Phuket Opinion: Why I’m keeping my dumbphone
Phuket Gazette -

Damian’s telephone does all he wants it to do. Photo: Saran Mitrarat

PHUKET: Life today is inundated with myriad marvelous advances in technology, not least in the realm of personal telecommunications. I can’t go anywhere without encountering the latest news, entertainment, music or point of view being delivered by a screen a short distance away, a friend within range of such a screen, or by someone’s smart phone.

Even on this idyllic paradise isle, people are turning to their phones for instant communication satisfaction, often at the expense of those sharing their real time and space, like the person who has accepted their invitation to lunch, (“Hang on a minute... Hey! Hi...”) or the person they’re conversing with face-to-face (“Sorry, I need to get this...”).

The extent of interruptions and some people’s compulsion to answer, text, Facebook or Tweet using a palmful device beggars belief that people come here to “get away from it all”.

Some people answer the phone no matter what they’re doing. One time I was deep into a conversation with my brother, who lives halfway round the world, before I noticed a strange echo.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“On the toilet,” he replied.

“I’ll call you back.”

The ability to never be out of touch today leaves me gasping for downtime. Sometimes I feel like I could be lucid dreaming that I’m in a Stark Trek movie as Crewmen 444 with a communicator pinned to my chest.

At work, I spend on average 10 hours a day in front of a computer, facing a torrent of incoming messages. When I get home, I open my modern mailbox and do it all again.

So for now, the last thing I want to do is have all my remaining minutes accessible to instant e-contact , and I’ll be sticking with my dumbphone.

If I’m to be hauled into being overwhelmed by underwhelming information, it’ll be inch by inch.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-Opinion-Why-I-m-keeping-my-dumbphone-22747.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-11-10

Sez the guy writing on the internet.

What a putz.

How hard is it to leave your phone, smart or otherwise, at home or turned off? What does it matter if you have a dumb-phone if people still have you number and can/will call you?

I know people like to kvetch, whine and complain endlessly but seriously, pick something important to complain about.

Obviously a bit desperate to fill column inches.

Why Im keeping my dumbphone

It's no good if it can't blow your whistle for you.

I'm with you.

Stop .... take a deep breath and relax. Regain your composure and take charge of your life. It's so easy to not answer the phone when you don't want to be disturbed. The same technology that allows you to talk to your brother half way around the world gave you the "Off" button. Chillax, bro ..... stop trolling and go fishing.

I agree with you also Lite Beer. I just purchased a dumb phone two days ago at Lotus for 395 THB after being without here in Thailand for two years. I purchased a simm card for 50 THB and 180 minutes of calls for 100 THB good for 4 months. The only reason I bought the dumb phone was to be able to pay bills online through my bank. I carried a smart phone that my company gave me for years and when I retired it was the first thing I wanted rid of. It actually stresses me out watching all the people in public scrolling on their smart phones on the BTS, Subway or at the mall. I personally enjoy living the simple life and getting aways from letting technology run my life 24 hours a day. That being said when I get home I do enjoy being on my desk top computer and surfing around. Maybe I am just old school.

I agree with you also Lite Beer. I just purchased a dumb phone two days ago at Lotus for 395 THB after being without here in Thailand for two years. I purchased a simm card for 50 THB and 90 minutes of calls for 100 THB good for 4 months. The only reason I bought the dumb phone was to be able to pay bills online through my bank. I carried a smart phone that my company gave me for years and when I retired it was the first thing I wanted rid of. It actually stresses me out watching all the people in public scrolling on their smart phones on the BTS, Subway or at the mall. I personally enjoy living the simple life and getting aways from letting technology run my life 24 hours a day. That being said when I get home I do enjoy being on my desk top computer and surfing around. Maybe I am just old school.

Why would it stress you out watching other people.Just don't have a phone,leave other people to have their own enjoyment.

It does raise a question, do people feel so lonely or disconnected that they have to be in communication all the time?

