[hnaccount2001]

I got a smartphone a couple of years ago. The only real difference for me is I no longer bring a camera around on shorter trips, and having a map app was helpful when I was living abroad.

Life with a dumb phone was fine. I guess sometimes I had to type urls people would send me into my computer. Near the end it was a bit annoying when people would send me five texts in a row, or when people wanted to be super loose with their plans. Planning social stuff has become a lot looser, I noticed, in the last five years because of constant texting.

If you’re considering getting a dumbphone, all I can say is, it’s easier than you think. Carry a little notebook around with you, wear a watch, ask people for directions. I wasn’t shunned by my friends or anything like that. I’m in my early 30s and I even had a landline when I was in college. It wasn’t a problem. You do need a printer, though.