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While I see the great potential in this technology, the collateral damage is the loss of places where one can truly disconnect. I just got back from 4 days cam

While I see the great potential in this technology, the collateral damage is the loss of places where one can truly disconnect. I just got back from 4 days camping at a remote mountain lake with zero phone coverage, and it’s one of the most incredible ways to fully recharge and step away from the day to day treadmill of the modern world. When we loose the possibility to completely disconnect, I at least, will feel a loss of the true wilderness. I’m not debating the usefulness of this or saying it shouldn’t happen. Having cell service everywhere will undoubtedly save lives, but it’s not without a price in loosing true wildernesses

mijowi 4y ago
You could just not bring your phone. I would still feel disconnected without any civilization around.
swatcoder 4y ago
You could already bring a satellite phone wherever you were, could probably have tuned an AM radio into something if you had wanted, etc Disconnecting is a choice you make, not a place you go.
mef 4y ago
why not just not bring your phone? or keep it in airplane mode?
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
imoverclocked 4y ago
Not to be snarky, phones do have an “off” button. There is no reason we can’t have a little disconnectedness anywhere we choose. Ie: the problem isn’t the connection, it’s the expectation that just because there is a connection there is also a need to respond.
- geoffeg 4y ago
  I think the problem isn't me turning my phone off, it's other people not turning their phone off.
  - bredren 4y ago
    This problem will fade, the way hearing custom ringtones on flip phones in the early aughts did.
nsilvestri 4y ago
Until the eye-Phone gets installed, you can always leave your phone somewhere else.
coconut08 4y ago
if you want to not have cell service while you are camping then you can just leave your phone at home. i'm sure that the benefits brought to people who are saved from being bitten by a poisonous snakes or fall down the side of a mountain will outweigh your moderate discomfort brought about by your lack of self control.
- concordDance 4y ago
  This may not actually be true. The number of people currently dying from those things due to lack of coverage is tiny, while a vastly greater number get substantial QoL improvements from the disconnect.
  - lxgr 4y ago
    By that logic, why stop at not connecting the back country to the internet? We should be actively disconnecting the cities. So many more people to be saved! Seriously, this is a social problem brought about by new technologies – and these are rarely solved by shunning technology.
xcskier56 4y ago
To everyone saying “just don’t bring your phone” 1) Camera: iPhones are about the best lightweight camera I’m willing to purchase 2) Navigation: Offline maps with details like slope angle are critical when traveling in the backcountry in winter. Yes I use paper maps too, but some things are much easier digital. 3) I don’t want to leave it in the car to get stolen. And about airplane mode. Yes “disconnecting is a choice”, but if the internet is just the flip of a button away, I’ve found I’m not able to keep that button off.
- kortex 4y ago
  There are apps which can disable/nerf specific apps or the internet wholesale for N mintues, and lock you out until the timer lapses.
- kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 4y ago
  > but if the internet is just the flip of a button away, I’ve found I’m not able to keep that button off. That's a human problem with a human - not technical - solution. You need to find a way to resist temptation. I promise you'll be better for it in more areas than you realize.
- woevdbz 4y ago
  > And about airplane mode. Yes “disconnecting is a choice”, but if the internet is just the flip of a button away, I’ve found I’m not able to keep that button off. Leave your SIM card home
  - skydhash 4y ago
    Or remove it and put it at the bottom of the backpack (suitcase).
  - fomine3 4y ago
    Remove current APN (and keep memo away) so it can't connect to internet but phone/SMS is still available.
- kelnos 4y ago
bottlepalm 4y ago
Until you get lost, injure yourself, or plain just need help.
macNchz 4y ago
I agree with you. For me, at least, there’s something to be said about the expectation of being reachable: if you happen to be somewhere remote without any service at all, there’s simply no way for someone to reach you. If you go somewhere everyone knows has service and just turn off your phone, you are perceived to be actively ignoring people. Others on this thread are discussing the safety aspects, and I don’t disagree that there’s some value there–I like to go out solo in the backcountry, and lead trips with groups of inexperienced people, so I own a satellite phone for that purpose. That said, only a few people have the number for it, everyone else knows that when I’m out there, I’m offline. Even if others had the number, it only sends texts, and very slowly, so it’s not a true connection to the real world, just a lifeline. I used to feel the same way about getting on a plane. Flaky as airplane wifi can be, it’s no longer the disconnect it once was.
jasonwatkinspdx 4y ago
I've been backpacking since I was in kindergarten and this comment has made me more angry than just about anything on this website. Your phone has a power button. Use it. You have not lost access to nature, and stop inventing a totally BS self aggrandizing narrative out of nowhere. Nature is fine. Humans are fine. We have not fallen from Eden. You can turn the phone off and I promise reality still works the same as far as strolling through the forest.
surfpel 4y ago
Then does this mean you don’t get recharged after any vacation near a cell tower? > loosing true wildernesses I’m seriously wondering how people living in the wilderness will feel about this point?
carabiner 4y ago
jjcon 4y ago
> the collateral damage is the loss of places where one can truly disconnect. The real bummer is for the astrophotographers and observers who can’t do anything now without massive streaks of light flying everywhere.
- concordDance 4y ago
  If this goes ahead that means Starship is a thing, so the professional astronomers will have lots of orbital telescopes. It's the amateurs who are screwed.
xyst 4y ago
“True wilderness” has not existed for a long time. Even your “remote mountain lake” area is not “true wilderness”. You probably drove or flew to the area to camp. Human influence is everywhere. Our footprint has changed the various landscapes whether for better or worse.

mijowi 4y ago

You could just not bring your phone. I would still feel disconnected without any civilization around.

swatcoder 4y ago

You could already bring a satellite phone wherever you were, could probably have tuned an AM radio into something if you had wanted, etc Disconnecting is a choice you make, not a place you go.

mef 4y ago

why not just not bring your phone? or keep it in airplane mode?

