251–260 of 325 posts
Is there anyway to get rid of my phone, in a reasonable way? It feels like a requirement.
I had no phone at all for over a year while homeless. I don't recommend that as a method, but having lived that way, I don't seem to have the same relationship to my phone that a lot of people have and I mostly can't relate to complaints that it's "addictive" and what not.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I definitely have a browsing addiction. Learning things as an information junkie is addictive. What’s funny is that when I go for trips in the mountains with little to no internet I do fine. It is less like a chemical addiction and more like a habitual craving. If I have more interesting things to do I will not browse. If I’m bored though...
Reminds me of the experiments on rats, where they couldn't even convince them to try heroin (-laced water) if they were living in a natural environment, whereas the rats stuck in cages became addicted to heroin immediately.
Is there anyway to get rid of my phone, in a reasonable way? It feels like a requirement.
With a phone, the exact place and even the exact time can be let to the last minute. People say "lets met at noon at union square" and then one person is 10 minutes late and they can confidently message people "I'm late, be there in 10 mins" vs no phone = friends have to just wait 10,15,20,30 mins and hope they show up and then given up. Similarly, where they are, in front of Macy's, at the coffee shop, over the the Apple store. All of that is, in 2020, decided at the moment and lets people enjoy their time while they wait for everyone to arrive. Without a phone you have to plan in advance some exact spot because there is no other way to coordinate.
People will downvote this saying we used to do it before cell phones and that real friends would put up with it but it's 2020 and the normal etiquette has changed. If 8 people met up and 1 doesn't have a phone it's that one that's making the other 7 jump through hoops. Everyone has to wait until they show up, no one can change any plans.
I suppose you could give up a smartphone or a feature phone and then the phone itself will not be a distraction but you'll still have the issue that most people coordinate via texting apps like Whatsapp or FB Messenger
I am genuinely curious about how your friend perceives gambling addiction? Can gambling drive an addiction response? If so, what is different from gambling and the stimulus provided by phones? Random rewards with unknown odds.
I know it's not the platforms to blame, it's still on me, but it certainly didn't help that they are so damn addictive. It's crazy that in 2021 things like this depend on who's seen what and when.
She just walked out the door and then I see this post.
Some ideas on this topic: 1. Inconvenience based solutions don't address the problem: using apps to restrict phone use, physically hiding the phone etc. Once you leave those carefully constrained conditions, you are more vulnerable than ever. Not to mention the contradiction with the core issue that it's a symptom rather than a cause. 2. Turning abstinence as an ongoing status condition (e.g. "X days since I did Y")…
In regards to (1), sometimes using the phone is both a symptom and the cause (in a reinforcing cycle). In my case, I would use my phone in bed before falling asleep to avoid having to confront thoughts I would have while drifting off since I could stay distracted until I was seconds away from passing out. Unsurprisingly, I would have terrible quality sleep (and I suspect many of the psychological problems mentioned i…
except I’m not losing my teeth, I’m just losing time.
From the article, which gets cause and consequence reverse by the way as all articles on the topic:
> This is a huge problem because re-connecting with people in the offline world is a solution that improves the quality of life.
Yeah, no, re-connecting with people IRL is not a good experience as a white male, we have to selectively choose people who don’t think we should first apologize for existing, and it is getting quite hard nowadays.
Is there anyway to get rid of my phone, in a reasonable way? It feels like a requirement.
I'd say for most people, no. Not as long as you want to have a social life because you'll basically end up forcing everyone around you to jump through hoops to meet up. With a phone, the exact place and even the exact time can be let to the last minute. People say "lets met at noon at union square" and then one person is 10 minutes late and they can confidently message people "I'm late, be there in 10 mins" vs no pho…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you remember life before the Internet? Because it reads as though maybe you don't remember. It's not that big of a deal, just put it away. You need your phone far less than you think you do, just put it away for some occasions, maybe don't take to lunch (or to work). Being 'homebound' is a great excuse to get rid of it: other than SMS, everything else can be had via the web, and the notebook form factor is not nea…
You’re missing GP’s point. The idea isn’t that you can’t live without phones - it’s that going cold turkey abstinence isn’t a good way to kick a compulsion .
I don't think he spoke specifically to the hyper-specific compulsion, but frankly I was: 'just don't take it with you' - or - 'put it away' and that will certainly deny the compulsion.
You'll use it quite a bit less without thinking about it.
It's not nicotene.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I definitely have a browsing addiction. Learning things as an information junkie is addictive. What’s funny is that when I go for trips in the mountains with little to no internet I do fine. It is less like a chemical addiction and more like a habitual craving. If I have more interesting things to do I will not browse. If I’m bored though...
Habits are related to our environment. Your brain is probably wired to your current living arrangements and taking a vacation- with the added caveat that you know you have no internet- means no behaviors. This is why people can easily get sober in rehab and then come home and instantly relapse.