and by doing so we unintentionally measure the time in the day. Think about it. We live around the clock accustomed to a certain schedule in which we based our lives around. I've found that it makes me anxious. 

 Also it's nice to put your phone down and participate in actual conversations with people. For those that are on their phones while hanging out with friends, you should really put it away. It's rude talking to somebody and then they go and stare at their phone while talking to you. My friend did it to me and I wanted to punch him in the face. Not really (sort of) but damn, in person conversations have become scarce. Even writing phone numbers down is a lost art. The ripped paper or a napkin with pen ink and the person's number on it. My friend gave me his number so I have it on my mirror. It looks cool on there cause it looks like I still got it ;) but in reality he's my gay coworker. Still looks like I got a dude's number though. 

So, ironically, this past weekend I ended up losing my phone somewhere in Mcallen on Saturday night. So I now inadvertently and officially disconnected myself. Way to go, Mel. -.- 

I'm not too torn up about it, I just feel dumb the way I lost it. Might have been in a 7-11 bathroom or maybe deep inside the crevices of my car. All I know is I don't have it anymore. 

My main concern is just privacy issues, but I know I don't save any important passwords on my phone or have any nudes or whatever. And I had to buy an actual alarm clock at 3 am to wake up for work at 6 am. I was so tired and over it, I didn't finish setting it up. 

If anything, my only form of communication now is just Facebook, my email or real life. 

Now I have a legitimate excuse to not answer any calls from work. :) 

Man but was my day at work super productive since I didn't have it to distract me. I need to be like that more.