[throwaway74737]

Life is too short to waste distracted by a smartphone. I prefer to use a the large screen and keyboard of a laptop for communication. I am still using a 2G phone with a B&W display for emergencies, for example if I get lost or held up meeting friends. Even then I'll have discussed a contingency with them - the old-fashioned way. I pay next to nothing to keep the account open, and the tap-texting naturally limits my desire to use it for more. Rue the day that GSM is shut down. I also have some text alerts set up from a script running at home to let me know about urgent things.

[whoibrar]

Did you never get a smartphone (in a way most people do) or have you gone back to good ol days ?

If former, what other ways you've adapted for essential stuff that need a smart device.

If later, do you ever plan on getting a smartphone again ?

[throwaway74737]

I have tried them, iPhones are elegant, but I still don't need a golden ball and chain. In most cases, I can use the applications I need on the web, like my bank. I figure out destinations beforehand, writing things down, print directions out, or buy a paper map for a holiday. Lyft has a site called https://ride.lyft.com/ which lets you call a car on a normal browser. Open to using a car service or public transit. I would prefer not to have the burden of carrying a smartphone around with me. Once I took a month-long road trip with a friend. My camera broke, so all I have are journal entries written on hotel notepads. Best time of my life.

[GoblinSlayer]

My sister has a typical android smartphone and says the screen is too small for youtube and web browsing and prefers a notebook for those tasks.

[tester34]

I've never bought smartphone because felt no need

but the only things that make me really, really strongly consider getting smartphone is some form of Maps - let it be Google or something

and ability to send&receive pictures (MMS suck)

It's definitely possible to live with dumb phone, but stuff like maps, sending pictures and maybe access to email are sometimes incredibly handy

[jamix]

KaiOS devices have all those features, they are just slow and not as convenient as on a smartphone.

[L0in]

Can you share more advice for a 23 year old who wants to dump the "social internet?"

[throwaway74737]

Happy to. It requires being willing to change anything in your life to make the whole thing better. That is frightening. A smartphone and social media can end up being a kind of security blanket, it gives you a cheap dopamine hit, so remind yourself that cowboys did without not long ago. Religious Jews still give it up for a day and a night every week, getting together to eat and talk face to face, and maybe play a board game. It means being willing to reorient yourself so that you have a different circle of friends. That does not mean that you are giving up on your current ones! You might try different things and find that you find meaning in boxing, doing something physical in your neighborhood, or making a craft or music. When you set boundaries up front - "hey, I won't be using Insta, but we can still make plans by phone/email, rehearse, play these gigs, and post our recordings to Bandcamp" - you will discover who is good enough to allow into your life, because they respect your time by keeping appointments.

[L0in]

I grew up with SM my whole life. I discovered that in a way became my safe space. Meaning that when i want to procrastinate because i fear doing something ( fear failure. Like right now that i want to study for my exams) i turn to that. When i close the tabs i feel a sense of what i will do now and i major FOMO. Maybe i built up an behavioral addiction. I don't question browsing on fb, twitter, hn but i question why i want to read this book and if it's pointless.

[throwaway74737]

Dare to make mistakes in getting good at yourself. People won't care or even remember them.

[L0in]

I agree. I think that i label myself a failure if i fail and then question my whole existence. hahahaha

[throwawaynay]

Personally I use an app/domain blocker on my android phone, and I block social networks from /etc/hosts on my laptop, I also use the command "chattr +i /etc/hosts" to make it harder to unblock the social networks I blocked.

Now the only social network I still use is Linkedin.

But I also "waste" my time on other stuff now, so I don't know if it's better, the brain always find new ways to procrastinate I guess.

[L0in]

Can you explain the "chattr +i" this to me? I'm looking for something similar with website blocking

[csdvrx]

> I'm looking for something similar with website blocking

Just add them to /etc/host pointing to 127.0.0.1

[chana_masala]

Best advice would be to go for it! And more practically - get phone numbers and emails of those you want to stay in touch with