If you had asked me a two days ago if I thought I was addicted to my iPhone, I would have sworn up and down that I wasn’t. I’m not sure, but even after this whole fiasco, I’d probably still try to argue that I’m not, but the bottom line is this: I rely on my phone to (unsuccessfully) wake me up for classes, tell me the time and keep me in contact with my family. It’s pretty important to me and now it’s dead (RIP).

Except for my first super-extravagant ASUS laptop, my iPhone 6+ was my first large purchase made with my own money. It was about five years ago now. I was working my first actual job, feeling like it was my birthday every time I got a paycheck. It is very safe to assume that I didn’t save a ton of money from my first job (or my second, or third). Unless, like in this particular predicament, I had a large purchase to make.

A brief history of my iPhones: I had an iPhone 4 that I thought was beautiful and miraculous, and I held on to it for two years until it slipped-and-slid into the toilet; I bought the iPhone 6+, newly released, as soon as I could and held onto that thing until a couple days ago.

I’m sad to announce, my iPhone has finally kicked the bucket after almost 5 years of service. The phone that had Siri to call me derogatory names, years worth of little blurbs of writing when I couldn’t find a pen and paper fast enough, thousands of photos. I’m not sure how I’m going to wake up without it—not because it was the first thing I looked at when I woke up, but because I literally used it as an alarm to wake me up.

I don’t miss it too, too much. I kind of miss my dictionary app. I know that sounds nerdy, but if you were ever reading something and you didn’t know a word, the app made it very easy to look up said word. And favorite words that you found that you liked—now, that is nerdy.

I’ve already come to terms with all the snap streaks that will die, the texts and calls that will go unanswered. I’m not very efficient at responding, anyway. What is bugging me is that I’m now using Facebook to keep in contact with my family, and I don’t like using Facebook at all. I don’t have anything to listen to music on when I’m on the go (I suddenly miss my iPod). I no longer have an alarm clock or a handheld dictionary at my disposal.

While I wouldn’t describe myself as addicted to my phone, I will admit I was dependent on it for a lot of daily tasks. Now I’ll have to wish my parents good morning via carrier pigeon, or something.

Megan Keane is a senior English and psychology major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or

mkkeane@eiu.edu.