“H ey Siri, when should I get up next morning?”

 

A loading icon appears on my screen, and Siri’s mechanic voice replies: “The alarm is set to 7 a.m.”

7 a.m. it is. After a long yawn, I roll on my back and begin to snore.

In the morning, I am awakened by an annoying, ongoing buzz under my pillow. It’s 7 a.m.

At first, I’m happy to wake up early. It’ll give me extra time to get my work done. But feeling the exhaustion weigh down on my body, I also worry that I haven’t gotten enough sleep. So I end up repeatedly snoozing my alarm for the next few hours.

I finally force myself out of bed and stumble toward my closet. Rows of plain t-shirts and old, denim jeans lazily stack on top of one another.

“Siri, what’s today’s weather?”

“It’s currently sunny and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.”

I throw on a t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans.

I feel the breeze of the ceiling fan through the slits in my jeans. My stomach grumbles and overwhelms me with an inexplicable craving for banana bread. Maybe it has to do with the fresh banana ads that bombarded the Knicks-Celtics game that I fell asleep watching last night.

“Hey Siri, tell me where I can get some banana bread,” I say after clearing my throat.

“Here’s what I found,” Siri replies, “Acme Bread on San Pablo Avenue. It’s open today from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Does that one sound good?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like to get directions?”

“Yes.”

“Getting directions to the Acme Bread Company. Head north on Southwest Place, then turn left on South Street.”

And I do just that. After 30 minutes of the sun warming my skin and cooling my hunger, I am united with my banana bread.

I hungrily devour it on a park bench outside the store, and become almost dizzy with a sugar rush. While waiting for it to fade, I pull out my phone to scroll through my Instagram stories, and there it is: the Classic Dot Santa Cruz skateboard, a shiny wooden panel layered with red and yellow gloss. “25% off! This weekend only!”

Before I can realize it, the Apple Pay icon bounces on the side of my screen. Siri knows a good deal before I do.

Before I can realize it, the Apple Pay icon bounces on the side of my screen. Siri knows a good deal before I do.

I question whether I should purchase the board. I just got my paycheck two days ago, I remember. I deserve to treat myself better. With a double click, the board is (technically) mine.

“UPS tracking information will be available shortly…”

I am taken back to the sales page and all sorts of items appear on my screen. I would order more things on sale — the Hamilton egg beater that I see my housemate use every morning is definitely tempting me — but I remember the $5.28 I just spent on a slice of bread and stop myself.

The sugar rush soon turns into a sugar crash, and the food coma settles in nicely. As I am about to pass out, my phone suddenly beeps. I pick it up and realize that it’s already 3 p.m. A long list of Canvas notifications flash in my face, listing all the assignments I still need to complete. I feel my heart leaping at my chest — a new rush sets in. I haven’t done a single thing today, other than munch on banana bread.

I examine my to-do list more carefully: three essays and four math problem sets, all due by midnight the following day. They all seem equally puzzling, and I’m not sure which one to start with.

I turn to my Motion Calendar, an AI-assisted calendar app that I can rely on to schedule my tasks for the next few days. I enter the list of assignments into my calendar and the estimated time required for each. The app recommends that I complete two essays by midnight and leave the problem sets for the following day. Seeing that my calendar has successfully planned out my tasks for the day, I let out a sigh.

Seeing that my calendar has successfully planned out my tasks for the day, I let out a sigh.

After I’ve written my essays, I drop them into an AI writing assistant to look over my grammar. With a few clicks, I accept all grammar suggestions and submit them in time.

It’s 8:00 PM and I’m starting to feel hungry. I realize I haven’t had anything other than my banana bread all day. I open up Snackpass and see five burrito restaurants listed on the app, each with an estimated wait-time next to its name: La Burrita (6 minutes), L’Gusto Mex Fusion (7 minutes), and Ole Ole Burrito Express (20 minutes). I select La Burrita, the nearest store with the shortest wait time, and order a California burrito with extra cheese.

When it arrives I start nibbling on my burrito, turn on Netflix, and see “Night Agent” in the “Top Picks for You” section. I’ve already finished the last season of “Outlander,” so I figure I’m overdue for something new.

Three hours go by. My phone rings with a health notification saying it’s bedtime.

As I lay in bed, I think about how easy everything has been today. Now that I think of it, most days have been easy, relaxing even. In fact, I don’t even need to plan my days anymore because I’ve got my phone to do all of that for me. All I need to do is follow what it says.

Suddenly, I overhear a sharp voice that interrupts my thoughts.

“Man, this dude’s really acting like a cyborg or something. He’s got a computer to do everything for him,” one of my roommates scoffs.

“I know,” I hear my other roommate respond. “He’s always letting some app make decisions for him … But there’s a whole world out there besides the internet, you know? I mean, it’s not my business. But damn, he’s gotta learn to live on his own.”

I cover both ears and turn my head towards the wall. But as I contemplate their words, I feel somewhat humbled. Though my day has certainly been easy, I wonder if it was meaningful in any way.

What is the point of living my life when I can’t make my own decisions? I think to myself. Then I drift off to sleep, letting Siri set my alarm for the morning.

What is the point of living my life when I can’t make my own decisions? I think to myself. Then I drift off to sleep, letting Siri set my alarm for the morning.