Ask Lemmy

Broke my phone like two months ago and sent it in to get it repaired, which took about a month. I only had my work phone as emergency backup, so I basically didn't have a phone during most of that time.

Well, staring into space while waiting for the bus seems to be the convention where I live, so I didn't feel weird in that regard.
I did have some invasive thoughts, like what if you need to call emergency services and can't? Haven't needed that so far in my life and the chance of no one else with a phone being around is pretty slim, but the thought entered my mind anyways.

Well, and then I do use my phone for navigating public transport, for finding out where I need to go in case I ever get lost and then also just as a shopping list.
Shopping list is easy to replace with a sheet of paper. Navigating public transport had me suddenly looking at the hangouts in the various stations. It's certainly not the same as having an algorithm tell you the quickest route, but you can find a lot of information there and you will find a route, which is good enough.
Not having a map is something that had me kind of just not take larger trips. I guess, if I had been without a phone for longer, I would've gotten used to that, too. Like, you can ask people, some of which might have a phone with a map on it themselves even.

Generally speaking, after the first few days, I did not miss my phone as much as I thought. I found it somewhat liberating even.

I don't feel weird if I'm just walking around in front of my home. I occasionally forget to bring a phone with me when I go outside, but if I remember I'll go back and get one.

If I managed to get to a grocery store or bus stop without a phone, I would probably feel stupid and still do whatever I wanted to do outside, but then go directly home rather than doing another errand.

I have no problem with staring into space or looking around rather than looking at a phone. I have mobile data, but I rarely use it nowadays, and I only have one somewhat boring game application installed on my phone.

I don't go to many places, and it's even rarer for me to travel through multiple municipalities, so I just remember how to get to the places I often want to go, and if I was going to a distant location I'd be even more likely to notice if I forgot my phone since I'd probably want to set up navigation before leaving. I use OsmAnd for navigation so it's not a problem if I don't have access to the internet, and I'm used to navigating without using the internet so navigating entirely without a phone is probably easier for me than for some people.

I had to do a paper on this. Basically, the newer generations are more and more addicted to their phones, going so far as having physical withdrawal symptoms when they're apart from it. They discovered that we're now thinking of our phone as an extra appendage of sort, and that though becomes more solidified though each generation.

My pockets feel unusual. Same when going out without a wallet. Constantly feel like I left them somewhere.

it feels liberating

I don't even know how I survived the 90s. When you were waiting for the bus the most entertaining thing you could do was stare at your shoes or throw a rock at the stop sign

I leave my phone behind now and again so I don't feel the obligation to always be reachable, a privilege I'm sure. I don't often get lost but I speak the local language so I can just ask a stranger if I do. I absolutely don't find it weird if someone's alone and not looking at a phone and don't think anyone around me does, though I've never been one to care about that sort of thing anyway. I've intentionally removed all the timewasting apps from my phone as well, namely social media and news and all that.

I was on the metro recently and didnt feel like using my phone. tried to zone out into space but kept feeling like people were looking at me funny, noticing I wasn't looking down at a phone. made me feel so u comfortable I took my phone out and forced myself to use it for the next 20 mins

I'd end up staring at people while I drink my coffee without my phone.

No. It's not hard to entertain myself by simply observing the world around me and daydreaming.

I do not. I don't feel awkward necessarily just sitting there doing nothing but I also tend to avoid situations where I am like that because I do get bored and impatient fairly easily. I also just don't like phones. I don't do much with mine other than the things I find very useful like calls, text messaging and maps. I much prefer my PC whenever possible.

I'm American, and I'm 40. I didn't have a mobile phone until I was like 19 and didn't have a smartphone until I was probably about 28 or something.

I understand why people would feel awkward without their phones for sure. Especially if that's what they are used to. I used to smoke cigarettes and I remember kinda feeling silly just standing there not smoking after I quit.

I feel weird and anxious when I go outside even if I do have my phone with me.

I wouldn’t know. That hasn’t happened since I got my first phone in the 90s. It’s always with me.

Not really, but I'm old. I grew up in the '80s and '90s. I still prefer not to forget my cell, mostly because there's no payphones anymore.

I'm 50, old enough to remember when we didn't have answering machines or call waiting or anything, and yet I can't go to the kitchen to stir my tea without my phone. I'm not saying it's good. To be fair I do read a lot of books on it though.

