Comments on: Is it time to wean yourself off of the smartphone?

By: Charles

Charles — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 02:30:45 +0000

See “Your Brain at Work” by David Rock. There you’ll find explanations as to why we feel compelled to respond to all these alerts (spoil alert: our brain’s hardwired to do that). But for most of us, doing so takes energy, time and control away from us, interruting what we were doing, breaking our concentration… I’ve completely cut off all notifications except business emails and meeting reminders a few months ago and, after a short adaptation period during which I kept wondering and checking whether my cell home was still working, I find myself more relaxed and more in control.

By: jdrch

jdrch — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:19:52 +0000

I currently use my phone primarily as a notification device, because although my phone is mobile, I can get through the same tasks MUCH faster on a PC with access to a full blown physical keyboard and 1080p+ screen. I star emails in Gmail and reply to them later. I’ve replaced SMS with FB Messages as much as possible so all my conversations are synced and available from any device. When I absolutely have to send a text, I prefer to do so from MightyText.

By: gatos4

gatos4 — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 17:45:26 +0000

I lost my iPhone a few weeks and although I initially consoled myself with the knowledge that I was due for an upgrade soon, I found that, indeed, after the initial withdrawal and concomitant freak out–eeek, I’m on the bus and can’t remember my dentist’s number–it started to feel better and better not needing to look at the damn thing constantly. I discovered that I had more ideas, just as the Ted Talk promised, if I wasn’t staring at a little square of light. Today I am due for my upgrade and replacement. I am dragging my feet. And this piece makes me want to hold out just a little bit longer…

By: Joseph Henry Steig

Joseph Henry Steig — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:56:02 +0000

This is exactly why a BlackBerry is such a great tool! The “crackberry” phenomena is actually less of an issue on a BlackBerry than IOS or Android because it can do so much less! It’s great for phone calls and e-mail of course but I don’t find myself falling into the social media black hole on the device as much as I do on my Android–the limited capabilities of the device are a great benefit.

By: Lynne Gregg

Lynne Gregg — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:33:57 +0000

Great advice. I’ve been doing this for the past year. It puts the user in control and makes the device a tool. The flip side is that the technology rules the user and that is definitely a stressful scenario.

By: Lynne Gregg

Lynne Gregg — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:27:37 +0000

Great point. I think when the user is in control, the technology is useful. When the technology controls the user, that’s stressful.

By: Lynne Gregg

Lynne Gregg — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:24:30 +0000

Use the “Do not disturb” and “VIP” functions in the iPhone and that will help control what gets in to you.

By: Ngan Tengyuen

Ngan Tengyuen — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 14:35:44 +0000

Sorry, I embeded the wrong video, do delete the previous video, here is the correct link. Sorry.

By: Ngan Tengyuen

Ngan Tengyuen — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 14:33:50 +0000

It is not a stupid question, it is a legit question, and a smart one too. I’m a gadget freak too, but there are limits. No gadgets when I meet up with friends and family. Here is an advertisement that is worth sharing, embed it to the article, I think it is useful to remind us to switch off our phone once in a while.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:51:53 +0000

We are reaching a point where we have more technology in our lives than we need!