For the past 17 years I always owned a mobile phone. Now I unplugged.
My Apple iPhone 5 was already not working well anymore. The font plate detached itself. Sometimes the display just went black. Today I violently cracked it up using a screwdriver. I dissembled most of the parts to pieces. It’s interesting what’s inside. Have you ever wondered what’s inside your phone? You won’t believe how many little things are inside. Crack it up and have a look inside. It’s a tiny computer. A computer in a pocket. Do I really always need a computer in my pocket?
So I’m without a mobile phone now. This is something like an experiment: how long can I live without owning a mobile phone?
Impacts
I want to know which challenges I face without owning a smartphone.
- The first thing I thought of was, how to wake up in the morning? I used my iPhone to wake me up in the morning. So I bought one. A physical alarm clock. No software simulating an alarm clock.
- I’m also using a wristwatch again. I haven’t wore one for decades. My phone was my clock.
- When I want to meet someone I now need to stay on track. When owning a mobile phone you do not need to stay on track. You always can text your peer that plans have changed, that you arrive later or to move the meeting to another date.
Aspects
Beside the impacts you face without a mobile phone, here are some other considerable aspects.
- Without a mobile phone I’m more productive. More focused.
- I’m not trackable anymore.
- I spend a lot of my day in front of a monitor. As a software developer I’m using a computer the whole day along. Sometimes until late at night. I do not want to have another computer in my pocket.
I was too dedicated to my smartphone for too many years. That was a problem.
