Reem Abd looks forward to her turn using the family phone. In a September 2026 essay published by We Are Not Numbers, she described a household of nine where five people share one Redmi handset. She is studying data science and artificial intelligence at the College of Applied Sciences, part of the Islamic University of Gaza. Attending lectures and completing assignments depend on a device that other members of her family also need.
Reem wrote about a weak battery, interruptions to internet service and classes ending before she had time to take complete notes. Her brother needs the same device for studying. Their mother uses it to speak with family members elsewhere. The problem is not simply that Reem wants more time on a screen; the phone is serving as a classroom, a connection with loved ones and an essential shared household resource.
Her essay also recalls a plan to make study videos for a YouTube channel. It is an ordinary ambition, of the kind that helps explain the student she hoped to be. Reem’s account turns a discussion about scarce electronic equipment into a description of real consequences for learning. Her original first-person essay, linked below, remains the fullest source for what she experienced.