Gen Z daughter tried a no-phone road trip with her dad for 6 days. What happened changed her

It's almost impossible to think about a world where people aren't constantly using their phones. Whether we're having dinner with family or driving, we tend to check our phones repeatedly, almost as if we're addicted. In fact, a survey by the Pew Research Center found that nearly half (46%) of Americans described their smartphones as something that they couldn't live without. Makari Espe (@makariespe), a content creator from Canada, however, challenged herself to do the impossible — spending six days without her phone. To help her achieve it, her dad came along on a road trip, and guess what? Espe realized something that almost no Gen Z has ever experienced in a world dominated by technology. She posted the episode, "Our No Phone Roadtrip," on YouTube, where it sparked several conversations. 

In May of 2024, Espe set out on the road trip with her dad driving while she took the passenger seat, struggling to read a paper map. Somehow, they managed to reach the hotel after stopping to ask people for directions. It was on the way that Espe realized for the first time that physical maps don't mention hotels on them, making their journey even more difficult. Despite challenges, the duo was confident that they would eventually make it through and arrive at their chosen destination. Since they were on a no-phone mission, they called their family from the hotel's telephone to inform them that they were safe.

The next morning, Espe's father woke up early, meditated, read a book, and even journaled for a bit. It was a slow but blissful morning followed by a swimming session with his daughter. While exploring nearby attractions, the duo successfully made it to their second hotel, where they took a minute to reflect on their experience of using no phone for almost two days. "I'm being honest, I do miss it," Espe's dad confessed, and she agreed. For their next destination, Espe realized she had forgotten to write its address or check-in details, but the duo reached their hotel by asking locals for directions. "I am feeling really content that we've made it this far without our phones."

"Really, it's just been a lot of reading signs and pamphlets, and asking people for directions. I feel really accomplished by that," Espe said. The father-daughter made it through the area populated by bears to reach the most beautiful beach they'd ever witnessed. "We have made it to the northernmost tip of the Island, all without our phones," Espe announced. Moreover, she realized that being without phones for almost a week wasn't actually as difficult as they thought it would be. In fact, her dad said he would happily relive the experience if he could. People loved the episode as the father-daughter duo made them realize how heartwarming it is to have such a warm relationship with your parents.

For instance, @kajakucova commented, "I just finished [watching] this video, and I'm ugly crying about how warm your relationship is with your dad. It's just so pure and beautiful. I know I'd never be able to do this with my dad, but I wish to be a parent like your dad to my future children."

Similarly, @artemietu said, "With a father like that, it's easy to live your whole life without a phone (I hope there are hundreds, not thousands, of comments like this)."

You can follow Makari Espe (@makariespe) on YouTube for more adventurous content. 

More on Scoop Upworthy

This 98-year-old cafe has a strict no mobile phone rule in exchange for an interesting experience

Julia Roberts' 'simple rules' of parenting prevented her children from becoming phone-obsessed

Aaron Paul says one question from his daughter showed him his phone was sabotaging his relationships