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Living without a smartphone in 2022

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Deleted User 15773

Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by Deleted User 15773 » Sun Mar 27, 2022 12:29 pm

I place this here because I'm not asking a tech question, this is more general. So, I'm a bit of an odd duck, I've never owned a smart phone in my entire life. For me, I've just never seen the appeal of it, I really dislike what the whole thing has done to society, to me people look like idiots with there faces glued to them all the time. To me, I see it as another thing to break and cost money, plus I like being not connected to anything when I'm away from the house.

A couple years ago I entertained the idea of purchasing one and then saw the cost, then said to myself " I don't think so". People tell me I'm missing out on a lot of things but I've yet to feel it. However, as time marches on I realize that hold outs like me, are going to have a harder time with things not having one.

Many things, such as Major League Baseball, require you to have your "ticket" on your phone now, you cannot print out a ticket anymore, it's the phone or nothing. I frequent Meijer and a check out clerk asked me if I had M perks, I go usually at the same time of day so she's seen me many times. I said I did not have M perks and that I did not own a smart phone, I got a bit of a puzzled look.

Recently, I had to go to the bank to cash a cheque and I mentioned to a co-worker that I luckily I had enough to time to stop at the bank and get to work on time. I got a remark about doing it on my phone and was told that I need to "get with the times".

I am dreading the day when I'm going to have to get one of these things. Anyone else here lack a smartphone?



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craig11152
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by craig11152 » Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:59 pm

The avowed socialist from Canada probably doesn't have one either.


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craig11152
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by craig11152 » Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:09 pm

In my mind the only reason not to have one is if you just can't afford it.
You can get a decent phone for less than $300 and a plan for $20-$25 that includes unlimited texts data and calls.


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Circle Seven
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by Circle Seven » Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:17 pm

craig11152 wrote:
Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:09 pm
In my mind the only reason not to have one is if you just can't afford it.
You can get a decent phone for less than $300 and a plan for $20-$25 that includes unlimited texts data and calls.
I may side with Reaper on this one (as I reply to this on my phone :) ).

I do a whole lot with my smartphone I could probably get by without if I used a flip or candy bar instead. Except gps. I think that's the one "must have" on my smartphone.



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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by Circle Seven » Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:21 pm

craig11152 wrote:
Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:59 pm
The avowed socialist from Canada probably doesn't have one either.
I think Turkey just plays dumb to tweak y'all.
Last edited by Circle Seven on Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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TC Talks
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by TC Talks » Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:22 pm

Soon your driver's license will be on a phone app.


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kager
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by kager » Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:28 pm

Smart phones are not what has negatively impacted society; the social media apps that run on them have.
craig11152 wrote:
Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:59 pm
The avowed socialist from Canada probably doesn't have one either.
I had to go to the bank to cash a cheque
Perhaps GR & TT are neighbours...
craig11152 wrote:
Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:09 pm
In my mind the only reason not to have one is if you just can't afford it.
You can get a decent phone for less than $300 and a plan for $20-$25 that includes unlimited texts data and calls.
Good point. One could make the argument of it just being another thing to have to remember to take with you; another thing to lose, break, or distract you. Unless you are a homebody with no curiosity as to the way current things work and why, you should probably have one.

I don't see the pride in being a Luddite, tho; there are certainly things out there like tablets and computers that - when combined with a printer - have the ability to make your life more technically compliant without 'resorting' to have to become a smart phone owner. It's just not as convenient.

If you travel often, IDK that they are really optional (aside from maybe a competition to see if you can still do it.) Hell, there are airlines out there who charge $5 for a paper boarding pass these days. The days of the banks of snot-plastered payphones in airports are probably numbered as well...

Anyway, this topic seems custom-made to entice the posting of the TT smart 'phone on the kitchen wall' and middle class stuck in the craw bits. So, without further adieu...


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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by MotorCityRadioFreak » Sun Mar 27, 2022 5:09 pm

TT doesn't believe that the working class can afford them so he stands with them in solidarity. LOL.

In all honesty, I didn't get a smart phone until about 5-6 years ago. Now, I have an iPhone and don't know how I could live without it. GPS, exclusive fast food discounts on their app, check emails easily, deposit checks, easy bill pay...the list goes on and on.

Like it or not, it is a time saver.


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Bobbert
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by Bobbert » Mon Mar 28, 2022 10:10 am

I just have a Tracfone that I keep in my car for emergencies and quick calls on the road. It's also been necessary for text message codes for on-line access to different things.

I know how addicted I can get to the online world of my personal desktop computer. I don't want to have to deal with that temptation all the time.

The high price also has been a factor.

But for full disclosure, I have no problem with asking someone with a smartphone to check something on-line at social gatherings.



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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by bmw » Mon Mar 28, 2022 10:38 am

I'm in the same boat as Bobbert. I've owned a dumb phone cell phone since 2004. First one I had was a Nokia that had a plan called "SImple Freedom." When that was discontinued, I moved on to a tracfone flip phone made by LG. Had to replace it twice - once when 2G was discontinued and now just last month when 3G was discontinued. My current flip phone, while 4G compliant, is bigger and bulkier than the past ones I've had and it really ticks me off that there's not one single flip phone in existence that is 4G capable and the size of my older phones.

