October 3, 2022

Analogue Travel

 In general, not using a smart phone is fine.  People are vaguely interested or just disinterested. 

It does take some additional planning for travel. I'm going to London with work in a few weeks and got my tickets today. There was a link to click and download.  Instead I printed them off.  I also printed a map, and wrote a list of instructions for how to get to the London office.

I am aware that this takes extra work, as compared to just using my phone to navigate.

At the same time, I often remember that I'm not smartphone-less because of the imminent logistical benefits, I'm doing it because I don't have the self control to have the world at my fingertips and not distract myself with it.  

I notice this on the train, everyone on a smart phone, everyone in their own world.

I want to be in this world. 

Even if it means I have to print out google maps sometimes.

Also, this book is one of the best books I read this year:

It was called "a love letter to the infinite scroll".  I'm not sure I saw it that way, but it's a book that comes back to me often. 


2 comments:

  1. Super intrigued by your giving up the smartphone. Keep thinking I'll do that once this one bites the dust, but not sure the school district will make it easy to engage with my kiddo's education without one. Argh. I do hate the assumption built into daily life that everyone has one. What if you're 92?

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    1. Yes - I'm not sure what will happen when the kids start school! There was a gym that told me I had to book with an app, but that's the only time I haven't found a workaround. Also, the gym's instruction to download an app came from my question of whether they have a 7pm Yoga class. The answer was no. I didn't need the app.

      I think a lot of school communication is App based here, but I'll just have to see what happens. A lot of social communication is WhatsApp based so I've already had to have a lot of "Oh I would love to join the work social group / local biking club / toddler play group but I don't use whatsapp, just text me and I'll come join you!" and sometimes it ends with people texting me and sometimes it does not.

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