| My phones been in the shop for the last week thanks to an unfortunate incident with the washing machine and it's given me some new perspectives. Many of what I'd call "vital" features of a smartphone now seem to be net negatives, others are only important because I don't have the old way anymore. PT App: I didn't realize how frequently I checked my light rail app, telling me how long until the next one arrives. Now that I don't have it I realize it only added stress for something largely out of my control, knowing if the next one is 3 minutes or 5 minutes away doesn't affect when I'll get to work. It would still be useful in some situations but I hope to use it a lot less in future. Clock: My phone was my watch and like the PT app this mostly cause stress about arriving to work on time which mostly involved factors beyond my control. I just try to leave this house on time and I'll get there when I get there. Reddit: Haven't missed it. Again it's probably adding stress for no real gain. Internet: Haven't missed it. Alarm Clock: Miraculously I haven't slept in during the last week and most day's I'm up earlier because can't roll over and go back to sleep without the alarm clock telling me to get up. I could also buy a dedicated alarm clock, it's very rare I get any value from a portable one. Phone: This one wouldn't generally worry me but this week I've had a sick family member and really needed it. If I had a home phone that would have been more than enough, maybe I should get an IP phone again. Weather: Turns out the seven day forecast is just noise I don't really need. The morning news tells me if I'll need to wear another layer or not and that's enough. Music and E-books: This is the one feature I've really missed. Overall it's amazing how much time and money I've spent on these little devices that offer very little value. |