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

imoverclocked 4y ago

Not to be snarky, phones do have an “off” button. There is no reason we can’t have a little disconnectedness anywhere we choose. Ie: the problem isn’t the connection, it’s the expectation that just because there is a connection there is also a need to respond.

geoffeg 4y ago
I think the problem isn't me turning my phone off, it's other people not turning their phone off.
- bredren 4y ago
  This problem will fade, the way hearing custom ringtones on flip phones in the early aughts did.

nsilvestri 4y ago

Until the eye-Phone gets installed, you can always leave your phone somewhere else.

coconut08 4y ago

if you want to not have cell service while you are camping then you can just leave your phone at home. i'm sure that the benefits brought to people who are saved from being bitten by a poisonous snakes or fall down the side of a mountain will outweigh your moderate discomfort brought about by your lack of self control.

concordDance 4y ago
This may not actually be true. The number of people currently dying from those things due to lack of coverage is tiny, while a vastly greater number get substantial QoL improvements from the disconnect.
- lxgr 4y ago
  By that logic, why stop at not connecting the back country to the internet? We should be actively disconnecting the cities. So many more people to be saved! Seriously, this is a social problem brought about by new technologies – and these are rarely solved by shunning technology.

xcskier56 4y ago

To everyone saying “just don’t bring your phone” 1) Camera: iPhones are about the best lightweight camera I’m willing to purchase 2) Navigation: Offline maps with details like slope angle are critical when traveling in the backcountry in winter. Yes I use paper maps too, but some things are much easier digital. 3) I don’t want to leave it in the car to get stolen. And about airplane mode. Yes “disconnecting is a choice”, but if the internet is just the flip of a button away, I’ve found I’m not able to keep that button off.

kortex 4y ago
There are apps which can disable/nerf specific apps or the internet wholesale for N mintues, and lock you out until the timer lapses.
kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 4y ago
> but if the internet is just the flip of a button away, I’ve found I’m not able to keep that button off. That's a human problem with a human - not technical - solution. You need to find a way to resist temptation. I promise you'll be better for it in more areas than you realize.
woevdbz 4y ago
> And about airplane mode. Yes “disconnecting is a choice”, but if the internet is just the flip of a button away, I’ve found I’m not able to keep that button off. Leave your SIM card home
- skydhash 4y ago
  Or remove it and put it at the bottom of the backpack (suitcase).
- fomine3 4y ago
  Remove current APN (and keep memo away) so it can't connect to internet but phone/SMS is still available.
kelnos 4y ago

bottlepalm 4y ago

Until you get lost, injure yourself, or plain just need help.

macNchz 4y ago

I agree with you. For me, at least, there’s something to be said about the expectation of being reachable: if you happen to be somewhere remote without any service at all, there’s simply no way for someone to reach you. If you go somewhere everyone knows has service and just turn off your phone, you are perceived to be actively ignoring people. Others on this thread are discussing the safety aspects, and I don’t disagree that there’s some value there–I like to go out solo in the backcountry, and lead trips with groups of inexperienced people, so I own a satellite phone for that purpose. That said, only a few people have the number for it, everyone else knows that when I’m out there, I’m offline. Even if others had the number, it only sends texts, and very slowly, so it’s not a true connection to the real world, just a lifeline. I used to feel the same way about getting on a plane. Flaky as airplane wifi can be, it’s no longer the disconnect it once was.

jasonwatkinspdx 4y ago

I've been backpacking since I was in kindergarten and this comment has made me more angry than just about anything on this website. Your phone has a power button. Use it. You have not lost access to nature, and stop inventing a totally BS self aggrandizing narrative out of nowhere. Nature is fine. Humans are fine. We have not fallen from Eden. You can turn the phone off and I promise reality still works the same as far as strolling through the forest.

surfpel 4y ago

Then does this mean you don’t get recharged after any vacation near a cell tower? > loosing true wildernesses I’m seriously wondering how people living in the wilderness will feel about this point?

carabiner 4y ago

jjcon 4y ago

> the collateral damage is the loss of places where one can truly disconnect. The real bummer is for the astrophotographers and observers who can’t do anything now without massive streaks of light flying everywhere.

concordDance 4y ago
If this goes ahead that means Starship is a thing, so the professional astronomers will have lots of orbital telescopes. It's the amateurs who are screwed.

xyst 4y ago

“True wilderness” has not existed for a long time. Even your “remote mountain lake” area is not “true wilderness”. You probably drove or flew to the area to camp. Human influence is everywhere. Our footprint has changed the various landscapes whether for better or worse.