In this age of technological advancements, people from all generations can be seen with a phone glued to their hands. However, growing up in the age of technology, the younger generations have absolutely no clue what life looks like without technology in their lives. 

Annie Scepkova, a sophomore at Key West High School (KWHS), explained how much time she spends each day on her phone. “My weekly [average screentime] is about 72 hours, and I’ve watched and read articles about how bad it is to be on my phone so much, but it doesn’t really bother me.”

Growing up with technology in their lives, high schoolers take this luxury for granted. Scepkova elaborates on what life without a phone feels like: “When I don’t have my phone I feel like I’m forgetting something. If my dad takes my phone away then it’s even worse because when I’m not allowed to have it, it makes me want it more… I feel like my whole life is in there.” 

She continues, “I know it’s not good, but it’s addicting because I get to see what people are doing and I won’t be left out, or not in the loop.”

Aleksandra Turek, a junior at KWHS, relates to Scepkova about the feeling of being left out when not active online. “I start to get anxious, I feel as if I’m out of the loop on what’s going on,” stated Turek, “I’m scared I’ll miss out on something important, a phone call from a relative or an emergency text from a friend. It’s too big of a risk to not have my phone sometimes because I’m scared something will happen and I won’t be aware.”

 While many feel this way, others like to use technology for the bare minimum. Gracie Lechnar, another sophomore at KWHS, shared that she simply “…likes being in touch with friends” while she’s online. 

Whether it’s overused, underused, or used just enough, the majority of humanity has become accustomed to and dependent on this technology. This reliance on phones and other forms of technology has transformed what everyday life looks like.