I recently lost my phone (and it was) a liberating experience which I stretched out for as long as I could, writes DONALD MOLOSI*
I find smartphones time-saving, of course, but that they could also be time-wasting, if not managed. Depending on your preferences, the scales can tip in either direction for you at any moment.
Personally, I find that smartphones overwhelm me because of the constant (often necessary) updates. It feels sometimes that the phone snaps me out of a precious moment that I could be fully inhabiting. Instead, a beep summons me to mindlessly scroll, scroll, scroll.
Stress
Before I delve deeper into my opinion here, let me say that all privilege of having access to resources in order to purchase or re-purchase a cellphone is duly noted. In this piece, let’s chat about people who do, in fact, own cellphones.
I recently lost my phone. For some people, that alone is enough stress to cancel their entire day. For me, it was mostly a liberating experience and one which I stretched out for as long as I could. The freedom one feels away from one’s phone is a freedom I cherish.
Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t enjoy losing my phone but the peace that came with its absence was perhaps the best thing I have experienced this year. Also, the fact that it was lost afforded me a legitimate reason or excuse to others for my being off the grid. A couple of friends called my landline but most found it too cumbersome and were glad when I came back to texts.
Two weeks
Being someone who genuinely never once liked cellphones, when my cellphone disappeared this month, I waited for two weeks before replacing it. If it were not for work, I certainly would have opted to be phoneless for much longer. My reader, what is the longest you can go without a phone?
I don’t know many people who turn off their mobile when they go to bed any more. Yes, my reader, I am one of the few people left in the world who are not reachable around the clock. I turn off my cellphone at 9pm daily.
The privilege of a landline is acknowledged here, my reader, but I hope you appreciate how staring at a bright screen is not the best way to get our minds and bodies ready for sleep.
Phone etiquette
I know that I am certainly old school about phone etiquette because I put it away when I am with company. Most people have figured out how to incorporate scrolling and sitting with friends at the same time. Not me. I believe that your respect for the other person is in your full attention. Again, perhaps old school but it is what makes me comfortable. What do you think?
Looking ahead, I will finally make my dream come true soon, which is to live without a cellphone. Am I being foolish in an increasingly technologically interconnected world? You tell me.