What would you do without your cell phone?

We live in such a technology driven society these days, where information is available at the tap of a few buttons on your iPhone. Maps can be conjured from your mobile device at will; no more driving around or stopping at sketchy gas stations rife with The Hitcher to ask for directions. You can even check into various locations around the world and let your closest 100 friends (and stalkers) know where you are at all times, just in case they were curious. In this world of technology and constant feeds of information, we have become obsessed with the need to know.

If you’re reading this, I’m going to make the assumption that you are old enough to remember a time before cell phones. Somewhere, deep in the dark corners of your mind, where you’ve banished memories that remind you of a time when, if you wanted to call a friend you had to memorize their phone number, hides the memory of life before cell service. Perhaps it’s time for a new horror genre: A Day Without Your Cell Phone. I think the title needs some work.

Most people, when pressed with the experience of forgetting their phone at home or losing it, turn all Psycho “Mother” or girl from The Exorcist on the world. They begin foaming at the mouth and waiting ever so impatiently for the next unsuspecting co-worker to come by in order to unleash their Carrie-esque fury. Oh the horror! So many little niches of your day in which you rely on that little piece of plastic to keep you connected with the world. Perhaps it’s not the loving device you imagine; perhaps it is in fact Rosemary’s Baby. I dare you to find a horror movie in which a cell phone does not lead at least one character into unsuspecting (or possibly suspecting) death due to dying battery or lack of cell service. Maybe the Scream franchise should add that to their Horror Movie Rules.

• Number 1: You can never have sex.
• Number 2: You can never drink or do drugs.
• Number 3: Never, ever, under any circumstances say, “I’ll be right back.”
• Let’s add Number 4: Always charge your cell phone, and don’t drive off into the deep, dark, death-inspiring woods.

I grew up in the Northwest, a part of the country in which many horror films are set (for good reason). It’s a beautiful area with gorgeous Evergreen trees surrounding the towns. These wonderfully brilliant trees also block a lot of the cell service in the area, which causes me a forced experience of the “day without my cell phone” each time I visit. I have since discovered the 3 locations in the house where I may make and receive phone calls and texts. With these kinds of odds, one would not survive long in my house if it were the setting of a horror film.

Our phones have become a hindrance as much as help in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I had a meal with friends when at least one person, if not everyone in the party (myself included) didn’t check their phone at least once during the meal. Without your phone, there would be no twitter, Facebook, or texting on the go. While you’re running your errands or on your way to or from the office, perhaps you will hear your favorite song on the radio, which you otherwise would have missed because you were tweeting about the world’s worst driver cutting you off. For many people, a day without their phone is a day in Misery. For this Clickster, a day without my cell phone is a day when I’m just not myself. But tomorrow is another day, and your cell phone, well, it’ll “be right back.”