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The right phone to bring on a date or any personal human interaction is none at all or turn it off. Cell phones are like toilets. No one wants to watch you usin

by lrvick 4y ago

The right phone to bring on a date or any personal human interaction is none at all or turn it off. Cell phones are like toilets. No one wants to watch you using one. If a date cares which toilet or phone you use... that is weird. Run. FWIIW I have a 20 year background in software engineering and devops. Today I run an infosec company, live in silicon valley, and I do not have a cell phone at all. I have a desktop computer for getting work done in office hours, and if I have time alone away from home for an extended period of time I bring a laptop and a book which are used at times of my choosing.

sorenjan 4y ago
Always having access to a detailed map with GPS has been one of the best quality of life enhancers modern tech has provided. I can go anywhere and never worry about getting lost. And the same device will play any music I want whenever I want, take photos, show me a grocery list automatically synced with my computer, and pay for the groceries and any of by bills like rent. You do you though.
- lrvick 4y ago
  I once used all of those things constantly too. I get it, but there are viable alternatives that are worth it for me, and maybe others. Paper maps exist. As do standalone GPS devices. Personally I look up directions before I leave and write them down. Within a few months of not using a GPS I actually started learning to navigate on my own. There is even evidence GPS reliance is literally causing atrophy in the portions of our brains evolved for navigation: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/7/24/20697829/gps-nueroscience-hippocampus https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/7/24/20697829/gp... I actually still use and prefer taxis over uber/lyft because there is no app, and they tend to know where they are going without staring at a phone while driving. As a motorcycle rider, I think all distracting screens should be turned off while driving. They get people killed. As for photos, dedicated point and shoot cameras are still a thing as they have vastly superior lenses to most/all phones. As for keeping lists, I switched back to paper notes. I rarely even look at them because the act of writing things down commits it to memory remarkably better than I expected, and my memory is pretty poor. As for music, I use rockbox on a small dedicated music player with 2tb of storage. I filled it so I have plenty. There is nothing stopping you from still using a phone for all these things, but consider keeping your phone in airplane mode full time so you are a bit less distracted and more disconnected. The average person checks their phone 300 times a day. When you know the internet is off... that addictive habit dies down. I did that for a year and used offline music and maps on the go etc. After that I stopped paying for cell service I never used as I could find wifi anywhere if I felt I really needed it. After that I deleted apps one by one and finding alternatives. Somewhere along the line I started finding I would forget to bring it with me to go shopping or for a walk. About a year ago I just ditched it entirely. I simply realized I am happier and more present and focused without it. Even airports, traveling, etc. There is no anxiety for me when I am without internet or a phone like there once was. It is like modern day survival training that paid off. The mental health gains and my overall ability to focus has gone up so dramatically I do not see myself ever going back. Maybe a beeper for emergencies but that is about it. I suggest anyone start with airplane mode and wifi only for a while and see how far down that path is right for them. If you had asked me 2 years ago if I would ever leave home without a phone I would have thought you were nuts. Detoxing from anything takes time.

by lrvick 4y ago

sorenjan 4y ago

Always having access to a detailed map with GPS has been one of the best quality of life enhancers modern tech has provided. I can go anywhere and never worry about getting lost. And the same device will play any music I want whenever I want, take photos, show me a grocery list automatically synced with my computer, and pay for the groceries and any of by bills like rent. You do you though.

lrvick 4y ago
I once used all of those things constantly too. I get it, but there are viable alternatives that are worth it for me, and maybe others. Paper maps exist. As do standalone GPS devices. Personally I look up directions before I leave and write them down. Within a few months of not using a GPS I actually started learning to navigate on my own. There is even evidence GPS reliance is literally causing atrophy in the portions of our brains evolved for navigation: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/7/24/20697829/gps-nueroscience-hippocampus https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/7/24/20697829/gp... I actually still use and prefer taxis over uber/lyft because there is no app, and they tend to know where they are going without staring at a phone while driving. As a motorcycle rider, I think all distracting screens should be turned off while driving. They get people killed. As for photos, dedicated point and shoot cameras are still a thing as they have vastly superior lenses to most/all phones. As for keeping lists, I switched back to paper notes. I rarely even look at them because the act of writing things down commits it to memory remarkably better than I expected, and my memory is pretty poor. As for music, I use rockbox on a small dedicated music player with 2tb of storage. I filled it so I have plenty. There is nothing stopping you from still using a phone for all these things, but consider keeping your phone in airplane mode full time so you are a bit less distracted and more disconnected. The average person checks their phone 300 times a day. When you know the internet is off... that addictive habit dies down. I did that for a year and used offline music and maps on the go etc. After that I stopped paying for cell service I never used as I could find wifi anywhere if I felt I really needed it. After that I deleted apps one by one and finding alternatives. Somewhere along the line I started finding I would forget to bring it with me to go shopping or for a walk. About a year ago I just ditched it entirely. I simply realized I am happier and more present and focused without it. Even airports, traveling, etc. There is no anxiety for me when I am without internet or a phone like there once was. It is like modern day survival training that paid off. The mental health gains and my overall ability to focus has gone up so dramatically I do not see myself ever going back. Maybe a beeper for emergencies but that is about it. I suggest anyone start with airplane mode and wifi only for a while and see how far down that path is right for them. If you had asked me 2 years ago if I would ever leave home without a phone I would have thought you were nuts. Detoxing from anything takes time.