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MeaghanMcGann
MediaStudies
MeInMediaPaper
Tuesday,September9,2014
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MyNotSoSmartPhoneandI

MyparentsgottheirfirstcellphonewhenIwasinfourthgrade.Theyearwaseither
2003or2004.Idontrememberthinkingmuchaboutitatthetimebeyondtheusuallittlekid
excitementovernewthings.Cellphoneswerecoolbecausetheywerehightechwalkietalkies,
andwhattenyearoldkiddoesntwantawalkietalkie?(Actually,Ithinkfourthgradewasthe
yearIdidgetawalkietalkiespykit.MybestfriendandIwouldpretendweweresecretagents
andwouldspendhoursmakingupsecretcodesandspyingonoursiblings.)Withinayear,my
parentsdecidedthesenewfangledcellphoneswerenotworththetroubleandendedupreverting
backtorelianceonourhousephone.
Lifewentonitsmerrywayuntilthespringofmysixthgradeyearwhenmydaddecided
thatheandmymomshouldgetcellphonesagain.(ThistimeIrememberbeingreallyexcited
aboutmyparentspurchase.BythensomeofmymiddleschoolfriendswerestartingtogetIn
CaseofEmergencycellphones.Theywouldwhipthemoutandverysolemnlyexplainthatif
anythingweretoeverhappen,theycouldusethesephonestocalltheirparents.Inreality,weall
knewthattheywerereallyusingthesephonesforplayingtetrisandforprankcallingeachother
onSaturdaynights.)Mymomwasoutoftown,somydadwenttothelocalRadioShackand
signedupforaSprintMobilePhoneplan.Hegothimselfablackphoneandmymomthesame


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modelinpink.Bothphonesstillhadantennasandtheydefinitelydidnothavetexting
capabilities.
BythetimeIwasineighthgrade,mostofmyfriendshadcellphones.Notonlydidthey
havecellphones,butalotofthemwerestartingtotextaswell.Idontthinkanyofthemhad
smartphonesyet.Eighthgradewasalsotheyearmyoldersister,whowasaseniorinhigh
school,gotacellphone.Thiswasabigdealinmyfamily.Havingacellphonewasaprivilege
andnotanecessityinmyhome.Shecouldcallpeople,butmyparentswerestillprettyhesitant
abouttexting.AtthispointIthinkpeoplebegantoassumethatifyouhadacellphoneyoucould
text.Iremembermysisterwouldsometimesgettextsandmyparentswouldnotbethehappiest
abouttheextraphonecharges.
IfirststartedreallywantingacellphonewhenIenteredintohighschool.Iwenttoa
privateChristianschoolandifIremembercorrectly,thirtythreeoutofthethirtyfivestudentsin
myclasshadcellphonescellphoneswithtextingofcourse.IfeltlikeIwasmissingoutonalot
ofthesocializationoutsideofschoolbecauseIdidnthaveaninformalwayofcommunicating
withmyclassmates.Textingwasbecomingaverydominantmodeofsocialization,oneinwhich
Ihadnomeanstoparticipate.Mydesiregrewmostintensewhenmyninthgradecrushaskedme
formynumberandIhadtotellhimthatIdidnthaveacellphone.Afterthatyoucanbesurethe
campaigningstarted.
Christmasofmysophomoreyear,myparentsfinallydecidedtogetridofthehouse
phoneandgetaVerizonfamilyplan,completewithunlimitedtextingforallsixofus.Thiswasa
verybigdealformyfamily.Forthefirstmonthorsoweweresoenamoredwiththenewworld
oftextingthatwewouldsometimesallsitatourkitchentableandtexteachother.Thatsounds


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veryweird,anditprobablywas.Myonlyexcuseisthatwewereallverynewtotheartoftexting
etiquette.
Thinkingback,Imactuallyalittleshockedbyhowmuchthischangedthingsintermsof
thewayIsocializedwithpeople.IfImbeingcompletelyhonest,mymainreasonforwantinga
cellphonewassothatIcouldtalktoboysoutsideofschool.Havingacellphonedidntchange
muchabouthowItalkedtomygirlfriendsithadalwaysbeeneasytocallthemuponthehouse
phone.Ontheotherhand,callingaboyonthehousephonewouldhaveseemedlikeavery,very
bigdeal.Intermsofmalefemalesocializationtalkingonthehousephonehadbeenout,and
theresonlysomuchFacebookchattingyoucandobeforeyourmomtellsyoutogetoffthe
computer.Somethingabouttextingfitsverywellintothewayhighschoolboysandgirlswantto
communicate.Textinghasbecomethemosteasilyaccessibleandmostviablesolutiontothe
inevitablehighschoolawkwardnessbetweenguysandgirls.Itisinformal,yetalotmoreprivate
thantalkingonthephone.Itcarriesalotlesspressurethantalkinginperson,becauseyouhave
timetothinkofyourresponses.Manypeoplefinditeasiertobeboldovertextthaninreallife.
Actually,Ifinditbothamazinganddisconcertinghowmanypeoplewhoareperfectlyadeptat
conversationovertextfinditnearlyimpossibletocarryonaconversationfacetoface.
Interestinglyenough,soonafterIgotacellphone,Istartedmakingfriendswithgreater
genderdiversity.BeforethisIhadbeenveryshyandtimidaroundtheoppositegender,butover
textitbecamemucheasiertoovercomemyshyness.SomethingthatIespeciallylovedasI
learnedaboutthesocializationoftextingwashowhumorchangedovertext.Timingandtone
dontmatterasmuchintext,asdoclevernessandwordplay.Whileinperson,manypeoplesaw
measveryseriousandquiet,overtextpeoplethoughtIwasactuallyfunny.Itwaseasierforme


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tobecomefriendswithboysbecauseIfeltmuchmoresafeandalotlesspressurebehindthe
textingscreen.Overthecourseofmyfirstyearofhavingacellphone,Istartedandendedtwo
differentrelationships.Whileothervariablesmighthavebeenpresent,obtainingthemeansto
talktotheothergenderwasdefinitelythemostinfluentialfactorinthissituation.
Currently,Idontownasmartphone.Idonthaveanextremelygreatdesirefora
smartphone.Yes,partofmelovestheideaofhoweasilyaccessiblemostthingsbecomewitha
smartphone.However,therearetwobighesitationsinthissituationthatmightsoundridiculous
yetneverthelessremaintrue.ThefirstisthatIdontwanttogetaddicted.Ifeelthatsomany
peoplewhoareontheirsmartphones,arealwaysontheirsmartphones.Thisleadstothesecond
hesitation:Idontwanttolosetheabilitytobepresent.Ibelievethatitremainsmucheasierfor
metobepresentwhenIdonthaveaccesstoaconstantsourceofentertainmentandinformation.
Additionally,duplicitousasitmaybe,mostofmyfriendshavesmartphonessousuallyIcanstill
accessalltheusefulperkswithouttheburdenofactuallyowningone.
Irealizethatnothavingasmartphonehasputmesomewhatbehindintermsofsocial
mediaandotherculturaltrends.IhaveaFacebook,butIrarelygoonandIalmostneverupdate
mystatus.IdonthaveaPinterest,Instagram,orTwitteraccount.Idontfollowanyoneon
YouTubeorTumblr.Iseeboththepositivesandnegativesofthis.Ivecometoan
attachedannoyancewithmycurrentcellphone.IunderstandIneedittocommunicatewithmy
peersandeventocommunicateprofessionally.However,sincecomingtocollege,wherepeople
areliterallyeverywhere,Idmuchrathertalkfacetofacethanthroughascreen.