On average, the normal American checks their phone once every 12 minutes, according to New York Post. Most teenagers are addicted to their phone and can’t last days or hours without giving in to the urge to check it.

I went on a 24 hour journey without using any cell phone. It lasted from 7 a.m. Nov. 8 to 7 a.m. on Nov. 9. The day brought many challenges and I had to improvise at several occasions.

The morning started out a lot more talkative than usual. My usual routine is to go into the ag room in the morning to sit and wake up by checking my phone and going on social media until the bell rings to go to class. Without my phone I engaged in several conversations and it made me smile a little more that morning from conversation.

Life doesn’t always go to plan. There are always unexpected events and obstacles in our daily lives. Since I do not have my license and attend various after school activities, I had to improvise when new things added on my to do list.

I had to go help gather supply for a meeting that was the next day after school, which meant catching a ride to the school farm and getting back to my house. I did not have the simple communication of texting a friend to give me a ride.

Thankfully, it turned out ok. My help was not needed to gather the supply; there was more people helping than expected. The normal plan I devised the day before went back to normal.

Throughout the day I felt more relaxed. I didn’t have the stress of Snapchatting someone back or wondering who posted what on Instagram. I got to enjoy some things I don’t usually notice everyday.

I payed more attention to the people all around me and engaged in plenty more conversations. I learned more about people and listened to stories that made me laugh and smile. Not being distracted by the little screen in my hand opened a door to a lot more awareness of the world.

The day without a cell phone definitely felt odd at the beginning of the day, but by the end I was more relaxed and learned more about others that I didn’t know before. I would definitely do this experiment again when I feel stressed out. I would recommend anyone to do this if they feel distracted everyday, constantly overwhelmed or stressed out, or just want to get to know the world a little bit more.