If you’re like me you might not like the feeling of that extra barrier of protection. Some people will even say that it gets in the way and is so unnatural. One thing is for sure, there’s nothing like the exhilarating feeling of not having protection. The smoothness, the sleek texture, and of course the ever-present fear of… oops.
Recently I removed my protective phone case, I have an elder statesman model of the iPhone, it’s a 12 don’t worry but it's refurbished and still looks new. I’m at the age now where I don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest phone, just something that can make calls, texts and check my email then inevitably spend an unhealthy amount of mind-numbing hours flipping through social media.
Capitalism is a weird thing and social media just exacerbates it, telling the consumer that they’re not cool if they don’t have the latest and greatest. We’ve been tricked into thinking our old phones aren't as good as the new ones. I’m here to tell you they are just fine. It’s weird but a lot of phone cases make your phone look older than it is and in my case (no pun intended) it gets my phone dirty.
While some might see it as a symbol of status, I simply like the design of the phone so having to hide it daily wasn’t very fun to me as well as having to take it out of the case to clean it weekly. While I believe you should protect your “investment” since phones are damn near $1000 these days, you should also enjoy it. Cell phones are a necessity in this day and age and while retailers and phone companies want you to keep buying their latest product, you simply don’t have to. Unless of course you drop it and crack the screen or something.
Which brings me to the importance of screen protectors. This may be the only protection I believe my phone needs. My hands and face are greasy all the time according to my phone screen and if I’m trying to read a WSJ article or let’s be honest watch a TikTok video while brushing my teeth I want my super retina XDR OLED display to be protected. In all my years of having a touchscreen-based device, I’ve only cracked one screen. Most phones are built for the long haul. It’s the innards that sometimes need some updating.
If you’re still on the fence about your phone case, take it from one of the smartest people on the planet. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is also a part of the caseless revolution. His thought on the matter is that when you first purchase your phone, you should handle it excessively like a soldier training with their weapon. You should get used to having the phone in your hand and are less likely to drop it. Just make sure to take it off your lap before getting out of the car, that gets me every time.
