📵
I don't actually want anyone to get their phone stolen, but I did. And it changed my life.
Mere minutes after living through a spiritually fulfilling experience (seeing Hozier live), my brand new phone and two of my friends' wallets got stolen at the bootleg merch booths outside the concert venue. One moment we were looking at tote bags and hoodies. Next thing we knew, we were smushed by a swarm of people, unable to move. My friends and I decided to retreat and, once we were out into a clearing, we were the same people... minus a phone and two wallets.
The experience of being non-violently robbed is existentially weird. One would think they'd realize they're being targeted. I mean, how can you not feel something out of the ordinary is happening on your person? I wasn't dumb. I was using a fanny pack under three layers of clothing, but these people are artists. The moment we got out of the ocean of people and realized what happened, we were in total shock.
I swear I went through all stages of grief in less than an hour, but at the end of the day... it was just a phone. Was it a recently big personal investment? Yes. Did it have all of the videos and pics of a life-changing concert? Also yes. Was I now in the middle of a "random" city without access to my digital wallet, GPS and other phone-related life essentials? Mhmm, yes. But it was still just a phone nonetheless.
The next day, I bought a Nokia 110 in a nearby convenience store, restored my sim and just kept on living. I was on the trip with my closest friends so I knew I would be fine being contactless for another four days. But now, I had to adapt to survive with nothing other than my manually-inputed contacts (for calls and SMS), my brand new 0.3 megapixel camera, and Snake.
This is something we all know, but you never really think about the type of bond you have to this material plane until it's challenged.
A month prior to the incident, I thought about getting a non-smartphone to limit my access to tech whenever I felt like my brain was getting too absorbed into my Pixel. I was feeling less present in my life and wanted to make a conscious decision to dumb-down my online activity, without actually getting rid of my cool camera and all-in-all amazing phone. Ironically, I had already researched slightly smarter Nokia phones and was even planning out a way to introduce a less tech-y lifestyle into my everyday. I guess the universe took my intentions too literally and decided I needed to go all in on the tech-less experience.
There are many reasons why I'm grateful for this experience, and one of the most important ones is the way I bonded with my friends over this brick phone. My Nokia takes some cool 0.3mp pictures, and the aesthetic became the entire vibe of the trip. We took cool pictures, laughed at the distorted audio the videos captured, and made fun of the cute noises it did when I texted someone. Most of all, I was forcibly present in every moment, and it actually felt freeing. I looked at my Nokia with love, and it looked back at me with no judgement at all.
Being a phone-less foreigner is not something I recommend. I had trustworthy company and was slightly familiar with the city I was traveling in, but it was still a challenge. Security-wise, no bueno. But I also haven't bought a new phone. I downgraded back to my old Pixel, which has issues with speed and battery (reasons why I decided to upgrade after five years in the first place), but I'm not sure if I'm ready to make that big of a purchase again quite yet.
There's a ton of morals to this story. Be safe and conscious when you travel; Look both ways before approaching a bootleg merch booth; Reflect on the way you engage with technology on your day-to-day; Memories are best lived being present; Nokia 110 phones sound funny, take cool pictures and might actually change your life.
Whatever it is you take from my experience, I hope it makes you feel grateful for something in your life.
Apr 17, 2024
Related Recs
I've been rocking the flip phone since March - went through a few different models till I landed on this utilitarian workhorse; the Sonim XP3800. This thing feels like it can stop a bullet. The battery lasts for 3 days. Service is 5 bucks a month.
remixed my brain:
-got lost a few times (feels amazing + found my way back)
-bought an iPod mini (eBay, refurb 256gb)
-forgot about 1 million people that I didn't need to remember
-missed brat summer entirely (found out in late September, loved the album)
-learned how to wait and do nothing
-minimized unnecessary / instantaneous communication
-started taking photos with real cameras again
-started reading again
-stopped impulsively buying instagram shirts
-phone can be turned off during the charging cycle (not possible with iPhone)
-regained control over the flow of information into my brain
-restored my relationship with the computer as an appliance bound to one physical location
Am I a better person for this? Probably not. Is this all of this a bit loaded and pretentious and boomer esque? Definitely. But it feels good to know that I have the freedom to say no to smart phone tech that has been foisted on us as an essential to living for the sake of convenience - convenience which has a cost. I could go on and on and on about this but I would highly recommend that everyone gives this a shot for while even if it's just an experiment. You will be surprised by how you feel after a few weeks.
Dec 11, 2024
📞
I made the decision to "downgrade" to a flip phone and I genuinely think it is the best decision I've made in a long time. It's weirdly connected me to my inner-child. Which, in retrospect, I reckon I should have expected. The camera quality sucks in the best way, but I carry my Canon camera around too in case I need to capture something more important. I've been calling my friends more because T9 texting is a drag. Haha, I've been texting like "do u wanna c a movie l8er?"
I talk to strangers more when I'm waiting in line, when I can't look something up. I've been writing questions in my journal because I can't look it up in the moment, I have to get onto the computer later in the day and satiate my ever-flighty mind. Don't get me wrong, it sucked at first, but the intrigue absolutely helped. It has just been a fun way to spend the summer I guess. Screen time is down, my boredom has breed creativity, and I feel far more present in the world.
If you've been thinking about trading your smart phone in for a dumb phone, take this as a sign. I recommend it immensely.
Jul 15, 2024
i have been on a journey to untangle my tasks from my iPhone.
i'd be out in the world someplace, pull out my phone for something as menial as checking the time, or as well intentioned as capturing the moment in a pic, and immediately get sucked into texts and instagram™️ and all the virtual things happening in this tiny lil demon light box.
the goal: pull my phone out of my bag ONLY for phone things. that's texting, calling, and apps that can't be replaced
the solutions so far:
🕰️ i started with a watch (shoutout Casio) and i wear it every day. once I broke the habit of checking my phone for the time, I felt legitimately freed from something Major
📷 I bought a small digital camera to leave in my bag. the pics look better and I don’t get distracted by the virtual world when I'm trying to capture something in the now
📚 I bought a kindle. It fits in my jacket pocket (literally) and gives me something to do when I'm on the train or waiting for an appointment that isn't scrolling
I just realized so much of the time I spent on my phone was not intentional. It was a thing I was doing in between Other intentional moments. my screen time is still several hours a day (don’t get me wrong) but I think my brain has healed at least 3%.
welcoming other ideas as well💡
Sep 24, 2024
Top Recs from @flat_white
❔
Make the person you're talking to get really riled up on their topic. Even just repeating the last couple of words they say as a question helps them dive deeper.
May 6, 2024
🌐
Now it's easier to go into knowledge rabbit-holes on my phone B)
Jun 6, 2024
😆
Wrinkles are our body's way to document that we've lived. R u getting lines from smiling? Gorgeous. Crow's feet from laughing? Magical.
I don't fear getting wrinkles from moving my eyebrows too much, either. Conveying emotion is cool, and aging is too.
May 6, 2024