It took me eight years. Apple introduced the first generation of the iPhone in 2007. Since then, almost everyone around me, regardless of age, personality or race, held the small and incredibly thin technological wonder: a smartphone. And now, during the spring of 2015, I finally had the urge to catch the trend and purchased an iPhone 6.

It has been about two to three weeks since I’ve bought the smartphone. I did not feel any tremendous changes by the sudden transition, but I did take note of some of the subtle differences in my lifestyle. The first noticeable change that I experienced was the amount of time I spent on the Internet. With a smartphone on hand, I was more easily attracted to exploring the Internet during my free time. Before I had a phone, I was one of a rare ones that actually ate lunch during lunchtime when I somehow had no other homework to finish. Now, regardless of the amount of free time I had, I was more inclined to use my phone to check out the latest news.

It feels rather strange and uncomfortable that I am becoming one of those many people around the world who only hug their phones and become abnormally immersed into their screens. I didn’t even have the chance to download any additional apps into my phone, but I still felt the increased amount of time that I was spending on technology every day.

Why is technology so addictive?

It is a question that I still have difficulties responding to. Maybe it lies in its comfort, convenience and the wonder we feel from its complexity. Technology has been and will continue to define the 2000s. We truly live in the generation of the digital world, with technology as our first-hand aid and friend.

Today, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to halt the progress of technology simply by asserting that they may pose risks for human communication and interaction. However, after my brief encounter with an iPhone, I realize every day and minute the ingenuity of smartphones, but more importantly, the sheer brilliance of face-to-face, human-to-human communication.

I am not still certain about how I would change in the future with a smartphone on my hand. I may still use it as an un-smart, no-fun and no-apps-downloaded phone only used for calls, or actually have the patience to download some useful apps for entertainment. Regardless of what kinds of decisions I make, I most certainly hope that I don’t forget to say “Hello” and “Bye” to my friends when I see them on the hallways, not on the static, two-dimensional screen.