Thinking of ditching the smartphone...

[Ambleton]

Hi all,

I'm sure I'm not alone here, and I'm sorry if this is a repeated topic. But lately I've found myself rather (dare I say it), addicted to my smartphone, the internet, social media etc. I guess a lot of people like me take thier phones to bed and do a bit of facebook or forum browsing before finally putting it down on charge and rolling over to sleep.

I know this is a bad habit as it stimulates your brain and you get a worse nights sleep etc.

Most of the stuff I read/look at is just utter bks. Whether its reading about some guy half way across the world who saved a baby antelope from a kangaroo wielding a chain saw or watching motorsport clips or indeed, as I'm doing now, posting on some car message board so a load of complete strangers can read it and give me their valued and important feedback... or trolls.

Has anyone else ditched their smart phone in favour for the traditional cell phone?

I looked at the new Nokia 3310 and I was half tempted until I noticed there was no whatsapp support, I probably use that as my main form of contacting my friends. The other thing I like about my smart phone is the camera (huawei p9), but I could just get a decent, lightweight compact instead.

Anyone got any thoughts or suggestions?

I know I could delete facebook and charge my phone in another room etc, but the temptation to move it back would be too great.

[Codswallop]

Ambleton said:

Hi all,

Anyone got any thoughts or suggestions?

I know I could delete facebook and charge my phone in another room etc, but the temptation to move it back would be too great.

Without wishing to sound patronising, you could work a bit on your self control...

When you realise you've started wasting your time on the phone, make a conscious decision to put it down and do something else you'd rather do instead.

[SystemParanoia]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n_drQrLHko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOhSvC-AWMo

[sjg]

Back with the original 3310, everyone spent their time playing Snake instead.

Charge your phone in the kitchen, take a book to bed with you.

[RTB]

Get the App locker app and get someone else to set it up for you (someone you trust), thereby locking out all the apps that act as time sinks. You can then tailor your access to what you need and turn your smart phone into a semi-dumb phone.

[Don]

Codswallop said:

Without wishing to sound patronising, you could work a bit on your self control...

This. Time-wasting on the Internet is a choice.

Go onto Facebook. Unfollow everyone you don't love. Delete Instacrap, What'sCrap, ttter etc. Install Skype. Add only contacts you use for work or love.

[Ambleton]

Don said:

Codswallop said:

Without wishing to sound patronising, you could work a bit on your self control...

This. Time-wasting on the Internet is a choice.

Go onto Facebook. Unfollow everyone you don't love. Delete Instacrap, What'sCrap, ttter etc. Install Skype. Add only contacts you use for work or love.

well I've deleted facebook from my phone today. Interestingly (before I uninstalled it) facebook congratulated me for posting/updating for 2 days in a row and suggested that life was better when you shared - whatever. I don't think i'll miss it.

I don't have instagram or twitter, but I do use whatsapp, although that's not really a problem causer as I only message a few few people occasionally - not all the time.

Next on the hitlist is to get a decent alarm clock - I currently use my phone as my alarm and clock at night/morning. so once I've done that I have absolutely no reason to take my phone to bed.

I think you're right though. Social media conditions people to share what they're doing all the time. Information overload and oversharing images and videos of stuff that just doesn't matter.

One of my fiends (who doesn't have facebook) genuinely believes that social media is the cause for the high proportion of young people with depression - I wouldn't take it as far as that, but it probably doesn't help!

[Hoofy]

Don't see what the problem is. Uninstall the apps you don't need and just don't reinstall it rather than revert to some stty phone from the 1990s. The only good thing about the 3310 is the battery life and the ability to throw it at someone you hate knowing they will get injured and your phone will be fine.

I don't have FB on my phone. Nothing is that important that it can't wait until I'm back home. Anyone who is important in my life has my number so can text/call/WA me. I don't access PH on my phone. If I'm not at my desk, then I'm probably doing something more interesting than browsing forums.

My smartphone is very useful.

[davek_964]

Buy one of the newer Samsung phones (S5 or newer), put it in Ultra Power Saving mode.

