Not Without My Phone

Silence is golden, duct tape is silver. Actually, duct tape comes in a lot of colors nowadays. It’s great. I love it. Give me some duct tape and cardboard and I’m a happy camper. Even then, I have to have my cell phone with me. Even if I am not on it or using it, it has to be near me. I have left my house a couple of times without my wallet and panicked slightly but if I leave without my cell phone, my life is over. I can’t function, I feel completely naked and vulnerable. I didn’t even really have a cell phone until I was in my 30’s and even then, I barely used it. It was a cool thing to have but half the time I forgot I even had one. All that time I spent wondering around life with no cell phone, how the hell did I function? My dependency on my cell phone is so ridiculous that I can’t even go to the bathroom without it. I will put the situation on hold and go run and grab my cell phone and then run back to the toilet. Ten minutes later, I have lost all feeling in my legs. I am always in a hurry and never have time for anything but God forbid I pick up my phone and start scrolling, checking messages or playing a game and time gets lost. It is hard to believe that I lived for so long without one.

In 2012 Time Mobility did a poll asking this very question. 84% of the people surveyed said they couldn’t go a single day without their mobile device in their hand. 25% of people couldn’t go without checking their phone every 30 minutes and 20% every ten minutes. This was in 2012. I looked up newer stats but nothing came up and when I put poll in the search terms, I got a whole bunch of stuff about the election. I got irritated and stopped looking. 2012 is probably when my addiction to my cellphone began. I had a touch screen and spent most of my time playing mobile games like candy crush and basketball. It wasn’t anything like it is now.

I did not know this term existed, but I am not surprised. The term is nomophobia. It is the fear of being without, or losing your mobile phone. If you ever reach into your pocket and experience immediate panic, that is nomophobia. Cell phones are now categorized as our digital security blanket. We literally take them everywhere with us and any time we don’t have them we can experience separation anxiety. It is absolutely amazing what we can do on our phones. I can record, edit and upload my podcast from my phone. I can record, edit and upload my YouTube videos. I work from my phone, do bible studies on my phone, socialize on my phone and play games on my phone. I even host a radio show from my phone. It is actually the only way to do it on Stationhead. I am one of those people that was to rewind a show because I missed something because I was on my phone and then I miss it again and have to rewind again. I get so caught up on my phone sometimes while I am watching TV, I hit pause and by the time I look up at the TV again, I forget what I was watching or what happened and usually have to start the show over again, or rewind a bit more to refresh my memory. I am undoubtedly dependent on my cell phone. It is the last thing I touch before I go to bed and the first thing I pick up when I wake up in the morning. I have spent more than half my life off the grid and functioned just fine. The world has obviously changed a lot and if I had to go off the grid now, I would be horrified and broke.

If you had to choose between running water and electricity and a cell phone, which one would you choose? Some might say, “You need electricity to charge your phone,” good point. But as long as you have a charger you can plug in anywhere. I imagine most of us would choose running water and electricity. Surprisingly enough, when I lived down in Mexico, I saw quite a few people who lived in shacks. I’m talking pieces of an old shed pieced together, no roofs, no water or electricity, most of the kids were outside didn’t have shoes on. It’s tragic that people live like that, but they do. What is shocking is how many of these people had cell phones. I would see some of them standing at the streetlights, cleaning people’s windows and later walking around on their cell phone. From what I read, this is something that is common in a lot of third world countries. I guess it is cheaper than living expenses.

A friend of mine just the other day left her house and forgot her phone. She was gone for three hours and she said she felt lost and naked. I think the only time I am not on my phone is when I am creating and recording or in the shower. What is funny is I have felt phantom vibrations in the shower. Phantom phone vibration is a real thing. It is an actual syndrome. Phantom phone vibration syndrome. I have experienced phantom phone vibration for years. I have actually had someone sitting next to me and feel my pocket vibrate and then trip out when they see my phone in my hand. I think they left something inside of me when I had my gall bladder taken out because I even set the detector at airports. Every time and always in the same place, where my gall bladder used to be. I couldn’t go off the grid if I wanted to. Reminds me of that scene from Total Recall when Arnold Schwarzenegger pulls the tracker out through his nose. Completely off topic, they are sending out emails looking for research subjects to test a vaccine. Don’t do it. It is a set up and they are going to put a tracker in you and later have the ability to activate some alter ego they control completely and then force you to riot and destroy small businesses. I’m joking but I am not. I don’t trust them. Referencing my very first podcast, when it comes to gender there are only two options male and female. Had to throw that in there.

I don't think cell phones are evil. I think as long as you have your priorities straight there is nothing to worry about. If you are like me and you work from home then there is nothing to worry about. Do what you do when you do what you do. I think if I didn’t have a cell phone then my whole life would be consumed with duct tape and cardboard. Yep, I am one of those people. I have had people complain that I am on my phone and not paying attention to them and you know what my response to that is, I will put it down for something interesting. Spark up a good conversation or something and you have my undivided attention. But if you are just going to sit there looking the way you do then I have a high score to beat. If you are sitting down having a family dinner then put the cell phones away and enjoy one another’s company. It does not matter if you’re kids are young or older, that family time can never be replaced and will forever be cherished. They may not realize it yet, but those times will be cherished. We should never sacrifice human interaction for technology. Especially, since they want to eventually force the vaccine on everyone and launch the one world order. I’m just kidding, but I’m not though. All those sci-fi shows and movies are happening. They use TV, streaming platforms and the movie theater as a way to play out different scenarios so they know which way to go.

Before I end this, my podcast is now available on YouTube. My podcast is also available on most platforms including Apple, Spotify, Google, Castbox, Amazon Music, iHeart radio and many, many more. Search Tornado Torres. I will be resuming the radio show in January. In the meantime, look for episodes every Monday and Friday morning. Taking five minutes in the morning to start and finish your week with a little bit of motivation. Not a lot just a lil bit. Peace out and don’t hoard toilet paper.

tornadotorres.com