The Smartphone Recall
From pixels to presence (Letter 261)
Inspired by Jo from Little Women , the movie I recently watched, this is the first fictional piece I’ve ever shared here. I wrote it a couple months ago, tucked it away, and now feels like the right time to bring it out.
It’s about a girl, a phone, and what we trade for convenience. I hope it sparks something in you, too.
Meet Cassie.
~~~
Fifteen years ago, on a chilly morning, a thirteen-year-old girl tore the snowman wrapping paper from the best present of her life: a little white box with a black device inside. An iPhone 4.
Cassie was hooked. She traced her fingers over the glass, downloaded games, filmed her cat Princess, and snapped photos of sparkly snow. Then, something magical happened. The awkward girl in hot pink Pacsun skinny jeans, multi-colored Uggs, and a teal tie-dye Aeropostale t-shirt suddenly became interesting. People wanted to sit next to her and be in her photos. Popularity, in pixels.
With the Internet in her pocket, boredom became obsolete. Games in the bathroom, mirror selfies in gym class, videos of dance routines, texts at all hours. Endless notifications. Endless validation. That little black device became her self-esteem.
That same year, for Freshman English, Cassie wrote a research paper on the benefits of technology. She argued, “The upside to cell phones is that no one ever has to be bored to death anymore because they are always entertained.”
Back then, humans were in control. Smartphones were just tools.
Now, the roles have flipped. Smartphones are in control.
Fifteen years later, Cassie’s iPhone 4 has evolved into an iPhone 14 Pro. They are inseparable.
Could she live without it?
How dare Apple recall her lover.
Without it, how would she survive? No Google Maps to get to the grocery store. No ApplePay Wallet to scan for her hazelnut light ice macchiato with oat milk from Starbucks. No Google Translate to converse with the Thai barista. No calculator to configure the tip. No AirDrop to get photos from friends. No massive red bubble of notifications to wake up to from group chats. No remote business sales were made. No two-factor authentication for her Roth IRA. No midnight notes typed in a haze of anxiety. No Strava to map out her runs. No FaceTime. No Spotify. Would she buy CDs? Would she be left out again?
But what would she gain?
Perhaps, attention is reclaimed.
Deeper relationships, not endless check-ins. A physical tuner for her ukulele. A dedicated voice recorder for her music and podcasts. Printed boarding passes. More mental math problems to solve. A pocket notebook for thoughts instead of an endless Notes app graveyard. Plans that actually happen—no last-minute cancellations. The end of hookup culture.
Maybe, instead of handing her little cousin an iPad, Cassie would push her on a swing.
A life without a smartphone—lacking stimulation but filled with something else: idleness, boredom, stillness.
Maybe, just maybe, this recall wouldn’t be devastation at all.
A much-needed liberation.
A wake-up call.
A chance to remember what it feels like to be fully alive—without a screen mediating every moment.
~~~
I don’t usually write fiction, but something about this story lingered long enough that I had to share it.
Was it relatable? Weird? Too real? Not real enough? Tell me what you think. I’m curious what this stirred in you.
~~~
Lil Life Update
Sawadee ka fellow learn-it-all 👋
Greetings from Koh Tao, Thailand 🇹🇭
I’ve been down for the past five days. The reason why? The dengue virus. It is transmitted in southern Thailand via mosquito bite. It’s been brutal. There’s no medicine to kick it. I'm just patient with daily hospital blood tests to check my condition. A rash is appearing more by the day. I don’t recognize myself sometimes.
I’m most grateful for two friends I met in Hawaii who flew to hang out with me and are now my live-in nurses. For electrolytes. For multiple pillows. For the high number of platelets and white blood cells fighting for me.
❓Question to think about
How can I be the healthiest version of myself?
🎧 Listening
The real mvp I’ve been listening to while getting my blood drawn today
🌟Quote to inspire
"The quality of your life ultimately depends on the quality of the questions you ask yourself each day." —Brianna Wiest
📸Photo of the Week
The arrival reunion day before things went south and I got permanently horizontal.
🙏Shoutouts
To
for edits and support in my writing this piece- for edits to the intro and encouragement to share it
To my immune system, she’s really putting in the work these days
I appreciate you reading this!
If ideas resonated, I’d love you to press the heart button, leave a comment, reply to this email, or reach me at vermetjl@gmail.com.
Keep on learning 😁
K̄ha bhuṇ ka 🌺 🌺
Jen
PS - in case you missed last week’s letter I wrote this reflection on my month of April.
PPS- if you’d like to read my favorite letters, the best way to encourage my work is to buy my book on Amazon here.