A life without smartphone???

[StellarVixen]

Moments ago, I was thinking about it, and I came to conclusion, I am hooked up on my phone.


It has became so integral part of my life, that day without it seems impossible.


I believe that if I had to, it would be very, very difficult to stop using my smartphone. Forever. I had so hard time quitting smoking, and I think quitting smartphone would be equally hard.


What about you, MR? How hooked you think you are, honestly?

 

[Apple_Robert]

I could do it. I would still have my MacBook and iMac for home use.

 

[lclev]

I would have to go back to using a palm pilot (do they still make them!) as a carry device. I am very dependent on my calendar and would never remember where i was supposed to be!

Lisa

 

[Apple_Robert]

You gals are tech junkies. The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. Me? I can quit whenever I want. I just don't wanna.

 

[StellarVixen]

Me? I can quit whenever I want. I just don't wanna.

Famous words of all addicts around the world.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

Doable, though I would go back to my beloved Compaq iPAQ.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Ahhh...the "PocketPC" days..

 

[StellarVixen]

Doable, though I would go back to my beloved Compaq iPAQ.

That's cheating, plain and simple.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

That's cheating, plain and simple.

Damn... exposed...

(To be honest with you I loved my iPAQ more than any of my smartphones).

 

[Apple_Robert]

In a pinch, a rotary phone might work, for that must call to the gf / bf/ family member etc. Always be prepared.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

I always have one in my bag. For rainy days.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Read Cal Newport’s “Digital Minimalism”, published last month. Another great book by Cal.
Also listen to one of the podcasts with him as guest.

 

[Altis]

I'd love it. The people who expect very fast responses while I'm on the go, not so much.

 

[circatee]

I could do without my phone. And, I only say this because often the missus and I go out, and leave our phones behind on purpose.

However, if my missus isn’t with me, I would more than likely ‘need’ my phone.

 

[Babu Life]

Didn't have my phone for a week, it sucked because no one could get ahold of me unless I was in front of my computer, but it was a great week. Got so many other things done

 

[Gutwrench]

I’d survive without a smartphone but it wouldn’t be easy. I’d spontaneously combust without an iPad.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yes.

Would like and could do.

But not just yet.

 

[LizKat]

Damn... exposed...

(To be honest with you I loved my iPAQ more than any of my smartphones).

I was ok with a Palm device but then when cells came along I really liked my LG-CU515 flip phone and not just for its plum color. It's probably why I have preferred the smaller form factors of iPhones. Last night I was kidding around in another thread putting up photos of the Samsung Juke, which was so small almost like a tube of lipstick. But the keyboards on those dumb phones are a pain in the neck for anything but dialing phone numbers and selecting menu options.

 

[torana355]

I think it would be quite liberating to ditch the smartphone for a while.

 

[rbrian]

I thought about giving up my smartphone a few years ago, when my work gave me a heavily locked down iPhone. Carrying two felt silly, and after all, I don't use my own that much... Well I do, but I could (and probably should) live without time wasting games, and many of the useful things are available on my work phone, but not quite all.

I would literally (in the literal, not figurative, sense of the word) be lost without Google Maps, I read a lot of books in the Kindle App, I can visit websites like this, but not porn, which isn't a bad thing.

What's missing is communication, like WhatsApp, my magazine subscriptions, my virtual wallet, and most importantly, my music.

To replace all that would need several different devices, so in the end it made more sense to keep my own phone.

 

[yaxomoxay]

To quote the book I previously mentioned, “Intentionality trumps convenience.”
A smartphone is convenient, and many of its functionalities are actually useful and harmless (GPS, Music, Calendar, Reminders).
What we have to do is to be intentional on the other things, such as Social media or even email and SMS’s.
Remove social media, set a time to check it, and be very specific.
Remove notifications.
Remove all useless apps that steal your attention (especially games) from the real world.
Relearn that boredom allows us to think.
Relearn to be in solitude (defined as not being alone in a cave, but being without constant attention-stealing inputs from other people so driving in a road trip would or a walk in the park would count ).

 

[jpn]

Read Cal Newport’s “Digital Minimalism”, published last month. Another great book by Cal.
Also listen to one of the podcasts with him as guest.

i had never had heard of Cal Newport before, thanks for the heads up about him.
i listened about Cal's ideas on Justin Malik's Optimal Daily Living podcast.
thanks again.

 

[eyoungren]

It would be easy as my phone is not my life. I use it to make phone calls, send text messages and emails and do light web browsing. That's pretty much all.

24/7 I am surrounded by Macs and PCs and when I am at home my phone is hardly used. So I have all of that at my command (and I use it every day).

I grew up in the era before cell phones so a quick trip to Wal-mart to buy a digital phone to plug into my cable modem (and actually use the digital phone service I pay for) would be all that is necessary. Give everyone that number and that's pretty much it.

Going to the store? Write out the list instead of texting it. Directions? Google maps via computer, print out before you go. Somehow I managed to get through life without a cell phone from 1970 to 1999. Hell, I didn't even own a computer of my own until 1984.

Not really an issue here.

 

[maxjohnson2]

Kinda hard as my job requires it.

I probably can manage but would I need alternatives, like PMPs (portable media players) and standalone GPS which are what I used before smartphones. I'm definitely trying to reduce my apps count and no longer have social media apps.

 

[adrianlondon]

Being old enough to have grown up and been a student before mobiles existed, I'd cope. I wouldn't get lost, I wouldn't panic knowing I was eating a great meal and couldn't share photos of it to my friend around the world instantly, I know how to write letters and buy stamps if I had no computer access. I'd keep a paper diary and probably buy a watch, although I spent a few years both watch and mobile-phone-less when younger and liked the freedom of it.

However, why would I bother? A smartphone isn't doing me any harm. I'm not addicted. I can and do ignore beeps telling me messages have come in, I turn it off every night before I go to bed and I've even deleted all the Facebook apps (mainly cos they're huge and kept being updated rather than any fashionable hate for the thing).

It's a tool. It's like saying "could you live without a car?" sure, I'd take the bus/train and cycle as much as possible but if I had a car and found it useful why give it up? I don't actually have a car. I bus/train and cycle as much as possible but it seemed the easiest analogy at the time