Just over a month ago I switched from my iPhone to an old flip phone. Have a look:
It’s a real piece of shit.
It has nothing. No camera, no photo texts, just calling and texting. And texting is a real pain in the ass with T9 or worse, the Abc/abc format. Maybe you remember.
I reverted for three reasons: 1. I spend 95% of my time at home where I have WiFi, so I’ve used very little data over the past year or so, meaning it has been a waste of money spending $80+ each month on something I barely use (POS phone costs me a fraction of that); 2. It’s an experiment to see what life is like without the cumulative knowledge of mankind in my pocket; 3. It’s a rebellious act because I hate what smartphones have done to society.
If you’re one of those people who have their faces perpetually buried in their phones in public, please slap yourself in the face. Your addiction is embarrassing and offensive. You’re letting real life pass you by in favor of a virtual world that not only pales in comparison to the one you’re actually in, but diminishes and hides its beauty.
After having had an iPhone from 2009-2014, this recent change has been interesting, and the purpose of this article is to give you a peek into life without a smartphone.
Why should you care? Maybe you shouldn’t.
But maybe you’ve been using your smartphone unconsciously. Maybe it has been detracting from the beauty all around you without your having noticed it. I see it on a daily basis when I’m in public, especially among young people. And when I see people like the ones in the photo at the top of this post, I weep a little inside. What a waste of life.
Anyway, here we go…
The Bad Stuff
It’s once again possible to get lost.
Without my trusty GPS, I’m embarrassed to admit that it’s a bit scary driving to new places. I once again have to plan my trips, which involves going on google maps and writing down step-by-step directions on how to get to my destination, then following them. This also involves looking at the online map and following the directions in my mind so I’ll have somewhat of an idea where I’m going when I actually get there.
1st world problems.
I do plan on getting a GPS at some point in the near future, but it has been interesting thus far trying to get where I’m going the old school way. Not as old school as using maps (something I still remember from my childhood), but old school enough for me.
It makes me much more aware of my surroundings, and I have to actually pay attention to street signs and landmarks. The iPhone made me lazy as hell when driving. I’d simply say to Siri, “Directions home,” or “Directions to _____” and she/it would tell me exactly where and when to turn and I’d zone out and just follow the directions.
Not having a GPS has made me a more conscious driver. Plus, I figure what’s the worst that could happen if I get lost? I’ll have to ask someone for directions or figure it out somehow. It’s not like I’m gonna die.
No image texts.
Some friends still send me image texts that I can’t retrieve so I have to respond, “I don’t get pic texts, if it’s important, email it to me.” Occasionally they do.
Although this is the smartphone (or any phone that was designed after 2003) feature I miss the most, in the grand scheme of things, it’s inconsequential. How much important information is exchanged via pic text anyway? And now when I share pics with friends it’s via email and often we’ll have a nice email conversation instead of a reply text of “lol” or some such other travesty of communication (admittedly, I still use “lol” often, and usually when I’m not actually laughing out loud).
I know I sound like a crotchety old man but listen sonny, I’ve been alive for more than 30 years. I grew up using card catalogues and encyclopedia sets.
No Pandora and other apps.
I used to love Pandora, listening to new music on the go. Since I made the switch to this POS, I’ve been listening to an audiobook over and over, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Although I do miss Pandora, listening to this audiobook has been a bit of a life changer, in the best way possible. Highly recommended.
If I hear a song I like I no longer have the option of using Shazaam, which is a bit of a shame. However, this only happened a few times per year, and if I hear a song now, I can just write down a few lyrics and pretty easily determine the name when I return home.
I was never an obsessed smartphone user, so I didn’t really depend on many other apps, so this isn’t such a big loss for me.
I think that’s it.
I really think that’s it for the bad stuff. I consider the fact that I no longer have mobile access to email, Facebook, etc. is a good thing, to be discussed now.
The Good Stuff
I’m more present.
It’s much easier to live in the present moment without the distraction in my pocket. In the past, whenever I was waiting for something I’d take out my phone and check email, browse Facebook, read blogs, whatever. Now I simply sit or stand there and enjoy myself. I look around and notice things, I notice people, and I speak with strangers more often, which is usually surprisingly pleasant.
Since I no longer have a camera on me 24/7, instead of worrying about getting a photo of something funny or of friends or whatever it may be, I’m free simply to enjoy the experience without feeling the need to document it. I’ve been taking more photos than ever lately (to be published soon), but by taking my nice camera out into nature with the intention of taking photos. The compulsion to take photos of everything has disappeared, which is a nice feeling, especially for a Japanese person.
I speak to friends more.
Instead of having text conversations, I have actual, verbal conversations more often. If someone texts me something that will require more than a 10 or so word response, I’ll just call him.
Text conversations are tedious, impersonal, they take much longer to convey information than actual speaking does, and it’s much easier to misunderstand the meaning and emotion behind the words than it is with speech.
Physical features.
My POS phone’s battery lasts almost a week on one charge, instead of almost a day.
It’s smaller and lighter, meaning I have more pocket space and more general physical comfort, which is a real issue for men unless you have the testicular fortitude or sexual orientation to use a purse.
It’s more durable and I don’t have to worry about dropping it and having the screen crack and costing me hundreds of dollars. If I drop this phone, which hasn’t happened yet, it will bounce around and I’ll pick it up and put it in my pocket.
I’m freer.
I’m not nearly as tied to my phone as I used to be. With my smartphone, if I forgot it at home or didn’t have it with me for whatever reason, there would be a slight feeling of anxiety, as if I might miss something. Now there’s not much to miss.
Conclusion
I may get another smartphone one day, but at this moment I’m thinking I won’t.
I do know that I despise the smartphone generation of couples out to dinner ignoring each other and staring into their phones.
Kids ignoring the world around them, their faces buried in the little screens they hold up to their little faces.
People more concerned with taking photos of their experiences than the experiences themselves, thereby diminishing their enjoyment. Or worse, more concerned with putting photos of their experiences onto social media than with the experiences themselves. Caring how many people “like” their images, caring deeply what people think of them.
We’re at a beautiful time in human evolution. As I’ve said before, it’s incredible that we literally have the cumulative knowledge of mankind in our pockets. But this all comes with a price if we are to use this technology unconsciously. That is to say, if we abuse it.
The price is a more cluttered, stressful life, a life lived caring more what people think of us than simply enjoying ourselves, a life in which it’s impossible to get away from everything and spend some time alone, out of reach of others.
The world is more connected than it’s ever been. This is good and bad. It’s our choice what we do with the opportunities, and unfortunately, I see most people choosing addiction to connectedness instead of connecting with discretion.
I can’t imagine how different high school is now with Facebook and the other social media sites. There are no more secrets.
So, in the end, my point is to be careful. Life is too beautiful and precious to waste it with your face in your phone and your mind in the web.
Update 11-5-14: Just saw this video and this guy articulates my feelings better than I could have.
Update 12/12/14: Louis C.K. on Conan talks about why he doesn’t get a phone for his kid. While most of it is funny, there’s a lot of truth there: