Escaping from the smart phone

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

I’m in the process of getting away from the smart phone. It’s really too much.

First of all, Spotify and other streaming services are super convenient- but with all that’s available, I think it’s sorta introduced a nihilistic mentality when it comes to music. A friend of mine said, years ago, back in the day when you only listened to 2/3 bands- you always knew what you wanted to listen to. With all the music that’s available now, I don’t know what I want to listen to- to the point where I don’t care. When you don’t really listen to music, it’s hard to care about creating it too.

Not to mention, the various other hindrances and bad juju of being connected to the stupid people on social media.

I bought a rebuilt iPod Classic, and am doing research on the light phone 2. Going through my Spotify playlists and buying the albums I enjoy to port them over to my iPod(should have bought them sooner)

I guess I’m creating this topic to see if anyone else can relate?

22 Likes
#2

I don’t use streaming that much. Only bandcamp, cause they’re ace and I really listen to albums.

Otherwise, I’m always with my good old Sansa Clip+ mp3 player.
Recently bought some to my kids with a pair of headphones, they told me it was their favorite present ever ^^

I removed FB and IG from my phone, it’s been a pleasure for the mind.
I’m still on Elektronauts way too much…
Hard to totally escape from this object. I don’t like the “smart” adjective for such object, btw.

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#3

I only have so much time for smart stuff.

Ditching the smart phone to make room for IDM :wink:

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#4

I always leave my smartphone some place else. I don’t believe that someone (friend or related) in a life threatening situation will rely on me. I’m sure the world can wait for me going back to my bedroom and check my phone once or twice a day.

About the music itself, same here. I only listen to albums, usually on bandcamp. I have maybe ten favorites labels and always stay around this area.
I listen to singles and single tracks when selecting for my dj sets, or working on my next dj set. I mean, I only listen to singles to learn the tracks in order to play them, so it’s active listening. I never listen to random playlists on spotify.

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#5

I can relate to this. I remember being the first person in Birmingham HMV to get the Wall album by Pink Floyd. I waited ages for it. It was easier to know what you wanted and you saved your pocket money every week for it. I could only afford one album a month. Nowadays its meaningless. No soul.

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#6

I never had smartphone and never wanted one. I’m using a Samsung E1120 phone very simple without photo, without music, without MMS, just naked phone + sms.
Never go to facebook or twitter or insta, it’s really an unknown world for me and I prefer to stay on elektronauts or other oriented forums.

When I have to wait in the street or somewhere else, I have nothing. I look at people looking in their phone. I catch some sound or some speech in the place I am. Or I just think or dream. It’s really enjoying to don’t have chains that told you what to do.

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#7

I’m considering ditching it for a feature phone.

Pie in the sky thinking but I want to see a feature phone that can also be used as a hotspot, has a great camera (learn to frame!) and media player. If I absolutely needed a smart device I could tether a tablet to it.

My issue isn’t so much social media but a select few…ahem…forums.

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#8

That’s where I was looking too.

But I can’t find one that has a keyboard, and I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO KEYPAD TYPING. Also, I’m worried that 3G will soon be phased out.

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#9

Yeah Ive looked but couldn’t find anything worthwhile.

That light phone is interesting though, good shout.

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#10

I’ve considered ditching mine but ultimately decided against it. When I’m out and about (which is a lot) I’d be depriving myself of all my favourite music, a camera, mapping, a notepad, a field recorder, not to mention access to a world of info. In one tiny box. What I actually need to do is improve my self control so I’m not distracted by the thing so often.

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#11

GAS!

but yeah, I’m going to be missing A LOT of tools. Field recorder is going to be a big one. I don’t know if light phone has a flashlight(which would be ironic to a degree if it’s omitted). Notepad too…yikes.

I suppose I can just carry my Zoom H6, pen and paper with me in a backpack- a bit unwieldy, but will make me look more legit

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#12

That’s not your fault and that’s not to you to work on a “self control”. These stuffs are designed to get your attention, and there’s no way to deal with it.
Get rid of it or enter the matrix, there’s no option inbetween!

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#13

I just rooted my smartphone and installed a version of Android with no Google services on it at all. I’m still able to do the convenient things that I want, such as maps/GPS/banking/browsing/notes etc, but I’m free from Google’s clutches, and I have very limited access to social media on it. I’m using FOSS alternatives to fb and twitter that don’t allow those services to have any knowledge of my device, and I’m time-limiting them so I don’t spend too much time using them. To be honest I’d love to delete fb entirely but I have family in America and it’s the only way to reliably contact them.

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#14

that remind me people taking a lot of photos with their smartphone, and never look at it. Sometime they post them on social media and everyone don’t care.

Really, I’m not sure you need to have a field recorder always with you.
About taking note, just remember things. The brain is a giant notebook.

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#15

i went full flip phone mode for two years a couple years back. recently back on the smart phone kick but that’s only because of work related shit sadly.

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#16

Escape from the smart phone? My smart phone is my escape.

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#17

Only because of listening to Spotify?

Well, I am at this point as well. But actually more radically: Smartphone -> Dumbphone, Laptop -> pause (selling even? I don’t need it that much), iPad -> pause (selling as well maybe)

For me this new technology esp. services like Insta, Twitter and even Discourse forum etc. are tailored to consume our time. I am at a point where I need a break and focus on other stuff than to finish reading the 300 new Twitter posts I “have” to go through everyday to be satisfied.

I think it’s on par with heroin addiction. “Oh, someone liked my picture on Insta!” Dopamin rush

Other than that yes: Spotify is running all the time and I don’t even know what I am listening - sometimes I skip the really bad stuff. But I trained the algo pretty good ao that happens not so much anymore.

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#18

I’ve been doing this for a while, and currently i’ve reduced my usage to a point where i probably can’t go further. I still feel that the phone is useful for certain things, and i’m happy with that.

My only gripe is that i can’t delete the safari app since i don’t need my phone for surfing duties. Instead, i asked someone close to me to set a password (unknown to me) for time restriction.

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#19

I see myself getting two benefits from social media: interesting tidbits of knowledge and humor.

Forgive the obvious, but Im pretty sure I could satisfy the former by books. It wouldn’t be in such handy morsels but I’m not sure that’s proper knowledge anyway.

That leaves humor. And im sorry but there is nothing in film or TV that comes anywhere close to how funny some shit is on social media. I am laughing constantly at memes and tiktoks and videos. And it’s all sooo diverse.

When the kid has downtime they always flip on tiktok. They have Netflix, TV, Nintendo and whatever else to choose from and they go to tiktok. And honestly while I use IG feeds to filter that insanity I can’t hold it against them because it is extremely entertaining.

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#20

I bet you could have a better laugh in a community where not everyone would be laughing in front of their smartphone but actually do funny stuff or have funny conversations in real life. Imho all this social media is a plague. And yes, heroin has all of it too! Or let’s say weed or whatever. But there is a point where it’s an addiction. And that point can be reached easily. I am addicted. Maybe because of too few social contacts I have now in this pandemic. And a like from a mate for your crazy funny meme is not really social interaction for me.