Photo by Blake Hershberger.
“I’ve never had a cell phone,” explained Emily Rush, junior English education major.
People are often shocked when they hear this.
For example, during the summer when Rush was a camp counselor, the third and fourth graders, who have grown up in a world of technology, didn’t believe she did not have a cell phone. They thought she was lying and could not wrap their mind around the idea not having one.
Not having a cell phone isn’t a big deal, Rush explained. It is not something you need and you can get by fine without one.
Rush doesn’t necessarily reject a cell phone because of time wasting or cost, either. She explained that while she might waste more time if she got a cell phone, she already has fallen into that “trap” with her computer. Cost is a bit more problematic since it is something she has not had to pay so far in her life.
Rush questioned, “Why add the cost now, while I’m in college, with all the other expenses?”
Overall, however, not having a cell phone, was not so much a choice, but something that just happened because Rush doesn’t view it as a necessity.
There was never a lot of pressure to get one from her family or friends. Her family had a landline, and her father had a cell phone for work. Rush’s brother eventually got a cell phone after getting his driver’s license. However, since Rush has yet to get her license, she never felt like she needed to get a cell phone.
Rush talks with her parents through Skype and email and uses Facebook with most everyone else. In the cases when she does need a phone, she relies on her friend, Katelyn Amstutz.
There has only been one semi-problematic moment that Rush can recall.
After coming back to her high school from a marching band competition around midnight, she didn’t know if her parents were picking her up or not. She had called them earlier, but they still were not there. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed go to her grandparents, who live close to the high school, or keep waiting. Ultimately, Rush decided to walk to her grandparents. While in that moment it would have been more convenient to have a cell phone, it was not a big problem. Rush explained that she is generally optimistic that things will just work out.
The only times Rush said she sees the appeal of having a cell phone is the moments when everyone else is on their phones. Often times, it is while people are waiting for something, like class to start or in a line to eat. Everyone is on their phones, but Rush, of course, does not have that option, which can be awkward.
Rush feels like she will probably need to get a cell phone eventually, whether it would be a result of living alone at some point or as a teacher. Text reminders, for example, are commonly used by teachers. As of now, however, she is content without one.
