Can you live without your smartphone?

In this day and age pretty much everyone I know, from teenagers to pensioners, has a smartphone of some sort or other. We live in a time when it is normal to be able to do EVERYTHING on the go. I, for one, am addicted to my smartphone, it is like an extension of my right hand. Scrap that, it’s like my right hand. So imagine my dismay last week when I found myself without my smartphone. Not just for an hour or two, but for up to maybe 2 weeks!

My phone has been playing up and not charging properly, so I decided to take it back to the shop to get it repaired while it’s still under warranty. In exchange I was thoughtfully provided with a replacement phone:

The temporary replacement for my smartphone.

The temporary replacement for my smartphone.

I nearly sobbed when I left the shop, with this cigarette packet sized phone in my pocket. It is basically a mobile phone from the 1990s and it limits me to phone calls and text messages. But do you remember texting on these things? It’s a nightmare – typing the letter 3 times or hoping for the best with predictive text. Day one was unbearable as I kept reaching for my phone to use an app or other, only to be brought up short by its tiny screen and lack of options.

Anyhow this is my phone for the next week or so, which means I need to get used to it. Trying to be positive, here are the pros to being restricted to this phone:

  • It hardly ever needs charging – I charged it for the first time on day 4.
  • It’s small and feels pretty sturdy.
  • I am on my phone less. Let’s face it, there’s nothing on it to do!

Which means there are tons of things I’m missing from my Samsung S3, so I thought I’d share with you what I miss the most from my usual phone.

  1. My camera. I never use my actual camera anymore, I just reach for my phone and can take pictures anywhere as my phone is always with me. I feel I’m missing out on so much at the moment by not having my camera on my phone – C pulling silly faces, L asleep angelically, spring appearing in every flower and blossom around me. Sigh.
  2. Email on the go. I hate having to wait to get on my computer to read and reply to emails.
  3. Calendar on the go (see point 2).
  4. My to do list. I always have a list of things I need to be doing – either blogging stuff, or ideas for writing, or family things that need to be done. I am lost without my list(s).
  5. Internet on the go. I’m always looking things up, and again I hate having to wait to be in front of my computer screen to do this.
  6. Facebook, Twitter, social media in general. Need I say more? I can’t keep up with my Facebook and Twitter feeds just from a computer once a day. I feel like I’m totally missing out.
  7. Instagram. How can I Instagram when I have no camera? *sobs*
  8. WhatsApp. I love this for free texting with my friends and family who are abroad, or for longer, chattier messages that are too long for text but too “in the now” for email.
  9. Bloglovin. If I wake up early in the morning I’ll go onto Bloglovin and catch up with my favourite blogs. No chance for that at the moment.
  10. Google Drive. My life is run by Google Apps and I love that my Android phone enables me to see and edit my Google Apps. Not at the moment though 🙁
  11. Maps. How did we survive without maps on our phones?!? I went to visit a friend at the weekend and I had to print off a map of how to get to her house from the station. What a pain!
  12. Notes. Along with my to do list I have a notes app where I note down things I need to buy, reminders of things, any random bits of information I might need.
  13. National Rail and other public transport apps. We don’t have a car, but as we live in London it’s not a big deal as we have great public transport, but I love my apps so I can check if there are any engineering works/problems.
  14. Timer. We don’t have a kitchen or oven timer so I use my phone timer all the time. What a nightmare trying to remember what time to get the bread out of the oven!
  15. Apps for L, in particular Lickety Split. If you don’t have Lickety Split in your life you need it now, it is my saviour. It is a timer for things like teeth brushing or sharing, as well as a countdown for tidying your room, getting dressed etc. It gets L moving and doing things she has to do with pretty much no complaining. Wow, how I’m missing this.

I could go on but I’m depressing myself. Am I the only one this addicted to a smartphone? Could you survive without yours? What would you miss the most?

Oh well, 5 days done, a maximum of another 9 days to go….then watch me go social media crazy!

