Welcome to our first edition of "Ask a Millennial!" I'm introducing this feature to help bridge the generation gap and give Generation X folks insight into the Millennial mind of "Megan R." Read on!
Q. Do you ever wonder what life would be like without iPhones, and does any part of you wish you could experience that - even for a day?
I've experienced it and wouldn't wish that on anyone.
I would love to experience life without social media (e.g. Instagram and Facebook) for a month, but when it comes to being phone-less, it often creates more stress than it's worth. I'm all for reducing screen-time for kids, but losing an iPhone as an adult is a true handicap in 2018.
If you ever lose or forget your phone for a day, there's a high chance your friend will cancel plans last minute or change the meeting place within 15 minutes of meeting up. Even worse, the Vice President at work will text you at 7:00 am with a request to call her ASAP, or you'll miss a notification from Capital One alerting you about unusual activity on your credit card! Most importantly, how will you get anywhere efficiently without Google maps?
There's a legitimate argument that the internet prevents us from thinking for ourselves, and that the information overload phenomenon leads to more anxiety and depression than happiness. However, it has changed our ability to gain answers, analyze situations from multiple angles, and find options at our fingertips. Some options are unfortunate, like swiping rather than talking to someone in person for a date, or bailing last minute on a friend. Others are beneficial, like being able to drive somewhere new without getting lost or making spontaneous plans in minutes.
There's more knowledge to be had than in any other lifetime, and if we learn to make that work for us rather than against us, we can stop hating on instant gratification and start becoming more confident in ourselves and the advancements in technology.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
Have a question for "Ask a Millennial?" Submit it to GenXGirlsGrowUp@gmail.com, and Megan R. may answer it in a future post!
