Andrew Week 5: Saying Goodbye to an Unexpected Friend

Often, we don’t form any emotional attachment to our devices, especially when they stop working. I, along with most of my peers, am lucky enough to be able to purchase a new electronic device every few years or so, due to it not working anymore. Once we buy the new device, we discard the old one without a second thought. However, I have never heard of someone abandoning their device for months on end, and returning to it with unwavering loyalty. Such a complex and human-like relationship is uncommon for things that, well, aren’t human. However, when it comes to my Asus Chromebook C204, our relationship was definitely as complex as a human one.

My story begins in seventh grade, when we were given computers rather than iPads for schoolwork. At first, I was so excited to be given a computer. Gone were the days where I had to write essays on an old iPad. This Chromebook was a touchscreen, meaning it could also be used as a tablet. Although it had this feature, I didn’t even use it for the first month, fearing I would ruin the screen. However, eventually, I didn’t really treat it as well as I did at first. Sure, I wouldn’t throw it on the ground, but the level of care and respect I had for the machine didn’t really continue throughout seventh grade. When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, I was forced to learn exclusively with my computer. Was this what drove me to form a more meaningful connection with my computer? Not entirely. Sure, this device was my only means of receiving a proper education, but that’s all I saw it as. To me, it wasn’t different from a binder, folder, or pencil box. This device which would be opened at 7:45 and closed at 3:15 was plugged in at all times, and didn’t serve any other purpose. On the final day of seventh grade, I was so excited for my summer vacation. There was so much that was uncertain with this unprecedented global pandemic. What would I do during the summer? When would things open back up? Will all of the people I know survive? These were all questions that I had to ponder, which left me no time to worry about a computer. So, as the penultimate year of middle school came to a close, I closed the computer, and that was that.

What I hadn’t thought of was that keeping a computer plugged in for over two months wasn’t exactly the best idea. The beginning of eight grade was the same as the end of seventh, with it being entirely online. However, students would soon be allowed back into the building for in-person learning. As I went to school physically, my computer was once again overlooked. I had to worry about not contracting the Coronavirus. My computer was certainly not my main priority. My scholastic life, however, would soon change in a way I could’ve never expected. As I sat down in my first period class, my computer was needed to complete an assignment. I flipped open the screen as usual, expecting to complete my assigned work. Black. That’s all I saw. I pressed every button on the keyboard, I tried holding the power button for a certain amount of time, I even tried shaking my computer to no avail. Nothing was working, until I plugged it into the wall. With a stable connection to a power source, my computer worked just fine. “Weird, I thought,” figuring it would sort itself out. The problem continued throughout the day, and I brought my computer to the IT department after school. It turns out, I rendered my own computer useless. Leaving the computer plugged in over the summer messed up the battery in some way, and I came to the horrifying realization, it needed to be plugged in. Without an outlet, my computer was as good as nothing.

I was immediately alerted that, with a small fee, I could have my computer replaced. I could back up all of my files to the cloud, and I would have a brand new Chromebook. The IT worker I talked to grabbed a sealed box out of the storage closet assuming I would pay for a new computer. Why wouldn’t I? Why would I handicap myself by using a computer that must be plugged in at all times? But, that’s exactly what I did. I couldn’t explain then, and I can barely explain now. For some reason, at that very moment, something in my head clicked. It might’ve been that this computer stuck with me during online learning, it might’ve been that I was using this computer during an important stage of my life, or maybe it was just me being persistent. But, for some inexplicable reason that would seem purely illogical to anyone else, I kept it. I felt an attachment to this device that most of my classmates couldn’t care less about. They thought of it as simply a computer, which it was. That was all I thought as well, up until this very moment. However, from this point on, I would not leave its side. No matter what room I was in, no matter what the seating chart was, and no matter how many weird looks I would get, I always made sure I could find an outlet.

The rest of the school year continued like this. With every new classroom, I would have to find a new corner to plug my computer into. I was constantly reminded that I could simply get a new one, which got a little old after a while. Nevertheless, I persisted for the rest of the year. Looking back on this, I do find it quite funny that I formed an attachment to a computer. I don’t think I insisted on keeping this arrangement out of guilt. Yes, I had neglected it for so long, and I even ruined its battery. If it weren’t for me, it would be a normal working computer. But, to me, it was far more than that. This computer had always been with me, no matter what my grades were, what time I was using it, or even when I left it plugged in for an entire summer. I wasn’t going to give it up. Not unless I absolutely had to. At the end of eighth grade, I found out that I would be allowed to bring my personal computer to school when I was in high school. I soon realized that my time with my Chromebook was over. I still remember the last time I used it. I was turning in an assignment for my history class. It was at this time that I realized that I would never use it ever again. The feeling I got wasn’t sadness, per se. Rather, it was a feeling of change, like a new era had ushered it. I was ready to say goodbye. I turned it in to the school, and I never saw it again. Did I truly form a connection with this computer comparable to that of a best friend? Of course not. I am well aware that it is an inanimate object. What I think is more important isn’t my resilience to use a faulty computer. It is, rather, that us humans are simply more complex than we could ever understand. Why did I stick by a computer as if it was a person? I probably won’t ever truly know the answer. What I do know, however, is that whether you want to or not, you can form attachments to the most unexpected things. Even an Asus Chromebook C204.