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I think you can divide this into four legs: "Phone-as-camera" - people have always traveled with cameras since it became practical. They took crappy pictures o

I think you can divide this into four legs: "Phone-as-camera" - people have always traveled with cameras since it became practical. They took crappy pictures of fireworks, or whatever, on film. Perhaps a bit more mindfully because of the limited amount of exposures on a roll of film, but it's still a major way to capture a memory. A shutterbug would spend just as much time shooting film and not being "in the moment" as someone with a phone. It's just that now phones work as pretty decent cameras along with all their other features. "Phone-as-nav" - this is a great advance over paper maps in that it tells you where you are on the map. "Phone-as-comms" - also a great advance in that you can get in touch with travel companions or make contact with locations. "Phone-as-distraction" - aha. THIS is where I think the issue comes in; if you are too busy tweeting or reading email or playing Clash of Knights while you're visiting the Pyramids or the Forum Ruins, THAT'S a problem. That's where you need to put down the phone and be a part of what you've traveled to ostensibly see.

neogodless 7y ago
The first step for almost anyone is to decide that the "phone-as-distraction" isn't actually a good use of time. In other words, you don't really relax, or learn, or keep up with the Joneses, or build strong relationships. All of that is up for debate if you wish, but the point is that if think you value staring at your phone at home, you probably think you value staring at it when you're on vacation - for example to respond to comments on your travel photos. So, assuming you agree that using the phone for the empty distraction is bad, the second step is just stop using it that way at home, every day, long before you set out on vacation. Get used to that and improve every day of your life. Finally, the third step will be to continue that healthy habit, and avoid the "phone-as-distraction" the entire time you're on vacation, so you can let the vacation be your relaxation, your entertainment, the place you build relationships with the people around you.
m463 7y ago
sigh. I think he's actually saying: no-camera - do not document, experience people-as-nav - ask someone people-as-comm - talk to someone nearby no-distraction - :)
aaron695 7y ago
> "Phone-as-camera" You're not getting it. Pre phones when people had cameras, I specifically travelled without a camera because people who travel with cameras were bullshit. This is pre Instagram, pre Facebook, so to show people your photos after a trip you had to see them in person. The bar has dropped so low, it'd be considered hipster and mentally healthy to take physical photos now because it would mean you have to physically leave the house and physically see a person to show them. The bar used to be, travelling with maps, cameras and travel books is a crutch that ruins your experience. People broke these rules but they at least thought about it when doing it. I used travel books, but I thought about it. This current situation is not normal. And by normal, I mean with the current understanding of how humans work, healthy.
catherd 7y ago
In my experience, just avoiding the things listed as distractions doesn't have the desired outcome (which I read as the ability to really lose yourself in the experiences of being wherever you are). Even if it's only used for utilitarian purposes, the care and feeding necessary if you land in a different country with a mobile phone is pretty high: - find a SIM card shop - research which card/plan meets your needs - pay, screw around with it until you understand how to activate it - in countries with weak infrastructure, spend lots of unplanned time finding a signal and waiting on slow data - a quick internet search for bus routes or whatever often turns into standing on the corner for 45 minutes oblivious to everything around you. - making sure to keep it charged, bring a backup power bank, etc. - deal with reloading it with more money once the data runs out, which can often sink a few hours or more in remote places. All that said, I'm still not giving up my phone the next time I travel but I do often resent the amount of time it takes to deal with one.

neogodless 7y ago

The first step for almost anyone is to decide that the "phone-as-distraction" isn't actually a good use of time. In other words, you don't really relax, or learn, or keep up with the Joneses, or build strong relationships. All of that is up for debate if you wish, but the point is that if think you value staring at your phone at home, you probably think you value staring at it when you're on vacation - for example to respond to comments on your travel photos. So, assuming you agree that using the phone for the empty distraction is bad, the second step is just stop using it that way at home, every day, long before you set out on vacation. Get used to that and improve every day of your life. Finally, the third step will be to continue that healthy habit, and avoid the "phone-as-distraction" the entire time you're on vacation, so you can let the vacation be your relaxation, your entertainment, the place you build relationships with the people around you.

m463 7y ago

sigh. I think he's actually saying: no-camera - do not document, experience people-as-nav - ask someone people-as-comm - talk to someone nearby no-distraction - :)

aaron695 7y ago

> "Phone-as-camera" You're not getting it. Pre phones when people had cameras, I specifically travelled without a camera because people who travel with cameras were bullshit. This is pre Instagram, pre Facebook, so to show people your photos after a trip you had to see them in person. The bar has dropped so low, it'd be considered hipster and mentally healthy to take physical photos now because it would mean you have to physically leave the house and physically see a person to show them. The bar used to be, travelling with maps, cameras and travel books is a crutch that ruins your experience. People broke these rules but they at least thought about it when doing it. I used travel books, but I thought about it. This current situation is not normal. And by normal, I mean with the current understanding of how humans work, healthy.

catherd 7y ago

In my experience, just avoiding the things listed as distractions doesn't have the desired outcome (which I read as the ability to really lose yourself in the experiences of being wherever you are). Even if it's only used for utilitarian purposes, the care and feeding necessary if you land in a different country with a mobile phone is pretty high: - find a SIM card shop - research which card/plan meets your needs - pay, screw around with it until you understand how to activate it - in countries with weak infrastructure, spend lots of unplanned time finding a signal and waiting on slow data - a quick internet search for bus routes or whatever often turns into standing on the corner for 45 minutes oblivious to everything around you. - making sure to keep it charged, bring a backup power bank, etc. - deal with reloading it with more money once the data runs out, which can often sink a few hours or more in remote places. All that said, I'm still not giving up my phone the next time I travel but I do often resent the amount of time it takes to deal with one.