A woman who ditched all her tech for a weekend to highlight the hardship of others says it’s one of the “hardest” things she’s ever done – leaving her feeling “extremely lonely”. As part of Generation Z, Emmie Killin has grown up with a smartphone and all that it has to offer, available at the touch of a button (and in recent years, voice commands).
The 21-year-old relies so heavily on her device that she feels “uneasy” at the thought of not having it around. Many people take their tech for granted but a recent campaign by Tesco Mobile, providing SIM cards to food banks, shows digital exclusion is a rising issue, amplified by the cost of living crisis.
To see what it was like for herself, Emmie spent a weekend without access to a smartphone or the internet, documenting her experience on a GoPro. “It was extremely isolating,” she said.
“I’m so used to having my phone by my side and to easily be able to contact the people in my life. The first few hours were strange, I kept going into my pocket and finding it empty – it’s like my body is wired to reach for my phone.
“When I went outside, it was almost like I’d been abandoned, having to rely on others for things like directions or looking up things online. By the second day, I felt very low, not being able to keep up with the news, catch up with friends or send texts to my boyfriend.”
Emmie also gave herself some tasks including making a budget meal from TikTok using a cookbook, go food shopping with cash only and use a payphone – the latter of which was the only enjoyable part of the experience. She said: “I’d looked up a dish on TikTok a few days before the challenge and tried to recreate it with a recipe book.
“Unfortunately most of the recipes needed additional ingredients that I didn’t have, as well as lengthy instructions, so it wasn’t as quick and easy as I’d hoped. In the end I just threw something together but it would have been much easier if I’d been able to get tips online.
“It also made me realise how tricky it must be for people on small budgets to get affordable tricks and hacks without a phone, unable to sign up to special deals or just get advice from someone else. The only part of the weekend that I enjoyed was using a payphone, it might sound silly but I’ve never done it before.
“But on the other hand, I remember standing there and all I wanted to do was take a photo to share the experience with a friend, and I couldn’t. I also only had 60p in cash, so when my aunt didn’t pick up, I had no way to reach her and just had to go home.”
In the video, while reflecting on her first day, Emmie, who works as a journalist, talks about the emotional toll not having a digital connection to the world is having on her. She added: “Before this experience, I always assumed that most people have a phone.
“Although I know that isn’t the case, it’s difficult to get my head around it. I only did this for two days, for some people, this is everyday life.
“It’s distressing to think that people don’t have access to something so essential in this day and age.”
To tackle the issue, Tesco Mobile has pledged to help 50,000 people facing financial hardship by 2025 through its Little Helps Databank, a scheme to distribute SIM cards to food banks, which will be donated to those in need.
“Technology enables us more than ever to help manage our lives,” said Claire Pickthall, CEO of Tesco Mobile.
“I’m really proud of the work we’re doing as part of our new partnership with the Trussell Trust and through the launch of our Little Helps Databank on this vital issue, to help connect people facing financial hardship, making sure they can access critical services and connect with others."
“The cost-of-living crisis is impacting all of us, but for people on the lowest incomes, it’s simply impossible,” said Emmie Revie, CEO of Trussell Trust.
“ As the price of essentials continues to soar, families without enough money for life’s essentials are being increasingly caught between keeping themselves fed, warm or online.
“This simply isn’t right.”
The mobile network has also donated devices to support the food bank network.