I have 2 actually - one for my business and one for me personally. I'm a tech person by trade, so I always get a lot of interesting comments, even from my customers, when they see my flip phone on the desk.

But I have 3 dedicated desktop PC's at work, a desktop PC at home, an Amazon FireHD 10-inch tablet, and literally 3 different laptops that each have different uses. That's 8 computers. I don't need a smart phone, and all the things people say they're "convenient" for, I manage just fine to do things the way we did 15 years ago.

When I'm anywhere other than my house or my tech shop, I DON'T WANT INTERNET ACCESS. When I'm out in public or at other people's houses, my attention should be 100% on those outings, not 90% on a smart phone. Honestly I've come to despise smart phones and how they're turning people into mind-numb robots. So many people live life through their screen rather than through their actual real world environment.

And to be completely honest - even if I did own a smart phone, I don't think I would ever use it for anything other than texts and calls and maybe a radar check if I'm out on the golf course. So for me it would be pointless.



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Turkeytop
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by Turkeytop » Mon Mar 28, 2022 11:08 am

craig11152 wrote:
Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:09 pm
In my mind the only reason not to have one is if you just can't afford it.
You can get a decent phone for less than $300 and a plan for $20-$25 that includes unlimited texts data and calls.
MotorCityRadioFreak wrote:
Sun Mar 27, 2022 5:09 pm
TT doesn't believe that the working class can afford them so he stands with them in solidarity. LOL.
You've got it wrong, all of you. Sure I could afford a "smart phone." I own radios for which I paid hundreds of dollars each. And I'm sure most of my working class comrades could afford one.

But, unlike you middle class types, we don't need one in our hand at all times, like some kind of security blanket, to affirm our self worth.

We get along great without one.


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bmw
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by bmw » Mon Mar 28, 2022 11:11 am

I don't know what "class type" has to do with this. I'm pretty sure smartphone addiction affects people of all income levels.



Bobbert
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by Bobbert » Mon Mar 28, 2022 11:16 am

bmw wrote:
Mon Mar 28, 2022 10:38 am
Honestly I've come to despise smart phones and how they're turning people into mind-numb robots. So many people live life through their screen rather than through their actual real world environment.
Another bad ripple effect of the smartphone culture is the noise they make in public when people play videos of different things. These people are completely oblivious to the people around them. In restaurants, I've gotten into the habit of avoiding smartphone users when I sit down. It's too much to expect the restaurant employees to ask them to turn them down.



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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by ZenithCKLW » Mon Mar 28, 2022 11:49 am

I've had a smartphone since 2010. My volume and my ringer is on silent 100% of the time, so I'd take exception to someone being apprehensive about specifically me using my smartphone over worry of the sounds it would make in public, because I guarantee it's already on silent and in my pocket. Many flip phone users won't silence their phone's ringer either. Almost all notifications are turned off too, so my phone isn't constantly buzzing or lighting up every time I receive an email or a social media notification. I never answer a call or message while I'm interacting with someone in person unless I'm expecting something important, which I warn the person I'm with ahead of time that I'm expecting something.

I agree with you completely, smartphone users who have their speakers on full blast for all to hear are annoying as hell, especially with 5 second blasts of video noise, or even longer game sound effects or videos. Especially annoying are the smartphones with ringtones mimicking an old rotary phone ringer that just sends shock waves through my brain and spine, as the user stares at their phone deciding whether to answer, while it rings.

I'm mixed on the prospect of getting rid of my smartphone. I could do without the social media, browsing the WWW, and such. Those are indeed mostly time wasters, which is fine in the right time or place. But the phone has made other things so much easier and more convenient: payment by phone, managing accounts and bill, document storage and retrieval, calendar, GPS, smart home devices (things like water leak detectors, video doorbell, and controlling my thermostat has been incredibly important).

Growing up, before smartphones or the internet, I was terrible at maintaining a calendar or organizing my docs or sending checks to pay bills on time, not because I was lazy or lacked the money/resources; I was just disorganized and couldn't keep it all straight. The smartphone has helped me immensely. Yea, admitted, I could do most of those things at home at a computer, but I don't necessarily want to set aside X amount of devoted time in front of the computer anymore to handle what I could handle on my phone while in a waiting room, as a passenger in a car, in the airport, or at a hotel. I can travel long-term without needing physical access to my mailbox or PC. Especially when there are urgent matters.

I'm not addicted to my phone at all (I've forgotten it at home before, no big deal), but it has made life much easier, so I won't likely stop using my phone for those things, but I do know a lot of people using it to spend so much time on YouTube, TikTok, engaging with social media challenges, dating apps and such could probably use some time away from the phone.



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Turkeytop
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Re: Living without a smartphone in 2022

Post by Turkeytop » Mon Mar 28, 2022 11:55 am

bmw wrote:
Mon Mar 28, 2022 11:11 am
I don't know what "class type" has to do with this. I'm pretty sure smartphone addiction affects people of all income levels.
It wasn't me who raised that as an issue in this thread. I was merely responding because my name had been invoked along with the reference to class.


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