My husband and I like to practice something called "slow tech." It's where we limit the use of cell phones, computers, iPads, iPods, or anything with a screen and then we act smug and judge people for not connecting to each other on a "human" level like we are. Aren't we just so above it all? That is until one Sunday afternoon when we were phone-less, frantically bumbling around the city like rabid animals searching for a pastrami sandwich at some place called Deli Board which ended up being a little dry. What I discovered was not just the obvious, which is that we are so dependent on our phones, but that the most simple tasks can drive you absolutely mad. For example, without my phone, I became obsessed with the time. Like, I had no idea what time it was throughout the day and it completely stressed me out. I didn't even have anywhere to be, I just had to know! Or going to the movies. Sounds good right? Sure, let's look up some times, oh I can't, I don't have my phone. Or finding the sandwich shop, where the fuck is it? I don't know, I don't have my phone. Where are we? I don't know, I don't have my phone. Let's call an Uber to get ourselves home. I can't, I don't have my phone. Forget it, let's just get to a bus stop and take public transportation back. Hello, I can't find the bus stop, because, you guessed it, I don't have my phone!!!! Sure we may be slaves to our phones, but I got a little taste of living back in 1998 and it was bitter. Some guy even had the audacity to tell me that the shop was "south of the northeast corner" of some street. Like anyone knows what that even means.
