Like, you just look weird if you sitting by yourself (example: waiting at a bus stop) and just stairing into space, so like its basically social expectation to be on your phone when you are by yourself.
Plus, just feels like if you don’t have a phone on you, you are missing a lot of information (access to the internet, maps, etc.) that you might need in case you get lost or something.
No. It’s not hard to entertain myself by simply observing the world around me and daydreaming.
Ooposite, i feel weird and unreal when I have a phone, like I’m not human, just bound to this box and that’s all I am, no me. also I’m embarrassed using my phone in public, because it is embarrassing and when I see people doing it my respect sinks by 70%.
I feel weird and anxious when I go outside even if I do have my phone with me.
I was on the metro recently and didnt feel like using my phone. tried to zone out into space but kept feeling like people were looking at me funny, noticing I wasn’t looking down at a phone. made me feel so u comfortable I took my phone out and forced myself to use it for the next 20 mins
feeling like people were looking at me funny, noticing I wasn’t looking down at a phone
Lmfao, this is exactly what I was taking about
I’d end up staring at people while I drink my coffee without my phone.
Not really, but I’m old. I grew up in the '80s and '90s. I still prefer not to forget my cell, mostly because there’s no payphones anymore.
Yeah but only because I have literally no personality and will stare blankly in space (and 9 times out of 10, in the direction of some random person) and I’m only worried about not blending in enough without starting stupid fights. I wasn’t listening to your stupid conversation, I was completely zoned out but okay. It was probably a really stupid conversation about stupid marijuana products and brand names and “attractive” men who look like personified dead rats or something stupid I wasn’t even interested in.
its basically social expectation to be on your phone when you are by yourself.
Books and newspapers are not forbidden (yet?)
Not really. The only thing I’d be missing access to is where I am on my finances when shopping and I don’t have it.
cash solves this
I don’t even know how I survived the 90s. When you were waiting for the bus the most entertaining thing you could do was stare at your shoes or throw a rock at the stop sign
A Walkman or book
I would run out of ads to stare at and then just space out.
The boredom was real, but also like…thoughts would turn over in undirected and sometimes fruitful ways, too. At least for me. My mind does far less just “idling” these days, and while too much of that is a real kind of misery, I think some is probably useful.
When I have idle time for thoughts to enter my brain is when bad things happen.
Heard lol, it’s not a universal good
I’m 50, old enough to remember when we didn’t have answering machines or call waiting or anything, and yet I can’t go to the kitchen to stir my tea without my phone. I’m not saying it’s good. To be fair I do read a lot of books on it though.
My take-out burrito wasn’t ready on-time and I forgot my phone in my vehicle. I had to look at posters on the wall while I waited! Please pray for me, it was awful and I’m still traumatized.
About a decade ago, I fell and broke my ankle while out running.
It was only by sheer chance that this happened around a bunch of people, and I was able to get help immediately. If I’d been out somewhere else or at a different time, I would have been absolutely fucked.
Since that day, I never leave the house without my phone, ever.
(if I’m hiking somewhere out of range, then I map out my route and ensure that someone else knows where I’ll be)
if I’m hiking somewhere out of range
FYI, there are satalite messengers that have cheaper monthly costs than a satellite phone (they use text only, no voice calls).
Also there are satellite personal locator beacons that have no monthly fee, so you can just keep one around in your hiking backpack. And press the emergency button if you need help. (You have to register the beacon beforehand to have it ready for use) Downside of these locator beacons compared to a satelite phone/messenger is that you cannot communicate what help you need. (Example: you can’t tell them if you got bitten by a venomous snake so they won’t know until they get to you and that might be too late)
I actually got a locator beacon recently.
I can’t really justify the cost of a two-way one given how rarely I go anywhere properly remote, but the little one-button boxes make for huge peace of mind. And honestly if I get bitten I’d likley be just as fucked with or without a conversation :D
I do not. I don’t feel awkward necessarily just sitting there doing nothing but I also tend to avoid situations where I am like that because I do get bored and impatient fairly easily. I also just don’t like phones. I don’t do much with mine other than the things I find very useful like calls, text messaging and maps. I much prefer my PC whenever possible.
I’m American, and I’m 40. I didn’t have a mobile phone until I was like 19 and didn’t have a smartphone until I was probably about 28 or something.
I understand why people would feel awkward without their phones for sure. Especially if that’s what they are used to. I used to smoke cigarettes and I remember kinda feeling silly just standing there not smoking after I quit.
I’ve recently had to force myself to pay more attention to my phone. I keep putting it down and forgetting it for many hours at a time. I have to get better or one of these days I’m going to have left it outside my home or car, it’s only a matter of time.
