4 ms·

Not carrying a cell phone is a pretty huge sacrifice now—it’s almost to the point where you have to have one in order to participate in society.

Retric 3y ago
Giving up cellphones isn’t as big deal as you’re suggesting. At work and at home you can call or email em, they’re only out of contract for a few hours a day. Being required to hand over cellphones when entering a secure facility makes them far less appealing.
- soupfordummies 3y ago
  I actually disagree -- it's sneakily become a BIG deal to fully participate in society (esp post covid). Here's three real-world examples in a row: Took my partner out on a date downtown last Saturday night. Dinner and a show. Gotta have an app or at the least mobile browser to pay to park. No parking meters or out of order. Gotta have a camera/mobile browser to scan the menu at the restaurant. No more paper menus. Gotta have a phone to show your ticket to get into the theater. No more paper tickets. Just got bounced back and forth between staff when I tried. It's so many little things like this that have crept up -- especially in the last couple years. It's just assumed that everyone has a working charged phone in their pocket at all times now. Sure, can you get by and survive? Of course! But it's gonna be a giant pain in the ass and you're gonna be "that guy" to the people around you. Which again... pretty big sacrifice.
- ethbr0 3y ago
  Parent was likely talking about activities for which there is only a "mobile app" solution, with no fall-back human option. The usual pattern is: 1. Company releases mobile app 2. Company directs users to mobile app, for data collection purposes, and releases new physical activities app-first. Backup, non-app methods are an afterthought 3. At some point, the non-app methods are so broken, under/unstaffed, that they're functionally useless Consequently, you now can't do the thing without a device.
  - Retric 3y ago
    Do you have any examples? I’ve only seen something vaguely like that with Reddit.
    - JohnFen 3y ago
      I don't use my cellphone for anything like this, so I'm acutely aware of those things in my area. Around here, not using cellphone apps means that you can't use about 10% of vending machines, about 33% of parking spots, and in some apartment complexes, the inability to use the laundry room. That's about it, at least that I've seen. So far, all of that amounts to slight inconveniences.
    - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
      I can't easily send money to an arbitrary person via Zelle because my bank only allows that through their app. Website only supports requesting that they mail a paper check to that person which will take some time. I prefer not to have any connection between my phone, which is easily lost, and any financial data.

Retric 3y ago

Giving up cellphones isn’t as big deal as you’re suggesting. At work and at home you can call or email em, they’re only out of contract for a few hours a day. Being required to hand over cellphones when entering a secure facility makes them far less appealing.

soupfordummies 3y ago
I actually disagree -- it's sneakily become a BIG deal to fully participate in society (esp post covid). Here's three real-world examples in a row: Took my partner out on a date downtown last Saturday night. Dinner and a show. Gotta have an app or at the least mobile browser to pay to park. No parking meters or out of order. Gotta have a camera/mobile browser to scan the menu at the restaurant. No more paper menus. Gotta have a phone to show your ticket to get into the theater. No more paper tickets. Just got bounced back and forth between staff when I tried. It's so many little things like this that have crept up -- especially in the last couple years. It's just assumed that everyone has a working charged phone in their pocket at all times now. Sure, can you get by and survive? Of course! But it's gonna be a giant pain in the ass and you're gonna be "that guy" to the people around you. Which again... pretty big sacrifice.
ethbr0 3y ago
Parent was likely talking about activities for which there is only a "mobile app" solution, with no fall-back human option. The usual pattern is: 1. Company releases mobile app 2. Company directs users to mobile app, for data collection purposes, and releases new physical activities app-first. Backup, non-app methods are an afterthought 3. At some point, the non-app methods are so broken, under/unstaffed, that they're functionally useless Consequently, you now can't do the thing without a device.
- Retric 3y ago
  Do you have any examples? I’ve only seen something vaguely like that with Reddit.
  - JohnFen 3y ago
    I don't use my cellphone for anything like this, so I'm acutely aware of those things in my area. Around here, not using cellphone apps means that you can't use about 10% of vending machines, about 33% of parking spots, and in some apartment complexes, the inability to use the laundry room. That's about it, at least that I've seen. So far, all of that amounts to slight inconveniences.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
    I can't easily send money to an arbitrary person via Zelle because my bank only allows that through their app. Website only supports requesting that they mail a paper check to that person which will take some time. I prefer not to have any connection between my phone, which is easily lost, and any financial data.