If I'm stuck in the airport, for example, I might check my email and the footy results, but I'd rather read a good book.

I agree with you also Lite Beer. I just purchased a dumb phone two days ago at Lotus for 395 THB after being without here in Thailand for two years. I purchased a simm card for 50 THB and 90 minutes of calls for 100 THB good for 4 months. The only reason I bought the dumb phone was to be able to pay bills online through my bank. I carried a smart phone that my company gave me for years and when I retired it was the first thing I wanted rid of. It actually stresses me out watching all the people in public scrolling on their smart phones on the BTS, Subway or at the mall. I personally enjoy living the simple life and getting aways from letting technology run my life 24 hours a day. That being said when I get home I do enjoy being on my desk top computer and surfing around. Maybe I am just old school.

Why would it stress you out watching other people.Just don't have a phone,leave other people to have their own enjoyment.

I really don't know why but it does, but I will try my best to let others enjoy themselves from now on. Maybe I will act like I am scrolling around on my dumb phone on the subway.

Troll or not it's a valid point.

Try driving in your car with a couple of friends and your phone rings. You totally ignore the phone and carry on whatever conversation you were having.

The only reaction you will get is " why don't you answer the phone " my answer is " if it's important they will call back and "if" I want to answer I will.

I control my phone, it doesn't control me.

Dumb phone but smart person

I was talking to a very good friend on the phone one day and she got the ping to say another call was coming in so she said can I call you back I have another call coming in, I said no we are talking so the other party can ring back when you are not busy talking with someone else, she was a bit taken aback by my attitude and then said " you know I did not realise how rude it is to the person you are talking to to brush them off in favour of an unknown caller" she then rang telstra and had her call waiting option turned off.

Well...both dumb & smart phones have an "On-Off" button don't they? Why not use it.

Secondly...if you desire a "smart phone"...get an call/sms blocking app like Root Call

Blocker...and use it.

The rest is all up to you.

Dude, chill. I have a smart phone, No greeting set up or voice mail. I am regularly out of the service area when in Canada.

Here no problems. When people can't get a hold of me instantly or almost instantly I explain to them my cell is for my

convenience not theres. Send an e-mail. I try to check daily and if I have service I usually am quick to respond. All good.

Most people remember life before, cell phones, e-mail, fax machines even. I prefer now. But to each his own.

Sez the guy writing on the internet. alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20>

What a putz.

How hard is it to leave your phone, smart or otherwise, at home or turned off? What does it matter if you have a dumb-phone if people still have you number and can/will call you?

I know people like to kvetch, whine and complain endlessly but seriously, pick something important to complain about.

It is not just about having a dumb phone it is about allowing him self the time to enjoy life with out checking in to all his various services that the smart phone allows him. Why buy a smart phone when all you want it for is to make a phone call or receive one.

Stop .... take a deep breath and relax. Regain your composure and take charge of your life. It's so easy to not answer the phone when you don't want to be disturbed. The same technology that allows you to talk to your brother half way around the world gave you the "Off" button. Chillax, bro ..... stop trolling and go fishing. alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20>

You also missed the point of the article. He was not saying he didn't want to have people call him or he didn't want to call others. He basically was saying he wants to be in charge of his life not a smart phone that will do every thing but use the bum gun for you.

It does raise a question, do people feel so lonely or disconnected that they have to be in communication all the time?

If I'm stuck in the airport, for example, I might check my email and the footy results, but I'd rather read a good book.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you are rite there. I knew one guy who had two smart phones.

I myself have a dumb phone it is 8 years old and it still takes calls and makes calls. The only thing smart about it is if I punch the star button it will tell me the time orally. In the middle of the night if I wake up I will often grab it and push the star button and decide if I want to get up or not. It works better in bright sunlight than any smart phone I have ever seen for telling the time.

I can call Canada and the States on it or my next door neighbor. I had to laugh at a clerk in the apple store I was looking at the I 5 and I asked him if he could do this I pressed the star key and it told us the time. He said no then he thought a moment and said yes he proceeded to play with it for a bit then touched a spot and it did say the time. I bet he couldn't do it in the dark.

