Not Owning a Smart Phone
Smart phones have revolutionized human existence. Denigrating jokes have been made about how people are oblivious of their surroundings because they are too busy swiping and tapping. Many people are like Pavlovian dogs the moment the phone rings or vibrates. Families and friends sit around one another and never speak.
For me a simple flip phone suffices when away from home. A dumb phone. Just a phone. When at home the flip phone is powered off. Despite potential benefits I resist owning a smart phone.
- They are addictive.
- They encourage rude social habits.
- They are distracting.
- I do not like small computer screens.
- I have been online since the 1980s and am not enamored about being online.
- They tempt people to avoid face-to-face interactions.
- They do not encourage intelligent or meaningful conversation.
- They are cumbersome and annoying to carry.
- I live in a cell phone dead zone.
- I don’t care about selfies.
- They are expensive.
- They are proprietary.
- They are not designed for self repair.
- They become obsolete whenever the vendor decides, forcing users into buying another expensive device.
- Security patching and updates are vendor dependent.
- They are designed to store personal data online.
- They are designed to mine personal data and track.
Important is I do not want to be tethered to a phone. A cozy nap on a lazy afternoon should not be interrupted. A walk in the woods should be quiet and peaceable. Even the home phone system is configured for silent mode during night hours. Me time is important.
I do not mind or care if people call me a grumpy old man or a curmudgeon.
Posted: Category: Commentary Tagged: General
Next: Vintage Computers — 1
Previous: Reliable Software