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22 Responses

  1. Good luck for the next few days! I am totally addicted to my phone! I would be totally lost without it. I use it for most of the things you said and can’t bear to be without it!
    Sarah MumofThree World recently posted…The Gallery: Morning 2014My Profile

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      Thanks. In the end they got the phone back to me quickly, but I still had to go 6 days without it 🙁 The upside is it now feels like xmas!

  2. HPMcQ says:

    the camera for sure!
    HPMcQ recently posted…my favourite streets – the huguenotsMy Profile

  3. Honest Mum says:

    So relevant to me as I spent Monday (lost phone but was day off anywhere) and yesterday (intentionally) without a phone, no internet, nothing-just the boys and I playing, cuddling, eating and enjoying life without distraction. I loved every minute. To really switch off means to me switching off the phone too!
    Honest Mum recently posted…My American BoyMy Profile

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      We did a total screen-free day recently (blog post to follow) and I don’t mind it so much when I’ve made the conscious decision, but when it’s forced on me it’s much harder. When I’m on holiday I switch internet off completely, and just use my phone as a phone and a camera, and it’s fab, but I just really struggled as I think it wasn’t my decision. But the phone is back now and I’m happy, although I am using it less funnily enough.

  4. Sofia says:

    I’m also very addicted to my phone and my husband too. But with my husband we decided to shut down computers, phones, tablets during 1 day, a saturday. In fact we did this during the entire week end, and honestly it was a little hard because we needed to search for some stuff in the web but in fact it was GREAT, a RELIEF in fact. We could focus on each other and on the girls at 100%, we enjoyed each other differently and do differently the activities planned for the week end also. It was funny to see how many times we were tempted by to get the laptop, phone or tablet but we did not. We did that once but I would love to try it again. You could maybe try one time with Hubs… 😉

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      Funnily enough we did a screen-free day a few weeks ago (there’ll be a blog post on it soon) and it was fantastic, I really enjoyed it. But I didn’t like having it imposed on me, and I really missed having my camera too. Luckily I’ve got my phone back now so I’m happy again 🙂

  5. Shell Louise says:

    Glad to see you got it back sooner rather than later! Thanks for the info about the lickety split app, it’s going to be brilliant for Ella who finds concentrating on anything for any length of time really difficult!
    Shell Louise recently posted…Watchbot ReviewMy Profile

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      Lickety Split is our saviour here! I’ve used it with all different age kids and it works a treat 🙂

  6. No you re now the only one, far from it, isn’t it un-usual not to see people attached to them all the time. An if they are mums and dads, then their kids on tablets? I would be lost without mine, and that probably isn’t a good thing; must try and be more disciplines methinks! 🙁
    Helen Neale (@KiddyCharts) recently posted…Managing Aspergers – 8 top tips to help your child cope with new situationsMy Profile

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      It’s hard as they account for so much of our lives now, but it’s good to take them away every now and then….just not for long!

  7. Tarana says:

    It’s nearly impossible to live without a smartphone. I can only imagine how disconnected you felt!
    Tarana recently posted…Things I liked about the 90sMy Profile

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      It was really horrible, and I was angry with myself for being so dependent on it!

  8. Vicky Myers says:

    I agree, I would find it extremely hard. I do when we are camping, and chosen to turn phones off – takes me at least 24hrs to switch off!! Glad your phone is back:)
    Vicky Myers recently posted…Curtain Fabric for BagsMy Profile

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      I’ve done it before when on holiday, but it’s hard for every day life 🙁

  9. I run my business from my phone, I keep in touch with famly and friends (both in the Uk and abroad, it is my alarm clock, my diary, my personal assistant, my babysitter (that is what all those apps are for!!) and my music muse! I would be LOST without my phone!
    Helen & Peakles recently posted…Spring and Things We Love Weekends 21/03/14My Profile

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      I WAS totally lost without mine, I hate being dependent on it, but the simple fact is it organises my life for me, making it much easier.

  10. Kata Digital says:

    I definitely could live without it though I still keep both on the go both for business and personal use. I’m keeping watch of my kids too as it is very alarming to know that digital dementia exists. Gadgets are not meant to control people!

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      Gadgets are definitely not meant to control people but sometimes it’s so easy to be taken over by them!

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