Blah blah blah. Excuses excuses excuses. 😂

You using your phone as a pacifier while outside?

Just a simple AGPTEK that I got from sAmazon.

Also, if you are curious about the flip phone, it’s a Sonim XP3Plus. Sure, it may run Android, but it’s a scaled down version of Android with no app store. Only basic apps like for calling, texting (which I never use), notes and calculator. It comes out the box that way (with none of the Google services). So, I am happy. And I just keep it offline; only use for calling.

Basically, I went old school to solve a modern tech problem. Because I don’t want to be part of the smartphone rat race anymore. Smartphones (and anything smart) to me are now garbage.

You guys have fun. I’ve given up and went back to a flip phone and a simple MP3 player. I breathe much easier now.

I enjoy browsing videos and reading webcomics too much to go back to a flip phone though.

If you also do that when going out, It means you are going about going outside the wrong way then. 😁

Hmm… I don’t have this problem in Calgary.

I’d much rather have a few good friends who want to socialize with me, over a bunch who couldn’t give me the time of day; due to their social media addiction on the smartphones.

Doesn’t matter. It all just reinforces that people, even on decentralized platforms, are losers on a hamster wheel.

And it all just reinforces that people online are losers. That’s all I am being reminded of; even on a decentralized platform like this. No wonder I took excessive steps to filter all big tech and mainstream social media on my home network by using things like Pihole, and also my own hosted SearXNG instance to filter search results. Because it’s all designed to be just like a hamster wheel. That’s all it ever can be.

I’ve made a rule. Not only does the people I hang out with have to be able to call me and pick up the phone, but anyone who is staring at their smartphone constantly, while they are supposed to be hanging out with me, I stop hanging out with. Because clearly they are too busy wasting time on social media.

Well, I don’t care what people think. I chose it (a flip phone and MP3 Player) for my peace of mind these days.

If they want to be big tech pawns and continue their circle jerk of drama, like the original poster, then that’s fine. And if people I engage with in public can’t be bothered to pick up the phone like a normal person to talk, then I just move on. Because clearly, they’ll never step outside of their smartphone. Not that you really can engage socially with those people to begin with; as they are so addicted. Just like the drug addicts.

I guess it is funny. And Japanese isn’t an easy language to pick up. But anyway, yeah. I chose to filter out all the noise online and get my life back. Going to archery today in fact.

Speaking of noise, I think just as soon as I made this account, I’m just going to delete it. Because people on here like to complain for the drama when you offer practical solutions (the solution really is removing big tech from your life at this point); as it’s a byproduct of many people conditioned to using the mainstream social media. A lot of them have the same mentality, like the original poster. It’s an endless circle jerk I don’t want to waste my time on.

Have fun with the koi pond!

Given my time observing druggies, you are so on the mark on that one. What was I thinking bothering to tell that guy anything?

Music? Get an MP3 player. Navigation? Get a paper map. Want less stress? Learn to not rely on a smartphone. This is what people fail to understand. People functioned before smartphones were even a thing. People, especially younger people are just too conditioned to think outside the box.

Or, continue to deal with the smartphone rat race. It’s that simple.

I’m glad I can use unlocked phones in Canada. And I was able to use a custom ROM on the Pixel 3 to remove every trace of Google. But honestly, the XP3Plus just spares me such a headache from modern tech. If I am being blunt, I don’t want to deal with anything big tech at all now. So, I am also glad I never got a career in IT. Tech of today is just so full of shit. It’s all locked down, boring and manipulative.

A technique? Yeah. It’s called keeping your WIFI off and mobile data off. As in disconnect completely. You’ll regain your time and sense of autonomy, and your phone will last a lot longer on a single charge.

Same thing applied when I still had my Pixel 3 phone; it also lasted 2 weeks. I used it literally for nothing but calling. Other than that, it was left on the table untouched, and completely disconnected. Until the screen somehow broke inside and wouldn’t turn on, making me decide to just stop using smartphones altogether as they are just too fragile. Not to mention, high maintenance; which I didn’t want to deal with anymore.

What a shitty law. Is this in the UK? If so, figures.

Well, if the bank apps only support Android and iPhone, you’re pretty much hooped. Aren’t you? A Linux phone won’t help you.

So, the only option is to use the smartphone for nothing but the silly app. Or, do things the old way. Go to the bank and do your banking there.

Then just use the flip phone for the everything else.

Cash? And avoid banks that force apps?

Being bored… It’s how I got back into writing and doing digital art again. Along with picking up Japanese again, and getting back into archery and even beach volleyball at the park. And coincidentally, it was because I not only filtered big platforms with my PiHole server and my hosted SearXNG instance (by filtering my search results of all big tech and huge platforms), I also turned to RSS feeds to avoid any future algorithm manipulation.

The getting rid of the smartphone (for a flip phone) was just the cherry on top; as I wasn’t using it for anything else but for calling by then.

All that helped give me my creativity back. If only Ulrich could see through the charade, he’d have a lot less stress over this smartphone rat race. Because in all truth, smartphones have steadily become not worth it.