I’m a Millennial Who Quit Phone Service

[mouakter14]

As a Millennial, I’ve always been surrounded by technology. I grew up in the age of flip phones, texting abbreviations, and social media that evolved with us. For years, I assumed my phone number was an essential part of who I was—something I couldn’t live without. But a few months ago, I decided to cut the cord. I quit my phone service entirely. No more personal number, no more roaming charges, no more plan fees. Instead, I’ve embraced email, messaging apps, and a few online services to keep in touch with the world around me. To be honest, I expected to feel disconnected, but what I found was surprisingly liberating.

The process of quitting my phone service wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. The hardest part was getting used to explaining to people why I wasn’t reachable by phone anymore. At first, some friends and family didn’t take me seriously, but I quickly found that with a little planning, I could still be just as accessible, if not more so, through email and messaging apps like WhatsApp or Signal. I made sure to notify anyone important ahead of time, giving them alternative ways to contact me. It wasn’t an instant transition, but after a few weeks, I found that the world didn’t crumble because I wasn’t glued to my phone. In fact, I found that special database I had a lot more control over my time.

As a Millennial, I was raised in the “always on” culture of social media, instant messaging, and constant notifications. And while technology has made our lives more convenient in many ways, I realized it also brought a lot of unnecessary noise. My phone was always buzzing, whether it was work messages, social media updates, or random spam calls. Quitting phone service gave me back a sense of privacy and focus that I hadn’t realized I’d been missing. It turns out, I didn’t need constant access to a phone number to stay connected—I just needed a bit more intention in how I engage with the world. I can’t say I’ll never go back to a phone number in the future, but for now, living without it has been a surprisingly peaceful and fulfilling choice.