Would this really improve my life?

[Nostrings457]

For 15 years I had the latest smart phone going, on every app going, creator of whatsapp groups etc...
I set out on a 2 week break from insta and FB and it led me to nearly a year. Although i sometimes miss it overall was a good move. But - I am still on my phone so much, MN, Whatsapp, news sites, readong gossip about celebs, email. Its the forst thing i do when i wake up, god knows how many times a day i check it. Ashamedly i fob the kids off when Im 'doing something' on my phone, more & more.

Its dawned on me this eve i could have a non smart phone. Laptop for banking, shopping etc. Digital camera for photos.

AIBU, is it too difficult to live without a smart phone once youce had one?

I think it’s possible - but it depends on what you use it for etc. For example I need my personal smart phone to verify myself when I access certain work portals (I don’t have a work phone) and I couldn’t do that with a non smart phone as it’s linked to an app.

Also a lot of my groups of friends communicate via WhatsApp so I’d miss out on that.

But really it’s very specific to individuals and their needs.

How old are you? Roughly
I find that I don't care if I have my (crappy) phone with me or not, but I am "old" and grew up without even a landline until I was a teenager. I was 30 before I had a mobile.
Young people seem to be much more attached to their phones and electronics than my generation ever were.
You can live without it, honestly!

I don't think I could go back to not having one. Mainly the maps

I try and only go on my phone when DC are in bed.

I get more done indoors!

My life would definitely be better with less phone use especially MN but I don't think it would be better with none.

I'd have no social life if people had to phone or text me! So much of what I do comes about because of something I saw on FB or someone from a common interest group or club contacting me via messenger

I’d struggle without the news.

Yes I have considered this and to some extent tried it.

One thing I found really helped was getting a watch, which stopped me pulling out my phone to look at the time (then spending the next hour looking up a friend's grandma's cat on Facebook).

I tried using a separate digital camera and that worked less well, because it's a hassle to carry around. But that was a while ago and there may be slimmer options out there now.

I think one option would be to have a non-smart phone and a smart phone and, where possible, leave the latter at home (eg if going to the park with your kids) so you still have a phone in case there's an issue and you need to call. Then you have one at home for banking or whatever you need. It doesn't have to be the latest one.

Following with interest though as I'm equally guilty.

This might be of interest btw - an incredibly prescient article from before social media and smart phones were invented about how the future would be about the "attention economy" - ie lots of different things fighting for our attention https://www.wired.com/1997/12/es-attention/

Have you watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix? It's interesting...

I’m sure there are apps which limit your browsing time - I’ll go and investigate as I could do with one as well.

I still haven't upgraded and quite happy with my Nokia. Can only call and txt on it but do have a tablet which I use at home for fb,online banking etc.
I'm 49 and dont know anyone who is the same but I'm passed caring and it suits me.

Thanks interesting replies. I just love the thought of not waking up and spending the first15 mins of my day on my phone. And just not feeling like im connected to the it 24/7 needing it with me constantly. Admittedly- although I can do without most social media i fear i would miss out on whatsapp. Im involved in a lot of groups but i do feel less connected to some individuals because the group chst focus. If i had to go on a laptop for internet i think it would be more productive because Id know it was for a limited time only.

I feel like having phone time is in some way a stress relief but in others it causes stress and makes me uncomfortable at how much time i spend on it. I know i could redice time but the thought of ditching it all together is very appealing.

Maps - sat nav in car
MN - laptop
Banking - laptop
Keeping in touch - text, phone
Photos - digital camera
Celeb gossip - buy a magazine

@PomBearWithoutHerOFRS - mid 30s

@SebastianTheCrab - great idea about the watcj thanks. Will have a read thank you.

@pigletpoglet - ooo no i havent, will look it up thanks

I am similar and have toyed with the same over the past few years. My life is passing me by with my head bent over a screen.

I agree with the watch recommendation - I got one that also shows your text messages/phone calls via Bluetooth so I'd leave my phone in the hall and if anyone phoned etc I would know. So I didn't keep checking my phone a thousand times for those elusive calls/texts and then spend an hour scrolling through something useless. I stopped using the watch - I'll dig it back out and set it up again.

I find it tricky in our house because DH is addicted to his phone and is constantly, constantly on it, but it doesn't annoy him. He's happy to be on it that much whereas it annoys me (both me being on mine too much and him being on his too much).

I also really worry about the example I'm showing my young children. If I leave my phone somewhere they will run after me to tell me I've left my phone in another room. Yesterday my DD aged 2 put her dolly to bed and placed a toy mobile phone next to her dolly's pillow for when she wakes up.

You could try one day without per week like this digitalsabbath.io/?

