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A week in the life: sans smartphone

Recently, I spent a week without my iPhone. Or any phone at all. It was kind of like losing a small body part. Perhaps a finger. I coped, but it was annoying.

After five days, I went out to the mall and bought myself a $39 cheapie, an LG that weighed practically nothing with chunky buttons and did nothing, basically, apart from text, call, play radio and do calculations. I didn’t know quite what to do with it. So I didn’t do anything at all.  It was an epic chore just to figure out how to turn off the keypad tones. I resorted to the occasional text speak because typing was so tedious. Everything about it was hideous and horrendous. But at least I was contactable.

(I believe a cellphone is a necessity for most people today. I use mine to contact T when I don’t know where he is; when I need a ride in a relative emergency; for work; to keep in touch with friends who aren’t big on social media, and of course, all the other things that web access on a phone enables.)

Here’s what I use my iPhone for in a normal day:

  • The alarm wakes me up
  • I sneak it under the covers and read the day’s news
  • I check my social networks, including work accounts if feeling diligent
  • I receive news alerts direct to my phone
  • I do a spot of social networking while waiting for my computer to unfreeze
  • I receive Twitter alerts – monitoring my work account and my two personal accounts
  • I read blogs over lunch
  • I make myself notes in the Reminders app
  • I use Google Maps and remote email if I’m leaving the office during the day
  • I make notes in Evernote if, while walking to and from home, I come up with ideas for either my blog or work (which is often)
  • I add items to our grocery shopping list in my Pak n Save app
  • I occasionally listen to music or podcasts (rarely – I’m terrible at focusing when it’s solely audio. My mind wanders like crazy)

Hence why I would never make it on Survivor or those dreadful reality shows where families live like they’re back in the 1800s.

Are you a smartphone addict? What do you rely on your phone for?

12 thoughts on “A week in the life: sans smartphone

  • Reply Michelle May 1, 2012 at 01:20

    I’m definitely a phone addict. If I forget my phone, I will usually drive back and get it.

  • Reply addvodka May 1, 2012 at 03:16

    I rely heavily on my smart phone. Email is my main thing; with school, work, and life, and of course the blog, I’m on my phone all the time!

  • Reply thisaggiesaves May 1, 2012 at 04:44

    I can’t live without my blackberry… it’s almost by my side 24/7.

  • Reply fromshoppingtosaving May 1, 2012 at 05:31

    I’m a total smartphone addict. In addition to everything you use it for – I use it as a workout trainer at the gym, use it as my ipod, look up weather, text a lot of family and friends since I do not live close to them, pay for Starbucks when I’m too lazy to bring my wallet, look up directions, take pictures, etc.

  • Reply Melissa May 1, 2012 at 06:51

    Yeah, I definitely couldn’t go more than a day without my iPhone. In any given day, I use my phone as an alarm clock, then I read the news and blogs while I’m still in bed, I send emails with it, check my social networks, update Twitter a gazillion times a day, Wikipedia random things, use the maps function if I’m out and about, use the Lists function to remind me of things, or to keep track of the books I’m reading, use the Notes or Evernotes function to make little notes to myself, make grocery lists, listen to music, podcasts, watch video, etc. I use it to check the weather, take photos, do my banking, use an app to check the time ofthe next streetcar, text my friends, use it as a calculator. I also use it as a remote when I’m watching videos on my Mac. And let’s not forget my minor Words with Friends addiction.

    Yeah, I couldn’t give it up. I’m not even a little bit ashamed of that.

  • Reply Mo' Money Mo' Houses (@momoneymohouses) May 1, 2012 at 11:07

    I wasn’t a smartphone addict for a while and refused to get a smartphone for as long as possible, but when it was time for me to get a new cell contract, there was no option to not get a smartphone. I even asked if I could use my old flip phone and they said I couldn’t! Thus, I got a blackberry and love it. I love that I can tweet and facebook while on the bus, check the daily news, text, bbm, phone ppl and use it as my alarm clock. There’s no going back to a normal phone for me.

  • Reply lkrant May 1, 2012 at 12:44

    I do not have a smartphone. I just make and receive calls on my phone.

  • Reply Tracey May 1, 2012 at 14:27

    There’s a Pak n Save app??! Why don’t I know about this? Couldn’t find anything on the interwebs.

    I use my phone to keep track of my spending, track my weight watchers points and weight loss, watch share prices and currency exchange. I think my android will really come into its own when travelling – so many cool apps. My favourite is Google Maps and all the subsidiary apps/features 🙂

    • Reply eemusings May 1, 2012 at 16:30

      It’s called Shop’nList – a handy app for adding things to your list and then deleting them as you go.

      • Reply Tracey May 1, 2012 at 19:20

        Doesn’t seem to be available on Android. Bugger! Will have to keep using Out of Milk 🙂

  • Reply Shawanda Greene (@TheyCallMeCheap) May 2, 2012 at 02:52

    Going without my iPhone for even one hour is a terrifying experience. If something was to happen to my current iPhone – God forbid – I have a backup 3GS I could use. With the exception of about two things on your list, I use my iPhone for everything you use yours for.

  • Reply Earth and Money May 2, 2012 at 03:23

    I’m highly dependent on my smartphone since it actually serves as my only internet connection at home. Without it, I would be entirely disconnected, or (gasp) I’d have to go to a coffee shop or a library to get on the internet 🙂

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