Going Phoneless

Among the reasons I listed for going phoneless, one was more presence in the moment. Instead of thinking about my Facebook or Twitter; instead of checking to see if I’ve missed a text message while my ringer was off; instead of losing my train of thought during a conversation every time the phone rings, I can concentrate more on the things I’m doing and the people I’m with.

I was Googling around the web to see who else had done this, and what their thought were, when I found the following gem. Scott Scheper at How to get focused writes:

Why have I elected to do this? Because of one thing: people. Life revolves around people. However, it does not revolve around me getting interrupted or distracted by people?or more importantly, by the internet and apps. One gets distracted by the internet already on the computer; why bring this distraction with them everywhere? My objective in giving up the cell phone is to become closer to people. If you called me today, you?d think my phone was disconnected. It has an annoying disconnect beep and no answering machine. I don?t get missed calls and I don?t get voice-mails. And it feels great.

03/12 - 05/12 Land The Fresh Beat Band Tickets playing in Louisville Palace, Lyric Opera House. The Fresh Beat Band is playing in Louisville, Baltimore and San Antonio. the fresh beat band concert 2012

01/12 - 02/12 Reach Tool Tickets staging in TD Garden, The Arena At Gwinnett Center. Tool is staging in Boston, Duluth and Albuquerque. tool concert 2012

01/12 - 03/12 Acquire Drake Tickets staging in Sprint Center, Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Drake is staging in Kansas City, Gainesville and Las Vegas. drake concert 2012

When I was growing up, people used to sit around a dinner table, eating together and talking to one another. Now, everyone eats with one hand while texting with the other. I go out with friends and they’re all looking at their phones rather than at the person who is talking. I can’t change everyone, but I can change myself. And who knows? Maybe I can set a good example and spark a little change.

Why you read that I’m going phoneless, the first question you probably have is… Why?

During the week that led to my decision to try this, I made a list of several benefits of having no phone. Here’s what I came up with:

• No more phone bill
• No more cell phone contract
• No roaming fees
• No more international billing tricks
• No more phone calls during dinner
• No more being woken up in the middle of the night
• No more being distracted by Facebook or Twitter or Foursquare every free moment
• No more arguments about whether your Android is better than my iPhone
• No more agnozing over which cell carrier to go with
• No more checking my phone to see if I missed a text message
• No more worry about brain cancer
• Smaller carbon footprint
• More freedom
• More presence in the moment
• More money left at the end of the month!

My AT&T contract with the iPhone data plan costs me almost $100 each month. Over one year that’s almost $1,200 — enough to buy a round-trip ticket to Europe. Need I say more?