I have no relationship with my phone. Unlike successive generations brought up glued to social media and their phones, doom scrolling to find a connection, any connection, I came out of a different era. One that smiles at people in the street, chats casually with the person on the next table in the coffee shop/bus/train, and reads an old fashioned newspaper. Yes, they do still print them.
So in this age of the smart phone, mine gets put into my handbag when I leave the apartment and, never comes out till I get home, and it goes back on the side waiting to be charged. The only times it gets any actual use is if I’m out for a walk or we’re visiting one of my fav parks & gardens. Then, it gets used as a camera and storage, posting device. Occasionally, I will use it to text the OH, but only on the two days they’re in work and not at home working.
As for upgrading and buying the latest incarnation of X or Y phone? Naah. Me and mine upgraded from the small iPhone 5c (which I still have and use for music) to the 12 mini, which we had for quite a while. And then, late last year, we actually upgraded to a newer iPhone 14 pro, but only because the pair came as a package and because the OH wanted the new phone. They use their phone all day long while mine? Is a purple base that my handmade Mummy, Boris, sits on.
How’s that for a relationship.
NaBloPoMo: 30/30
[grey_box]This post is part of NaBloPoMo where I write 30 blog posts in November. Thank you for reading and leaving me a comment, which is encouragement for me to finish this challenge. To follow along you can subscribe using the form provided in the sidebar or use RSS.[/grey_box]
Impressive restraint! But how about Instagram? And reading blogs in bed? And, and…
I love my phone but am not as addicted to it as many others are, I think. I avoid doom scrolling, alerts & news on the phone. In November and with NaBloPoMo I’ve kept up with blog reading in Feedly – it’s a great app.
Hanna, I don’t have Instagram, and have never read a smart device in bed. A real book on the other hand? Yep. Now ask me about my iPad and, well, that’s a different story. I have a lightweight iPad Air that is my go to when reading blogs, doing email, and anything else I might want to do.
Everything else I do on the mac.
Wow, definitely not a “usual” phone relationship these days. I try not to be glued to it, esp. not if I am around other people, but I do use mine a lot. I do have notifications turned off for most apps though and really try to limit the doom-scrolling LOL
I think it might be because I have big fat fingers, wear gasses and have difficulty reading the screens on these tiny devices, and not being brought up with on, well, makes a big difference. But I know how easy it is to be glued to a smart device as I use my iPad more through out the day than I ever would my phone (bigger screen).
I think you have set good boundaries. I try to do the same with my phone. The only notifications I receive are messenger, phone calls, emails, and texts. No FB, News, etc. I think that helps a lot these days.
One of the first things I do with any phone I ever gone was keep the apps to a minimum. No socials especially as I have a hard time with the little screens. It’s just mind boggling getting on the bus and seeing only two people NOT looking at a phone for the whole journey.
I wonder what everyone’s eyesight is going to be like in 5 or 10 years time? Scary …
I didn’t grow up in a generation that knew phones that weren’t tethered to the kitchen wall with a long cord (unless you were a doctor with a fancy car phone or something), but having one now is a blessing and a curse to us introverted people who are more comfortable poking at puzzles on the little screen than interacting with people 🙂 I do try to minimize the messaging and social media intrusions, though. Can’t say the same for my offspring, though.
See, I love using my iPad for gaming, puzzles especially, as it has the bigger screen. Phones? Not so much. To me, the iPad is my phone, I surf on it when need be, look through my photos, play games, or use it for facetime with friends. But again, keep away from all the usual socials.
The one social I have found, this year, and love, is Mastodon. It’s where I coonect with a lot of people these days.
I really miss my days without a cell phone. I was late to the game (4-5 years ago?). Now it feels like everybody needs to have one (at least in my generation) because that is how SO many things are communicated. I try to push against the flow, but also give in more than I’d like and succumb to scrolling to pass the time. I do read most blog posts on my phone, tag the ones I want to comment on as “Read Later” and then post comments using my laptop.
I don’t have an iPad but my husband has one and LOVES it.
I guess as I was before the phone generation, I never formed the habit. But yes, more and more can only be done using the phone these days. Companies make it awkward for people like me who don’t really care for the phone.
Oh, and an iPad is sooooo much better than a phone for surfing and doing stuff online (like a mini laptop really) I love mine too. I use it a lot through out the day in comparison.
Sounds perfect! I am trying to be more like that, and only take it out for pics and to check in with folks I am meeting or look at directions or store hours/etc. I hate being with people who are glued to theirs. Am I not interesting enough for you? (is that I am thinking)
I know how difficult it is if you’ve been use to using your phone for everything, and esp. social media scrolling. It’s hard to break the habit.
Oh, and I know what you mean, you’re talking to someone who never looks at you because they’re constantly scrolling their phone. It’s like, really?