ryajBefore leaving the house, most people tend to quickly do the same check: phone, keys, wallet. These three items are considered to be everyday essentials, but that standard changes depending on one’s age and generation. For example, a young child typically wouldn’t have a wallet or keys with them, and many kids today might be more likely to carry around a cell phone or an iPad.
What about high school students? Do they find more value in other everyday items beyond the standard of phone, keys, and wallet? When asked about her top three everyday essentials, sophomore Sophia Moore said, “My phone, my water, and a lip gloss.” While she did agree that having money with her was important, Moore said, “I don’t need a wallet because my wallet is on my phone.” She also said that her water bottle is a crucial item for her mainly because she plays a sport and needs to stay hydrated.
Similar patterns arose between Moore’s and sophomore Ryan Wong’s responses to the same question, notably with both individuals prioritizing phones and water bottles. According to Wong, the top three everyday necessities are: “a phone, probably a water bottle, and food.” When asked why the phone, an item prioritized by many other people as well, was a priority for him, Wong joked, “well if you don’t have your phone, you could get kidnapped and no one would ever know.”
While Moore didn’t mention food as an everyday essential, Wong’s perspective showed similarities with freshman Bella Albiento’s response, whose top three essential items include, “one of those Babybel cheeses, like the one where you have the clay around it, and you need to peel it to get the cheese. Everyone should have one on them in case they get hungry,” Albiento explained. Additionally, Albiento elaborated on how her passion for helping others inspired this perspective. “You never know when someone needs Babybel cheese,” Albiento stated. She said her two other everyday items are her phone and AirPods.
Other everyday items either listed by these three students or others include: gum, hair ties, cash, mints, a quart of lotion, portable charger, hand sanitizer, glasses or contacts, tissues, fidget toys, and headphones. Information gathered from many students has suggested that phones seem to be a popular choice regarding people’s top everyday essential items. However, from lip gloss to Babybel cheese, students all have different things they cherish and rely on every day. So, what’s in your pocket?
