I’m a chilled girl in high school. Many of my friends have smartphones, and it would be normal for me to have one too. I definitely have a pull to get one and be on all the chats and share clips.

My parents are okay with me getting a smartphone, but the resistant one is me. I watch a lot of my friends and the adults around me, seemingly chained to their phones. When we hang out, many of my friends are constantly checking their phones, and it looks like they can’t control it.

I want to be present when I am with people I like to be around. My choice is to zone in and not zone out.

So, for the moment, I am sticking with a boring flip phone so I can be my own person and not be controlled by my phone. We’ll see how long I can hold out. Wish me luck!