@gr36 Yeah, rightly said. And it is becoming difficult by the day as the device is made more capable. You have thought out well, though.
@gr36 @amit In the last couple of days I’m already feeling this too. It may come down to being more intentional about how I use my phone, but I’m still hanging on to the ideal of not having one.
@pimoore Getting by without a smartphone gets harder all the time, and it's a trend I'm willing to push against even if it means a bit of inconvenience.
Someone on MB (@cheri?) mentioned the experience of using a car-rental place at which you literally couldn't rent a car without using your smartphone. QR codes are a special bane of mine.
I use a phone that will only do phone calls & texts.
@pimoore I am sure we aren't alone with the feeling. As I wrote, I reduce my use of the device while I am at home -- as you say, be intentional. Not having one, especially outside, is absolutely out of question.
@amit Exactly this! We used to be able to get by without cell phones before we ever had them, but it’s just not that simple to revert to that now. They’ve become so ubiquitous to drop them entirely. I’m trying not to throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water unnecessarily.
@pimoore @amit I run into this with my mother who is in her 90's and has never touched a computer let alone a smartphone. Everybody, especially medical professionals like doctors, hospitals and pharmacies, just assume every patient has a smartphone. They try to tell her to signup online or on their "app". They have no clue what to do when she tells them she can't.
@bradenslen @amit My mom has had this problem, as she has no devices of any kind. I literally had to sign her up myself a couple of times. Very frustrating they make the broad, sweeping assumption that everyone is tech-literate and has access to digital tools.
@bradenslen @pimoore @amit I’ve thought about this a great deal. We order food, pay for parking, get school updates and much more. People without smartphones are at an increasing disadvantage. It’s a form of privatization we don’t often consider.