People deciding to ditch their smartphones(bbc.com)
bbc.com
People deciding to ditch their smartphones
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60067032
15 comments
I have a smartphone but most of the notifications are turned off. I follow up and look at stuff when I want to.
I like being able to read or browse the web in boring situations, like standing in lines or in waiting rooms. I don't see the big difference between that and say, reading a book.
I've never gotten or honestly desired a social interaction while waiting in line for something.
Social media and everyone thinking the world cares what they say about everything is the problem, not the smartphone.
I like being able to read or browse the web in boring situations, like standing in lines or in waiting rooms. I don't see the big difference between that and say, reading a book.
I've never gotten or honestly desired a social interaction while waiting in line for something.
Social media and everyone thinking the world cares what they say about everything is the problem, not the smartphone.
It's heartening to hear that I'm not the only one. Browsing the web on a smartphone makes for a terrific distraction while standing in line at the coffee shop; My notifications are largely disabled and I've never used social media.
I can honestly say I've never suffered from envy/depression/addiction from the use of my device and I firmly believe this is why.
I can honestly say I've never suffered from envy/depression/addiction from the use of my device and I firmly believe this is why.
Recently it seems that tickets to some concerts are only available via a mobile app.
Ironically, Ticketmaster is kind of ok, as they let you access them using the mobile web browser. Some other vendors seem to be only allowing it through their proprietary apps, though (e.g., AXS).
Not only must you have a smartphone, but you must also use the Google or Apple app stores -- it's not like they'll just let you download an .apk from their own website or anything, of course.
I'm almost ready to just say fuck it and give up on all this bullshit, but when it's one of your favorite bands...
Ironically, Ticketmaster is kind of ok, as they let you access them using the mobile web browser. Some other vendors seem to be only allowing it through their proprietary apps, though (e.g., AXS).
Not only must you have a smartphone, but you must also use the Google or Apple app stores -- it's not like they'll just let you download an .apk from their own website or anything, of course.
I'm almost ready to just say fuck it and give up on all this bullshit, but when it's one of your favorite bands...
Which surprised me because I found that my favorite band is playing in Chicago this May, and I was able to purchase physical tickets from Ticketmaster easily, whereas the Trans Siberian Orchestra performance in my city required the AXS app to get tickets.
Thanks for the reminder to uninstall AXS now that my concert has come and gone!
“she was reluctantly compelled to buy one again due to having to deal with QR codes in restaurants, and so-called Covid passports”
We’ve definitely reached a point where it’s a burden to not own a smartphone.
If only they made a Nokia like phone that could fit all these needs like QR scanning. Something modernly capable, but not enough to where the user gets sucked in.
Unfortunately the expectations are ever changing. I unlock my gym with the mandatory PlanetFitness app’s QR code.
We’ve definitely reached a point where it’s a burden to not own a smartphone.
If only they made a Nokia like phone that could fit all these needs like QR scanning. Something modernly capable, but not enough to where the user gets sucked in.
Unfortunately the expectations are ever changing. I unlock my gym with the mandatory PlanetFitness app’s QR code.
The day before I started seeing these posts, I ordered myself a nice Nokia 225 4G barphone.
Received it yesterday, works like a charm and I love it!
(Coming from HavocOS on Nokia 7.1, solid phone from 2018 which was still kicking - hard.)
Received it yesterday, works like a charm and I love it!
(Coming from HavocOS on Nokia 7.1, solid phone from 2018 which was still kicking - hard.)
There is no reasonable way for me to ditch my smart phone at this point.
That being said, a well paced strip of black electrical tape on the front facing camera on my older (and coincidentally less expensive model) smart phone will work until the economy corrects itself and works out the useless crap spyware storm it created.
I also still have my headphone jack and SD card too just FTR.
That being said, a well paced strip of black electrical tape on the front facing camera on my older (and coincidentally less expensive model) smart phone will work until the economy corrects itself and works out the useless crap spyware storm it created.
I also still have my headphone jack and SD card too just FTR.
I ditched my smartphone about 8 months ago. There are certainly some inconveniences, but overall the switch has dramatically improved my quality of life. Smartphones are, by design, a thieves of life.
I have a phone for 2fa (sucks) but I don't have a phone number and rarely take the device with me if I go out.
My internal stress level definitely improved. I also don't miss being _this_ connected.
My internal stress level definitely improved. I also don't miss being _this_ connected.
Assuming you use Linux, this should work as a 2FA app:
https://git.sr.ht/~martijnbraam/numberstation/
I use it on my Pinephone, but it works on my laptop too.
https://git.sr.ht/~martijnbraam/numberstation/
I use it on my Pinephone, but it works on my laptop too.
That is awesome, and I'll take a look definitly. But doesn't help for my biggest pain point that is online banking.
They usually require some Google APIs within their own app so I am stuck with using a (unrooted) android phone.
They usually require some Google APIs within their own app so I am stuck with using a (unrooted) android phone.
I used a Nokia 3310 for 12 years, starting in high school. When it finally broke (and I was a 30-ish young dad), there were always several "old phones" abandoned by family members or close relatives, so I've been using those to their end ever since. The current one is a Nokia 2600, which I genuinely dislike (tiny buttons, overengineered menu system), but the miserable thing stubbornly works, so what can I do?
IIRC, the idea of constantly reading e-mail or browsing the web from some tiny phone screen made me really uneasy even as a young adult. I surely liked computers, but that, I felt, would be too much. Would I really need anything else except SMS and direct calls from a phone, I thought? Probably not.
I loved talking to telecom salespeople when I had that 3310. "We have this new offer, so many megabytes of Internet, and... what's your current phone, by the way?" they would ask.
"A 3310," I replied.
"...Well, that's surely a classic, sir!" they would reply after a few seconds of silence.
I successfully worked as a journalist for years, whilst living in the dumb phone world. I don't remember having any problems. Neither have I ever gotten hopelessly lost on car trips with only a paper map, or hand-written directions, etc. During the last 3-4 years, though, I do sometimes feel like getting in the way of others, or of life: more and more relevant services seem to assume that the user has a smartphone. But I guess that's life.
I do like the idea of something as barebones as the Hellaphone, Inferno OS on Android phones [1, 2]. But the feature and UI bloat of current casual smartphones still makes me uneasy about getting one (I'll do it if I really have to, though). I occasionally also think about going landline- or even email-only, thus ditching mobile phones and constant availability altogether, but this would probably cause too much mess for our family.
But, re: young urban professionals ditching their smartphones after years of usage: dude, I knew in 2004 that this day will come.
1: http://jfloren.net/b/2015/8/18/2
2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF_-jQc53jw