No. I'm an 80s kid. It's kind of nice once in a while to forget it.

I imagine people with their phone in their faces while shopping, walking their dogs, etc. must have max anxiety over even the fleeting thought of not having their precious.

its basically social expectation to be on your phone when you are by yourself.

Books and newspapers are not forbidden (yet?)

I feel weird if I'm taking a shit and I don't have my phone with me, forget about leaving the house without it.

Yeah but only because I have literally no personality and will stare blankly in space (and 9 times out of 10, in the direction of some random person) and I'm only worried about not blending in enough without starting stupid fights. I wasn't listening to your stupid conversation, I was completely zoned out but okay. It was probably a really stupid conversation about stupid marijuana products and brand names and "attractive" men who look like personified dead rats or something stupid I wasn't even interested in.

Do you feel weird/anxious if you go outside and don't have a phone with you?

Nope. I sometimes forget my phone at home, no big deal I seldom use it. And even when I don't forget it I have zero social apps or games installed on it, not even email ;)

I only use it to pass phone calls and to manage IDs and finances (and it's only because my banks all require me to use their stupid apps, I would gladly tell them to go funk themselves but I need to be able to access my accounts).

What I never forget and I never hesitate to use whan I have the opportunity is a pocket book, so I always have something to read (without distraction, aka no Internet) and a pocket notebook/pen so I can write stuff (without any distraction, bugs, updates or whatever...) and in both case without any worry about being tracked.

so like its basically social expectation to be on your phone when you are by yourself.

Is it? And then people are surprised they're exhausted, and constantly anxious and/or angry at one another? Doom scrolling is poison for the mind and for the soul. I'd rather look around, or speak with people.

you are missing a lot of information

Do I? Well, so far it has not caused me much issues.

that you might need in case you get lost or something.

When that happens, I ask my way around to people. It sometime is a nice opportunity to start a real conversation ;)

edit: typos and clarification.

About a decade ago, I fell and broke my ankle while out running.

It was only by sheer chance that this happened around a bunch of people, and I was able to get help immediately. If I'd been out somewhere else or at a different time, I would have been absolutely fucked.

Since that day, I never leave the house without my phone, ever.

(if I'm hiking somewhere out of range, then I map out my route and ensure that someone else knows where I'll be)

A bit, I need it for contactless payments as in my country we use eletronic payments for almost everything

Only at night, when it's dark out. I don't live in the worst neighborhood by any stretch of the imagination right now, but I always feel a little anxious/paranoid that something might happen while I'm taking out my brother's big pit mixes. And that's with nothing ever actually happening.

My take-out burrito wasn't ready on-time and I forgot my phone in my vehicle. I had to look at posters on the wall while I waited! Please pray for me, it was awful and I'm still traumatized.

I only get as awkward as the distance travelled

I'd be fine going to the mall, bit iffed since I don't have music to accompany me

I'd be damned if I visit hierapolis without my phone on me, fuck knows how I'll get back if I also lose my wallet

I've recently had to force myself to pay more attention to my phone. I keep putting it down and forgetting it for many hours at a time. I have to get better or one of these days I'm going to have left it outside my home or car, it's only a matter of time.

I feel weird if I go to the kitchen and don't have a phone with me. Then again, I'm weird, so having a phone with me may not be the issue.

Not really. The only thing I'd be missing access to is where I am on my finances when shopping and I don't have it.

For the second yes, but mostly because I get lost very easily. The first not really, many people outside are not on their phones.

I think part of the problem is, because I always carry it, I keep thinking I've forgotten something. Or go to check the time or whatever and remember I don't have it.

Only because I help to take care of my mom so if she calls and I don't answer... That could be bad

Yes, very anxious. I dread being in any situation where I won't at least have an opportunity to dial for emergency services.

If it's just a local trip, I don't really care, as long as I'm confident I just left it somewhere at home. Sometimes feels awkward on the bus because everyone besides the local homeless person or the group riders talking to each other is on their phone, but it's fine.

If I'm somewhere unfamiliar I can get very paranoid as I worry if I dropped it, it got stolen, or if something else happens I wouldn't know where to go.

Bring a book or newspaper/magazine. Those people are the minority but it's still fairly common to see people read on the train or at the bus stop.

No. I usually read books anyway, and i tend to forget my phone very often. So nothing unusual.