Can you live without a smartphone?

My 5-year-old phone decided its time to take a break. It was feeling tired for a while now but I thought it would last forever. While I took it to the repair shop I was left without a connection. I realized just how much I depended on it. I was deeply connected to it because it was almost always in my hand. Almost a part of me.

This is mostly what I was using it for:
A watch – checked.
Communication – checked.
Social Media – checked.
Entertainment – checked.
Work/Building apps – checked.
Navigation – checked.
Finances – checked.
Notepad – checked.
Books/Library – checked.
Camera/Video recording – checked.
Food/supplies – checked.
Health/Fitness – checked.
Flashlight – checked.

If I missed something interesting, don’t be shy and remind me. Basically, there is an app for everything these days. I should know, I am building some of them.

For almost a week I was phone-less (is it even a word?). I got an older phone, just so that I could call people. While I could reinstall most apps on this phone, it somehow didn’t feel right. This was not my phone, it felt like it didn’t belong.

So I only had a few things on it, the bare minimum. After a few days, I realized I’m not missing much, life goes on. And most of the things I was doing on the phone I don’t really miss or I can do them without the phone. Maybe even better.

Now I got my phone back and it took me a while to set it up. Just that this time I thought hard on each thing I installed. Do I really need this? Or is it just another distraction?

What about you? Do you feel like your phone is taking too much of your time?

If you get a chance check out my book.

Side by side is a book about the first years of parenting. Both the beauty and the hidden side of parenting. The long nights and troubled days. Parents who try and fail and then try again. And how your little one puts a smile on your face and you forget everything just in time to start a new challenging day.  It follows the first 2 years of a new dad and his journey, side by side, along with his son.  your