No more smartphone

I Sperg said:

Work goes faster and the employer will like you more, if you, er, go there to actually work

I do go to work to work lol, but I like to hide away and watch programmes during my breaks to give me the strength to go back to work when the break ends 

Work goes faster and the employer will like you more, if you, er, go there to actually work.

And I liked "new girl" until I realised it seemed to be full of idiots lying their heads off to each other in one episode, which was a bit too close to a documentary for me, so I went back to "Star Trek lower decks" which is actually quite good in places, even though I'm probably not the target demographic for that show..

Starting to wonder whether this was a good idea. Main reason being that I am probobly going back to work soon after a few weeks break due to burnout and I have forgotten how my wife sending me pictures of the kids during the day when Im at work keeps me sane. Not sure how I could get through the day without it

Also need my music at work and the ability to hide in the toilet for half an hour and watch an epizode of new girl

Its a tough one, is the good things worth the trade off for them 

Only recently have the supermarkets been allowing all staff to have smartphones on checkouts and shop floor especially since Covid 

I just feel if work was wanting you to communicate through whatsapp they should provide you with a phone. 

I do all of this but given the choice, I’d rather not have it despite the convenience - I’d resisted getting one before Covid, but my current job has an app for shifts at work, the buses have an app for monthly tickets - in many ways we are being effectively forced to have one, which even the guy in the Apple Store was saying the other day - I have an iPhone 12 Pro, which iPhone 13 came out only 3 weeks after I’d bought mine - the guy in the Apple Store said that there is not much difference between it, 13, 13 Pro, 14, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max and not many people are even bothering to upgrade anymore like they used to before Covid 

I’m one of the small minority here who love my smartphone, these are the reasons:

I have excellent control over who can and can’t contact me

I have all my key needs in my bag when out and about such as the banking apps, maps, and comms with my partner 

It is a brilliant way to help with my sound world, a particular and problematic part of my ASC, so I have a hefty downloaded collection of music and podcasts I access any time any where

The camera is excellent and a joy, my captures of modern architecture and cats especially being particularly pleasing

I can see the important comms from health providers, tax, benefit, volunteering etc as soon as they appear

I do though maintain strict and secure control over it. So I do not allow unnecessary apps to proliferate, I keep it’s iOS updated to ensure security features are up to date, I regularly check all the settings to maximise privacy, eg: microphone, camera, tracking, geo location. 

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I'm glad you're finding the benefits from not using one.

I don't want to get rid of mine ever. I find them useful to keep in touch with my family and my immediate family when I'm out. I like that it allows me to access online communities like this one, it's nice being able to talk without having to meet in person. I couldn't do it in person because of my anxiety. I'm so anxious and awkward around people.

It's tough because I need a smartphone for work as many firms now use WhatsApp or Slack to communicate.

I'd love to get rid of it.

Been thinking about getting an iPad to live by, and then just use a simple mobile phone for calls - so can ignore it mostly.

Just not sure the work situation will allow it.

We often reminisce about the landline years, a long cable wrapped round furniture. Good times

1. Good Idea. I Actually do have a smartfone I just point blank refuse to use any apps, no matter how much people recommend them, it kinda works the same as a regular fone. But If I really NEED the internet to the extent that I'm prepared to "turn mobile data on" maybe to us as a hotspot so a proper computer to access the internet, it's there.

2. If you want to take up film photography, & D&P and lack a camera, send me a P.M. If you are poor I can happily give you what you need, and if you are rich you can pay me what you want. Cameras are built to be used, not hoarded. My personal favourite "daily carry" was a Praktica Super TL 

It's a better way of living. Less stress and hassle, no more annoying spam texts and phone calls. They were my main reasons for stopping using a smartphone. 

Billy87 said:

So as of this last week I no longer own a smartphone. I have decided to go fully old school. I have an old LG phone that looks like a Blackberry and just texts and calls with a basic VGA camera and no internet.

Sporadic Sparkly said:

I'm 'old school' and have a landline. I do have a basic mobile phone (no bells and whistles) that gets used once in a blue moon, as I don't want to be THAT person with a mobile phone welded to their hand almost 24/7

too much can lead to burnout. So I got rid of my smartphone over two years ago. I have a basic mobile phone and feel less stresses

Can so relate to all of these, I still only use internet on a desk PC on landline/ethernet, and my use of mobile comms is low so prefer to stick with a more basic model.

Billy87 said:

I have even had to turn down jobs in the past cos they said I had to have their smartphone app to work for them

That is really out of order, sorry you were put in that position.  That is an extreme example of how companies are disadvantaging people without smartphones, wonder if that could even be called out as a discrimination of sorts?

There were some good articles on the BBC recently, 'Ofsted boss surprised by pre-teens with smartphones' and 'Not smart but clever? The return of dumbphones'

Well done. Smartphones are not good for mental health and the environment. 

Having a camera (without a phone) is a great way to take photos. Some have filters on them and can also take videos in HD. 

Good luck.

I’ve been in two minds about this since Covid, because when the Irish government launched vaccine passports, I had to get one despite resisting for years before Covid, if I wanted to come home from the U.K. to visit family in Ireland - my Irish owned hotel workplace also has an app for rosters/shifts, so I had to get one - I’ve always (proudly) held an Irish Passport in the 20 years I’ve lived in the U.K. at age 52 and I’ve heard that they want to make these digital in time to come - my current iPhone 12 Pro has an Irish tricolour flag, the cover has a Shamrock on the back and I have traditional Irish ringtones 

When we first had a landline it was a party line as that was cheaper. That meant someone else nearby shared it. If you picked the phone and they were talking you had to wait for them to finish before you could dial a number.

I need my smartphone.

I create a wi fi hotspot so I can access the internet on my pc and tablets.

I access this site from my smartphone.

Internet banking, I haven't visited a bank branch in almost three years.

Buying holidays.

Buying and using bus and train tickets.

Looking for jobs.

Accessing my universal credit account.

Writing and reading emails.

I can't live without a smartphone.

Also it's like we have willingly entered into 1984 without any of this being imposed on us. Big Brother? Everyone's got a camera phone now. 

I love hippos, they are my favourite animal :-) I go to the zoo all the time and see them, they are like my friends. They have 3 big hippos and one pygmy one

Good idea! 

Same here! I've never even sent a text! I don't like touch screens. Also smart phones spy on you. My husband has an ancient one, he wants a new one, but we haven't dealt with that yet, I'm not keen for him to have one except sometimes for navigation.