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A day in the life of a non-smartphone user

Sporadic Sparkly

I'm aware there are many discussions on these forums related to technology such as smartphones, so I thought I'd add another one to the collection.

Earlier today I had used my desktop computer to sign into my Patient Access account to submit a repeat medication request. Whilst I do own an infrequently-used mobile phone, it is not a smartphone. Therefore, anything I do that is internet-related is done via my desktop computer, which suits me just fine.

Having entered my sign-in details for my Patient Access account, there's then a dreaded Captcha screen, which in my opinion is not really tailored to people living in the UK. In my case, I am lucky if I can manage to pass the Captcha screen exam first time, and without uttering a few choice words in the process.

Of course, before I can progress to ordering my medication, I am then required to enter a 6-digit code, sent via SMS to my infrequently-used PAYG mobile phone. Because it is used so infrequently, past experience has taught me to check beforehand that the battery doesn't need charging. It only adds to my frustration if the battery runs out of juice in-between receiving an SMS and reading it.

Because we now live in an era where it seems to be assumed that EVERYONE owns a smartphone, I am then asked if I would like to activate two-factor authentication by downloading a 3rd-party app. As I don't own a smartphone to download the app onto, the only other option available is to select, "Remind me next time". It would just be great if there was another option provided that enabled me to bypass the reminder after signing in.

Parents

  • I do have a smart phone, but most of the time I operate it as a dumb phone by turning off the internet, for these reasons:

    It improves the speed and works better for calls & texting. If I link it to the internet, it initially freezes for a while and I can't even send or read a text message during that time.

    I don't like being tracked everywhere I go as I resent my privacy being invaded, and I believe it's more difficult to be tracked with the internet off, and I've also set location to off. I understand that cell towers can reveal the general area you are in, but that's less invasive than my phone having a record that I'm now in Tesco for example, and what I bought there (if I used one of those payment apps)

    I don't need to be connected to "the net" every moment of the day wherever I am, I can use the internet at home on my laptop, tablet, or games console when I wish. A phone is for phoning or texting.

    One drawback is that my phone won't now let me send photos by SMS text message (it needs internet connection to do this) but I can always send a photo by email, so it's not a big deal.

    My doctor's surgery also has online services, but I can use my tablet to contact them with a query or appointment request, and they then text a reply to my phone. The only problem I had with this recently was that they sent a link in a text for me to use to book a nurse appointment - which needs the internet - so I had to link the phone to the internet for that and then wait half an hour until it unfreezed itself before making a booking.

Reply

  • I do have a smart phone, but most of the time I operate it as a dumb phone by turning off the internet, for these reasons:

    It improves the speed and works better for calls & texting. If I link it to the internet, it initially freezes for a while and I can't even send or read a text message during that time.

    I don't like being tracked everywhere I go as I resent my privacy being invaded, and I believe it's more difficult to be tracked with the internet off, and I've also set location to off. I understand that cell towers can reveal the general area you are in, but that's less invasive than my phone having a record that I'm now in Tesco for example, and what I bought there (if I used one of those payment apps)

    I don't need to be connected to "the net" every moment of the day wherever I am, I can use the internet at home on my laptop, tablet, or games console when I wish. A phone is for phoning or texting.

    One drawback is that my phone won't now let me send photos by SMS text message (it needs internet connection to do this) but I can always send a photo by email, so it's not a big deal.

    My doctor's surgery also has online services, but I can use my tablet to contact them with a query or appointment request, and they then text a reply to my phone. The only problem I had with this recently was that they sent a link in a text for me to use to book a nurse appointment - which needs the internet - so I had to link the phone to the internet for that and then wait half an hour until it unfreezed itself before making a booking.

Children
  • in reply to Pixiefox

    I can understand your reasons for choosing to turn off the internet on your smartphone. If I owned a smartphone, I know that I would definitely feel uncomfortable with the notion of my every move being tracked, although as I seldom take my non-smartphone mobile out with me when I go anywhere, it's unlikely that would change if I had a smartphone.

  • in reply to Pixiefox

    During Covid there was discussions online as to whether or not tech and smartphones were really about controlling people and I’ve wondered about this - for a time, a vaccine passport was required to do anything, you had to log on to the shop’s wifi or scan a QR code which was the only reason I got an iPhone 12 Pro - when I went home to Ireland on the ferry, I had to show my vaccine passport at Dublin (paper versions of this were not accepted at Dublin) and other crazy stuff - but very often, even though I’m fairly tech savvy myself at age 54, I have found that most tech these days is a pain in certain situations and just gets in the way - I only got this iPad Pro during Covid as a way of keeping in touch with family in Ireland as Windows and the Chromebook were useless