Published on 12, July, 2020
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. I have even bought myself an old cassette walkman and I am going to put some of my favourite albums onto cassette so I have something to listen to
I tried all this a few years ago and it helped my mental health so much, made my head so much clearer not having the visual stimulation and endless sensory overload of having the internet in my pocket all day and endless apps and social media sites. After a couple of years I ended up getting a smartphone again, mainly cos of work and the fact that everyone there talked on whats app. Im not at work anymore now though, at least not in an office full of people at least
Might even get a camera and develop photos!
Feels like everyone is living their whole lives through these little screens in their pockets and I just want to get away from it and feel alive again. Also, society keeps saying its impossible to live without one these days so kinda makes me want to try!
You're on!
I'll bet you 50p
I'll bet!
I think it's 20p these days!
I do feel I'm a little bit of a throwback. My parents had a mobile years before I did. They used to say, 'get one. things are changing and you'll be left behind' I said 'I've got ten pence for a phone box if I ever need it'. But I capitualated eventually, and I'm as slaved to mine as most are now.
They also are the ones watching all the latest things on Netflix, while I don't even want any of those platforms really. Most of the stuff I like is archive cult telly from 30-40 years ago.
oh gosh it is so nice to have the peace and quiet. I agree with you there.
Bring back the landlines.
So much better
that's so cool about the retro phone. How vintage are we talking? Bekelite-style? Or one of those with the detachable earpiece? Or trim phone! All good options
Once there was an error on my mum's phone and it was a crossed line and we could hear our neighbours talking it was so funny. While listening we kept pression 1471 and the message would come across the call and the two ladies speaking on the phone kept laughing saying "its that voice again, here she goes again" they were in giggles, my mum and I laughed so much we had to put out hands over the mouth piece so they did not hear us. This went of for weeks till they fixed it. It was really hilarious, they nattered about all the gossip.
Good to have as it links us to the history of the phone. And it is better for you than putting some radioactive set against your head. As mobile phones cause some people some health problems.
Cue a "i'm more old fashioned than you" competition!
These days I use carrier pigeon and semaphore.
Going back to the olden days when i was about 10. We lived with my Nan, and when she first got a phone, a landline, iit was a shared line with one of our neighbours, that was the norm at the time, And sometimes we'd go to make a call but you could hear the neighbour talking, and we had to wait until they'd finished. We were one of the first in our road to get a phone, and we had friends/neigjbours who would come and knock asking could they use the phone, and sometimes the phone would ring and it would be someone wanting a neighbour, and we had to run out, up or down the road to get them to come. I remember my Grandad getting a little box with a slit in, next to the phone, for people to put pennies in.
Do you like hippo's
I see the hippopotamus in your picture
Fascinating species
I've been trying to limit my screen time. I do a lot of phone screen staring and gaming
both cause eyes strain
I've been doing more creative stuff, drawings one
It's nice to be away from phones and devices sometimes
What's a landline
Kidding I know. Its a line that sits on top of land
Im really amazed how many people on here have got rid of their smartphone too! Its great how much freer you all feel without them
out_of_step said:Theres often something quite smug in myself when I'm asked to "just download the app" and I say I don't have a smartphone :-)
Yes I love that feeling too!
out_of_step said:Remember it's only in the past 20 years or so even smart phones have come in
Exactly, thats what I think too! I would go further and say its only in the last 10 years that they have become commonplace with everyone having one. And yet the whole world acts as if they are an essential to live and its impossible to live without one. Human beings managed for thousands of years before they were invented. Even in our childhoods we had a perfectly happy simple time without them
Yes thats a good point. I could always go to the library and use the computer there though
Yes i dont like how companies always insist on a mobile number now too. It feels like another way of controlling people and getting more of our information
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 a good point.
Me personally, am not too bothered about that, but others need the net and cant do without it for a few days etc.
Debbie makes a good point indeed.
The only problem will be if you lose your home internet connection.
This has just happened to us so without this phone I would be unable to access the internet including this forum.