The first time I handled a phone, the phone was not even mine. It belonged to my mum and it was a Nokia 3310 device. At that time, that was the reigning phone. Nine out of ten people owned that phone and so I considered myself fortunate to also be using the phone. When I finally got my own phone, it was like Christmas in July for me.
I would be seen everywhere with it and you would see me either typing away, playing games or watching movies on my phone. I initially thought the reason for being so close to my device was to keep it safe, keep my private stuff from prying eyes and minds and also keep it thieves. Well, it soon became a habit, one that I'm not ashamed to say because I know that I'm not the only one in that boat.
After God, my phone is my everything. It is my office, my Bible, my library, my game port, my friends zone, my bank, my wallet, my movie house, my investment room and so much more. I always pray daily that evil eyes do not see my phone because if any mishap were to occur to or with my phone, I wouldn't know where to start from (especially with the high cost of phones now in my country).
I can stay away from my phone for more than one hour but that's usually when I'm in church. My church service lasts for about three hours in which my phone would either be charging or in my bag.
I literally wake up to check the time on my phone. My devotional apps are on my phone. So that implies that I need my phone to begin my day. From there, I start replying to messages on my social media handles and then,if there is an online prompt to attend to, I get on with it.
I am always with my phone even when I'm bathing, my phone is there beside me playing cool songs as I enjoy my bath. I trust no one with my phone and so I go with it everywhere. There was a time when thieves were going from house to house, stealing people's phones in the dead of night. I needed to keep my phone safe and so I devised a means.
I bought a men's shorts that had pockets and wore it every night. I would keep my phone in one of the pockets, zip it up and sleep. Thankfully, the robbery stopped and I could stop sleeping with a phone in my pocket but I still keep my phone next to my pillow. It gives me a sense of security, hehe.
Is my phone reliance concerning?
I won't lie. My phone reliance is concerning. Sometimes, I would like to drop my phone and do other things but I'll find that everywhere is boring which would need me to grab my phone and begin some activities. Even when I'm having conversations with my offline pals, you would still see me pressing my phone.
I am currently having eye troubles now and I know that it is as a result of the amount of time I spend on my phone. I never allow my phone battery go flat as I am always with my 20,000mah power bank. Even while charging, I'm on my phone either watching a movie, chatting or blogging.
Even my lesson notes are on my phone for when I need to teach my students. I have long stopped using hardcopy lesson notes to teach.
I doubt that there is anything that I do that my phone is not by my side or with me. I can only hope and pray that my phone does not become my undoing.
Thanks for reading. This is my response to the #hivelearners weekly initiative for week 169 e2
First image imagined with Meta Ai
2nd Image is mine.