Hi, So I've noticed myself on the phone too much when I'm around mates. Having worked in the gambling industry, the satisfying alert tones run too close to the psychology used in slot machines. It is addictive. Anyway, I thought I'd go back to my old Nokia 6310i handset, which has a black and white screen, a month of battery life, and calls, texts, and alarms. Not much else. Turns out all the telcos turned off the 2G network, so only 3G phones are now supported. ________________________________________ I'm considering going without a mobile at all, as astonishing as that sounds. Problem is I need to be on call for work. Is there any way to get a phone with just calls and texts, no internet, no wifi, no bluetooth, no apps, no location services, no Facebook, etc? What are your thoughts on the addictive and privacy-sapping nature of today's smartphone market? Should it be regulated or left to its own devices (pun intented)?
Never had a smart phone in my life. But you are right, it becomes more and more difficult. For me freedom means a phone without internet connection...... The virus must be playing into any government hands, control, and more control via a smart phone.... Reg.
Smart phone use is definitely addictive; but it is also the shape of this nation's future and so realistically there is no getting away from that. In the short term though, reject the Google feature and thus instantly eliminate two thirds of the world's intrusion on your phone. It doesn't exactly turn it into what you want, but it comes close. The rest is a matter of will power.
I've caught myself, now and then, not being 'present' with friends because of my phone. And as it is a behavior I don't particularly like it others, I knew I had to change. I have started assigning notification sounds for different people. That way, if I'm waiting for a specific call/text, I can respond to only that one when it comes in. The rest can wait - I'm with actual people!