Strange how much life has changed
 

I found this article, it is quite a reality shock to some. How much the smartphone and tablets have taken over people's lives......
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/p...=pocket-newtab
https://www.removed.social/united-states
I personally dislike my smartphone, I resisted for so long but this covid mess we had to get one. So we could have virtual Doctors visits,.95% of the time it sits in a basket,

I wish I wasn’t so dependent on the smart phone as I am. I use it to check the internet sites I follow most closely. So I end up schlepping it around with me everywhere.

There are several things that impacted my life. Other than the usual things, like marriage and children, etc, my cell phone and my iPad are right at the top. I could never have scheduled our Covid vaccinations without first using my iPad to see who had doses. And then checking to see when the facilities had appointments available. It’s easier now, but not in January. It’s a tough choice: my DH or my iPhone. Just kidding. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I rarely even know where my smartphone is, but until recently, my smartphone was telling google several times a second where I was. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/cool.png

So I just bought a de-googled phone - no spyware, no tracking, no contact tracing apps - I can phone, text and take amazing pictures, the only things I want from a phone. The battery has lasted eight days and is only down to 23%.

And now, only my Sienna reports my location to google. :D

Recently our various doctors' offices have started contacting us through our smartphone. I told at least one to use our "landline" for contact but not sure they did that.
They're texting all the time before appointments.
Annoying as I don't carry it around with me and so end up with messages I have to deal with. We have phones all over the house to answer but now they are not using that number. May try to change them.

We gave up our land line years ago. Don’t miss it. When we our changed internet/cable provider, they wanted to put a land line in for free, free to install and use. I said no thanks. We would never use it.

what phone did you get polyparrot?

I only give out the number to our land line. I mainly use my phone to text Daughter and Granddaughter. When I live the house my cell phone is usually laying on the dining room table like always. Not a big deal for me.

Ironically, it's the Google Pixel 4. :D Completely de-googled, except for the brand name. I bought it from Rob Braxman, the internet privacy expert. :)

Oh how I wished I had a cell phone when my kids were small. I was afraid to take road trips with them in case of a car break down, stuck at the mercy of strangers. I always thought of the cell phone as a safety device and still do. I use my Iphone for a phone. I don't go onlne. I will receive pics from the kids and facetime.

Our lives haven’t changed at all just this world has gotten progressively more crazy.... baaa baaaa

I just shake my head sometimes I’m sad people are so scared and sometimes it frustrates me.
I read a sign at a local church that read...

People are more afraid of the plandemic than they are of God!

I have a cheap smart phone but I just use it as a phone. I have a PC and Kindle to go online. The unlimited data plan is too pricey for my phone.

It was explained to me that it is more efficient for the receptionist to send a text to remind us of appointments than to place a call. It’s faster than waiting for someone to answer or wait for voice mail and then have a conversation.

My grandfather was one of those old curmudgeon types who refused to move with the times and was always disparaging the younger generation. I vowed I wouldn’t be like him as I got older. I need to remind myself sometimes.

Advances in technology have changed my life; mostly for the better. We have control over how much it impacts our lives.

I still only have a flip phone and only turn it on if I'm out and about and may need for an emergency. I don't text with it as it is too hard to do with my old fingers. I go days sometimes weeks without turning it on and use a pay as I go plan. It is so nice to not feel I am chained to a device. I tell everyone that I am not smart enough to have a smart phone.

I love all the new technology. Back in the day I wonder how many thought a telephone was too “new fangled” or preferred a horse and buggy to a car or preferred candles to the scary electricity. And you are all “on the grid” anyway since you are using some version of technology to use this forum. I don’t think it is a sign of superiority one way or the other

I am not so dependent on my cell phone but am becoming more so. I forget it all the time and it is not attached to my hip. I still use my house phone but because of all the robo calls I have had to direct more doctors and 'real' people to my cell phone and that I do not like to do. It just makes me more dependent. And now the only way I can see church services is via my cell phone. Talk about dependency. I am not comfortable going out yet even though I am fully vaccinated. While I watch services there doesn't appear to be a lot of social distancing. People are wearing mask but it makes me nervous. Our lives are changed now and I believe forever because of the pandemic. The dependency on cell phones for many of us is happening whether or not I like it.

I live out in the country where the cell phone service is unreliable. Wifi is much better. So I usually use my smartphone when I travel or to hook to the internet via the house Wifi. I ignore voice mail messages on my smartphone as most of it is spam!!

We do use our internet connection alot though. My husband has worked remotely for over 15 years. And I was working remotely part-time when we started homeschooling 2 years ago.

I think the biggest thing for me that changed in all of this is social media. Things like facebook just got so negative last year that I rarely look at it. I don't need everyone to comment on my choices. I've limited my social media exposure to groups (like this one) that have a focus and are supportive.

I remember my parents having "a party line" - I do not remember how many homes/families were connnected to it. At least 8.

Basically, if it was in use, one could just pick up the phone and listen to what the other people were saying. No 911 back then.

Mom frequently talked "in code" because she assumed there were listeners to every conversation.

I do wonder how "private" anything is - or was - as far as that goes.

My cellphone is in my pocket at all times. It reminds me to take my medication, it's my alarm clock, it reminds me that it's time to take my grandson to work, and most importantly it acts as an emergency contact device.

11 years ago I slipped on the stairs and went sledding down the whole length on my behind. Broke my tailbone and was paralyzed for several minutes. Cellphone was in my purse, I think -- definitely not on me. If it was I could have called 911, or one of my daughters, or someone for help. As it is, I just sat/laid there and waited for DH to come home from church.

So agree with JanieW and others who have said the same thing: we have control over how technology impacts our lives. Mostly...(a bit less so where I live). I keep thinking how utterly grim the 1918 influenza pandemic must have been (just read a very good book about it) - grim anyway, but so much harder to bear than in a day and age such as ours; no texts, no internet, no on-line classes for schoolchildren and students, no connections between families, no knowing what was going on in the country. I understand why a lot of people feel threatened by technology, but can you imagine how much more difficult this last year and a half would have been without it? I feel grateful every day for my ability to communicate - how much poorer, for example, our lives would be on this forum, those of us who use it. Not a chance, in days gone by, of connecting with like minded people in good ways. Of course there are bad ways, too, but life is never simple, is it. I personally don’t want to be on Facebook or Twitter, so I’m not. I can choose to opt in or out.

Lalla, I totally agree with you. My son has made friends during this time because of the internet. My husband was able to keep working because of the internet. My husband works in the computer industry.

I have a 14 year old teen and the biggest thing we are trying to instill in him is balance: "Your phone and the internet connectivity is going to be a big part of your life. But recognize where it's merits are and it's pitfalls. If you ALSO do lots of other things like spend time with friends, exercise, enjoy hobbies (that aren't computer related), enjoy live theater, read physical books, travel, etc... then you are going to be fine."

I had a small flip phone from 2008 and changed to a new one (much larger) last year maybe. i hate it. Can't put in my pocket, but with muggers everywhere I can't put it into a purse because i don't carry one. I use my phone but do forget it often. so hard for me to text with the stylus, impossible without. you'd think i had giant fingers! Oh well, i hardly call anyone, hardly get any calls, so it is there if i need it. that is what they say anyway.