In a world dominated by smartphones, I remain stuck in the past. My phone does not have Internet capabilities, cannot send out Snapchats and cannot upload photos to Instagram. The extent of my cellular abilities is small: I can text, call, and take grainy pictures that look like they’re from the ‘80s.

I believe that my cell phone might actually be the worst phone in all of Churchill. It certainly isn’t sleek or sexy like the iPhone and Droid. The battery is held in place by a piece of duct tape. There are countless scratches on it, and in certain lighting, the screen is impossible to read. But soon things will be different.

After two years of owning the most useless phone in existence, I am finally giving in to the future and trading my piece of junk for a new iPhone. But, as I prepare for my upcoming upgrade, I have been reflecting on some of the benefits of having a phone that  is simply just a phone.

Despite my phone not having many of the resources of smartphones, it  has served me well throughout high school. I have been able to call and text with relative ease, remain undistracted by tweets and notifications when it is time to study, and have been happily unaffected by the lack of available WiFi at CHS.

Though smartphones have many incredible capabilities, it seems that many people make the mistake of thinking that they need smartphones to live their daily lives. With a constant stream of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchats and more, people hardly have time to look at the world around them.

Whenever I see people who are in awkward or boring situations, such as a long line at the DMV or even while waiting to get a Big Mac, I often see them immediately take out their smartphones and immerse themselves in apps, games and the internet. With the mass production of iPhones, Galaxies and Droids, it has become socially acceptable in our society to interact with a screen instead of interacting with the people around us.

Another thing I have noticed about smartphones is the frequency of cracks, dents and scratches that appear only weeks after being purchased. After encountering many perilous situations involving my phone, including being dropped in two swimming pools, falling from high places numerous times, and even having become a chew toy for my dog, I can proudly say that it still works in close to perfect condition.

Because of my phone’s toughness, I have grown used to treating it recklessly without having fear of it breaking. I have played catch with it, and regularly flip it into the air. On the off chance that it happens to fall I can be confident that it will work fine. Throughout all my abuses, my phone never broke and never cracked. It just keeps on going.

Though I am prepared and excited for an upgrade to my old phone, I also realize that I will need to be more careful with my new technology. I know it will be fun to take advantage of all the new opportunities that the iPhone will offer, but I will still keep in mind the benefits of having a phone from the so-called stone age.