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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 a

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.

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.