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Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

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Re: Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

#71

Post by shawnz »

_qulr wrote: post #70
shawnz wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The people on the phone are effectively only a few centimetres away, nevermind feet. So shouldn't it be even more rude to ignore internet messages? The internet isn't some kind of fake virtual reality... it is just a communication tool. The draw to use it is created by real people sharing real ideas. I think this idea that people who are physically closer to you deserve more of your attention is misguided.

> shouldn't it be even more rude to ignore internet messages? Who says you have to ignore internet messages? It took you a half hour to reply to my comment, and that's fine. That leaves plenty of time to acknowledge a person IRL. The internet will still be there when we get home from being outside. That's one of the advantages of the internet.

Unfortunately no notifications on here, and also I had to think about what I was going to say :)

> The internet will still be there when we get home from being outside

And won't the physical space outside still be there after you decide you're done talking on the internet?

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

#72

Post by WealthVsSurvive »

I am about to do exactly the same after I move: get a landline and ditch my smartphone. I think of what it costs in time, money, resources, and freedom, and I've come to the conclusion that I'd be a more satisfied human being without a smartphone. I'm not interested in buying what it's selling.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

#74

Post by PostPlummer »

unnouinceput wrote: post #6

Never had one, never will. My wife has, my kids too, I don't. Clients get hold of me via e-mail or IM, family through landline. If I am unavailable immediately then tough luck, I love not be at anybody's finger tips if I go for a stroll in a park, for example.

I leave my phone at home, or off when I want to, but the single biggest improvement of privacy and peace comes from "downtime" (iOS > settings > Screentime > Downtime). From 20:00 till 06:00 I will not receive any messages from apps.

On top of that "do not disturb" (iOS > settings > Do not disturb) hits at 20:00 and ends at 07:00 where no one can call me (except for those who are in my favourites).

So basically my phone is dead > 20:00 till 07:00.

Best of both worlds to me.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

#75

Post by rudiv »

projektfu wrote: post #48
tehabe wrote: post #28

Why should I do that? I remember the time w/o cell phones and it was horrible. I never want to go back.

And now there aren’t hardly any payphones.

How come they don't sell batteries on the train no more? I guess it's cause the iPod came out.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

#76

Post by rolph »

jariel wrote: post #61
BlueTemplar wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not using apps is way more radical than blocking almost all notifications.

I see what you are saying, but the notification is actually a big deal. The notification is the 'trigger' to set us off to 'read the thing' which gives us our little dopamine hit. It's hard to resist, and it takes up a lot of mental noise. Even the possibility of getting notifications is stressfull. The difference between having a phone on, where people can contact you - vs - phone dead or 'no phone' is definitely no…

notifications reallly piss me off.

it seems that if i shut my mouth its all fine but as soon as its time for a conversation there is constant disruption and derailment from the continuity of a conversation, effect is a shallow conversation or series of mini conversations made of half phra [BRRING!! BRINNG!!] hey someone just liked a post from yesterday, what was that we were talking about.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

#77

Post by tehabe »

rudiv wrote: post #75
projektfu wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And now there aren’t hardly any payphones.

How come they don't sell batteries on the train no more? I guess it's cause the iPod came out.

They sold batteries on trains? I remember there used to be a pay phones on some German trains but they were using the analogue C network, which shut down in 2000.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

#79

Post by unnouinceput »

majkinetor wrote: post #17
unnouinceput wrote: post #6

Never had one, never will. My wife has, my kids too, I don't. Clients get hold of me via e-mail or IM, family through landline. If I am unavailable immediately then tough luck, I love not be at anybody's finger tips if I go for a stroll in a park, for example.

Its not like you are obligatory to answer.

Problem is if you have one then at least one person becomes important enough to "make you", the boss / a family member / a friend you feel you're in debt etc. I see that plenty around me. Pretty sure if I'd have one that person would become my wife for me. Don't get me wrong, I love my wife but I also love the freedom of not being at her disposal 24/7.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever tried to live without a phone?

#80

Post by raicem »

I did live without a smartphone for 20 days during my military service. I had no other choice as only "dumb" phones were allowed.

I would suggest it as a one-month experiment to anyone reading this. I had so much time to think, reflect and... get bored. It was a sort of detox. It was great to not know where you are on the map. It was great to not have something to listen to. It was great to not catch-up.

Since I was off the hook of my smartphone, I tended not to bail out on conversations with others and go back to my digital reality. I talked to people (maybe other people not having smartphones also helped with this).

I kept my "dumb" phone for a couple of months after that but I don't think I can manage to live without a smartphone full time. However, it's a great exercise to reduce addiction. I definitely started use my smart phone less.

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