You'll get your basic features - phone, text and Whatsapp. You can use a browser if you really need to but won't have the main social media apps - and the standby time is well over a week.

[L500]

Codswallop said:

Ambleton said:

Hi all,

Anyone got any thoughts or suggestions?

I know I could delete facebook and charge my phone in another room etc, but the temptation to move it back would be too great.

Without wishing to sound patronising, you could work a bit on your self control...

When you realise you've started wasting your time on the phone, make a conscious decision to put it down and do something else you'd rather do instead.

That's my view also. Just sounds like you're bored of social media. No point going backwards in technology just remove the apps! Smartphones (or "handheld devices") are here to stay and you'll be using it to pay for things more and more. I left Facebook 4 years ago - don't miss it one little bit. I still have Twitter, but don't tweet, and that's it.

[Denis O]

Ambleton said:

I know this is a bad habit as it stimulates your brain

Not to worry about brain stimulus as you're using Facebook.

[S47]

It's easy - Switch the fking phone off!
Mine gets turned on sometime in the morning and off when I want to chill out late afternoon ish.
If my Family want to talk to me they can phone me on landline [a number work, unimportant tossbags & acquaintances etc don't have ;} - sorted

[TheGuru]

S47 said:

If my Family want to talk to me they can phone me on landline [a number work, unimportant tossbags & acquaintances etc don't have ;} - sorted

Landlines are on borrowed time

Just delete the apps like Facebook. Smartphones are an absolute necessity for me so I can't downgrade. I think that's the same with most people these days

[funinhounslow]

Ambleton said:

[snip]
One of my fiends (who doesn't have facebook) genuinely believes that social media is the cause for the high proportion of young people with depression - I wouldn't take it as far as that, but it probably doesn't help!

The Royal Society for Public Health says that social media is linked with increased rates of anxiety, depression and poor sleep

https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/policy/social-med...

[threadlock]

I uninstalled Facebook from my phone a couple of years ago and never regretted it. (I keep Messenger and WhatsApp though.)

My late night vice is YouTube, whether it's Roadkill, Russian crashes, Project Binky, SV Seeker, Clickspring etc. But I console myself that I'm no different to the millions of people who watch TV all evening.

I know I should read books in bed instead, but fk it

[alock]

davek_964 said:

Buy one of the newer Samsung phones (S5 or newer), put it in Ultra Power Saving mode.

You'll get your basic features - phone, text and Whatsapp. You can use a browser if you really need to but won't have the main social media apps - and the standby time is well over a week.

An S5 is now really cheap. You get phone, SMS, Internet and WhatsApp along with the option of reverting to normal smartphone mode if required.

[ccr32]

alock said:

davek_964 said:

Buy one of the newer Samsung phones (S5 or newer), put it in Ultra Power Saving mode.

You'll get your basic features - phone, text and Whatsapp. You can use a browser if you really need to but won't have the main social media apps - and the standby time is well over a week.

An S5 is now really cheap. You get phone, SMS, Internet and WhatsApp along with the option of reverting to normal smartphone mode if required.

The thing thats always annoyed me about the Samsung ultra power saving mode is that you can't use the camera when the mode is activated. That and the battery life never seems to be that great in my experience (and definitely not the 11+ days yours is estimating! But that may just be my phone I guess)

The Sony equivalent mode however I got a genuine week out of on my old Z3 once and you could use the camera (but no WA if I recall correctly)

[tombar]

The Huawei P9 has an ultra low power saving mode too - so you don't need to sell the (excellent - I've got one too) phone. But I suggest leaving it downstairs to charge overnight, and exercising some self control too!

[ciege]

I've gone PAYG whilst out and about and this (because I'm very tight) stops me looking at the thing all day...

Then I would suggest cable tie your charger to another wire behind the TV, you'll be too lazy to keep uncoupling everything and be forced to leave the phone downstairs.

[S100HP]

I just leave mine on charge downstairs overnight. Its not tricky.