So far I have managed to avoid getting a smartphone and am still using a flip phone. Every time I look into getting one it gives me a yucky feeling, but I’m still considering getting one at some point.
Of course I have a computer, a laptop, and also a small tablet that I have some apps and games on for amusement. But for a phone to carry around, all I care about is having a way to make a call if needed and send/receive texts, so I have no need for a smartphone. I have taken my tablet to a cafe and used their Wifi to access the internet a few times, but I rarely want to do that.
(edit to add): I can also use my flip phone as a wifi hotspot for my tablet if I really need to access the internet but I never do this as I usually don’t carry my tablet around.
Things that I can see a smartphone being useful for:
GPS/maps, but I don’t really need that since I rarely travel that far away and I know my way around my city and nearby cities. However I can always download static maps of other cities to my tablet if I’m going to an unfamiliar place and/or look it up online ahead of time–like when I had to go to a funeral, I printed off a couple maps–one close up on the location area and one zoomed further out to see the route to the area.
Weather app with radar.
Signal app, which I’m not sure I’d use, but I think it would be nice to have in case I need secure messaging as we move into 2025.
ummmm, can’t think of anything else 🤔
Things I’m glad I don’t have to worry about by not having one:
going around like a zombie everywhere constantly staring a screen, unable to sit or stand quietly for more than 15 seconds without whipping it out (the phone! you knew what I meant). This is really not healthy. Maybe I wouldn’t do that, but who knows, maybe I would start doing that, as it seems everyone else does, and (sorry, but) it looks pathetic and I think it’s not healthy.
the constant beeping, dinging, vibrating, or whatever it’s set to do for notifications, from dozens of apps demanding attention. That would drive me nuts. My phone only makes a sound if I get a phone call or text, which is not often. If I ever started getting texts too often I might turn off sound for them.
So far I have managed to avoid getting a smartphone and am still using a flip phone. Every time I look into getting one it gives me a yucky feeling, but I’m still considering getting one at some point.
Of course I have a computer, a laptop, and also a small tablet that I have some apps and games on for amusement. But for a phone to carry around, all I care about is having a way to make a call if needed and send/receive texts, so I have no need for a smartphone. I have taken my tablet to a cafe and used their Wifi to access the internet a few times, but I rarely want to do that.
(edit to add): I can also use my flip phone as a wifi hotspot for my tablet if I really need to access the internet but I never do this as I usually don’t carry my tablet around.
Things that I can see a smartphone being useful for:
GPS/maps, but I don’t really need that since I rarely travel that far away and I know my way around my city and nearby cities. However I can always download static maps of other cities to my tablet if I’m going to an unfamiliar place and/or look it up online ahead of time–like when I had to go to a funeral, I printed off a couple maps–one close up on the location area and one zoomed further out to see the route to the area.
Weather app with radar.
Signal app, which I’m not sure I’d use, but I think it would be nice to have in case I need secure messaging as we move into 2025.
ummmm, can’t think of anything else 🤔
Things I’m glad I don’t have to worry about by not having one:
Tracking, data harvesting, surveillance. Including via the phone’s mic.
going around like a zombie everywhere constantly staring a screen, unable to sit or stand quietly for more than 15 seconds without whipping it out (the phone! you knew what I meant). This is really not healthy. Maybe I wouldn’t do that, but who knows, maybe I would start doing that, as it seems everyone else does, and (sorry, but) it looks pathetic and I think it’s not healthy.
the constant beeping, dinging, vibrating, or whatever it’s set to do for notifications, from dozens of apps demanding attention. That would drive me nuts. My phone only makes a sound if I get a phone call or text, which is not often. If I ever started getting texts too often I might turn off sound for them.