Sadly I think that once you've opened this box it's impossible to close it.

My clients now expect ultra fast replies from me by email. That requires me to have my phone with me at all times, the alternative being to sit in front of my laptop all day (which I guess I could do...or just go back to the old system of out of office replies 🤔).
Not having maps isnt too worrying in the sense that you could go back to the old way of hand drawing before you leave the house and then actually....shudder....ASKING people in the street.

The biggest one would be losing whatsapp. That's difficult when your family is scattered around the world as mine is. The phone bills would be astronomical.

Having said that I do feel a pull of sadness when I stumble upon old emails from maybe a decade ago, that's wrote to my friends and family. This was before I had a smartphone. They were so long and detailed, it's quite nice having that trace of history. Those emails have now been replaced with back and forth one liners on WhatsApp.

You may have inspired me to buy a burner phone and try it out for a week.

How to Break up with your phone by Catherine Price. I haven't finished it yet but it's already changed the way I use my phone

I was a 'late adopter' of a smart phone. I loved my old phone, it did everything I needed (phone/text) and I didn't 'need' all the other stuff that smart phones did...

However, when everyone else had one the length of text messages were beyond my phones capability & so I was left with no choice really, but to move to a smart phone

I spend FAR too much time on either my phone or my iPad mini, but on the other hand I live the convenience - check the weather, bank a cheque, look up a shop/service/delivery.

Sometimes I'll 'ban' myself from them fir a morning/day & I'll get stuff done but a lot of the time I'm so tired & feeling crap that I'm just using them to distract me & if it wasn't MN on my phone it would just be something else mindless- but that's a bit niche as I don't think most people feel the way I do regularly and if I felt well I'd do other things.

You could set yourself limits and see it as an exercise in self control...

I done the same about a year and a half ago and it really helped my mental health. Since being pregnant and furloughed I found MN and must admit I spend a bit to much time on here but nothing like I was on all the other social media crap. I gave my ds my phone and down graded to his phone still a smart phone but it's smaller slower and just not as appealing as my old one tbh. I don't regret it at all and I could say I could quite easily live with out a smart phone now

Forgot to add I also never take my phone to bed it charges down stairs every night so I'm up washed and ready before I ever check it. I'm 28 for what it's worth

You can use blocking apps. I have one for when I absolutely cannot have distractions.
Make your smartphone work for you, not rule you.

I could, but wouldn't want to be without it. I use it for lots of organising stuff, news and communication via different apps as family and friends abroad.

Somevreally interesting insights. I have 300 apps on my phone and use them to organise every aspect of my life.

@ParadeOfRemotes - thats my boggest motivation for making a change is the example i am setting to my kids. I was to be present in the moment with them, ao much research being done into kids emotions and how they will develop differently with the lack of face to dace time with parents. I also dont want them to think they're not my priority because something / someone on my phone is more important.

Im going to bite the bullet and order a nokia 3310 for nostalgias sake. Im going tongive it a 4 week trial and see how i get on

I think FB and insta are probably the most addictive bits so if you keep off those you're not doing too bad. I like MN as it gives perspective on diverse people's opinions - I tend to mix with mostly like-minded people - so wouldn't stop doing that. Have you tried limiting it to certain times of day?

I feel like I barely use the phone at all, but tbh, it has unique & valuable uses.

Whatsapp only works on smart phones... I am in a charity group that communicate by Whatsapp. It's also an easy way to call DC to dinner (I send them pic of their plate). Our landline died but my dad phones me weekly (free, international) via Whatsapp.

I like Strava to measure distances of the runs/walks/rides I do.

I can only book swimming using an app on my phone.

I like ability to take pics when out & about (once in a while).

Ebay app is much easier to upload pics to Ebay listings than using a digital camera (after I did only digital camera for many yrs!)

Podcast hubs seem to work better on my phone than on my laptop(s).

Video calls work better on my phone than on my laptop (actually, my laptop cameras don't work at all)

Laptop lacks text autocomplete which is useful when searching podcast & other hubs. Do non-smartphones even have podcast apps?

It's faster to read my emails on the phone than on my laptop. (But easier reading on laptop, esp. if attachments).

So for me the smart phone has become essential.

Good for you @Nostrings457 I hate being available 24/7, sometimes I forget to turn my phone on

Let us know how you get on with the Nokia!

Friend was struck silent when I said I turn off my phone in the day time so I can work efficiently & not be distracted by personal messages on the phone. I gather she didn't understand thinking it fine to only communicate at my convenience.

I have no smartphone just an old Nokia. I do have a tablet though so when I’m at home I’m on that but out and about I just have the non smartphone and it’s fine, battery lasts 5 days between charges!