It does raise a question, do people feel so lonely or disconnected that they have to be in communication all the time?

If I'm stuck in the airport, for example, I might check my email and the footy results, but I'd rather read a good book.

"One is the loneliest number you can ever do, Two can be as bad as One, if One, is the loneliest number that you always do"

or something of that nature - times change, people change, I prefer a basic cellphone, you want to get ahold of me, give me a call............if you con't know my number its because I didn't give it to you.

I laugh everythime I see some on on TV answer a query, or make a comment and I see at the end of their comment "Sent from my iPhone o Sent from my Samsung 19710.635 " who are they tryuing to imporess"" themselves??

The sarcastic commenters don't get it. There are real studies going on showing how constantly being on smart phones and the internet is literally making us stupider and less able to focus compared to 30 years ago.

This article is spot on and the issue actually needs to be taken seriously. Something's wrong when kids are more comfortable speaking in emoticons then speaking verbally. There's even some proof that kids today are less proficient in spoken language compared to their elders when they were the same age.

I think it's a serious issue that should not be taken lightly, even if it at first glance it appears like fluff. It's not.

So i got a smart phone that can receive calls to a number that exists in the Internet that i give out to people with no regards but screens it for me and even saves the drunken voice mail, but easily can answer if I feel appropriate. But maybe I'm busy having a video chat with my friends who lives half way around the world, then receive an email from my bank that a fraud alert has been sent because withdraws have been made from my regular pattern which I use QR codes to validate. Damn I'm missing out....

Phone - settings - silent mode with vibration off = peace

dumb phone for me too with aircard enabled netbook in the backpack.

ok my phone isnt that dumb its still got 3g google maps. but it isnt touchscreen.

i want to surf long time i use the netbook with a real OS thanks.

my phone numbers? over my dead body! i dont even answer the wrong numbers. realtime interactive mode not enabled sorry.

I am obliged to carry a smartphone for business but I use about 10% of its capability because I don't do texts and I prefer to manage my mail and browsing on a big screen desk top.

I turn it off as soon as I get home - the logic being that I am no longer mobile, and I have a home phone if people want to contact me.

This also forces people to think about calling and remember things like time zones - if they know they are phoning a home they think twice about the time and the number of middle of the night calls from europe or the US decreases dramatically.

In SE Asia these smartphones are more about fashion than communications.

Sez the guy writing on the internet.

What a putz.

How hard is it to leave your phone, smart or otherwise, at home or turned off? What does it matter if you have a dumb-phone if people still have you number and can/will call you?

I know people like to kvetch, whine and complain endlessly but seriously, pick something important to complain about.

He's writing in the Phuket Gazette, they and Thai Visa put it on the internet.

You're right though, find something more important to complain about.

What a putz.

There are real studies going on showing how constantly being on smart phones and the internet is literally making us stupider and less able to focus compared to 30 years ago.

Again, sez the guy posting on the internet. Did that post make you "stupider"?

Other than obviously impacting you personally, can you share any details re: these "real studies"?

Sez the guy writing on the internet. alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20>

What a putz.

How hard is it to leave your phone, smart or otherwise, at home or turned off? What does it matter if you have a dumb-phone if people still have you number and can/will call you?

I know people like to kvetch, whine and complain endlessly but seriously, pick something important to complain about.

It is not just about having a dumb phone it is about allowing him self the time to enjoy life with out checking in to all his various services that the smart phone allows him. Why buy a smart phone when all you want it for is to make a phone call or receive one.

Stop .... take a deep breath and relax. Regain your composure and take charge of your life. It's so easy to not answer the phone when you don't want to be disturbed. The same technology that allows you to talk to your brother half way around the world gave you the "Off" button. Chillax, bro ..... stop trolling and go fishing. alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20>

You also missed the point of the article. He was not saying he didn't want to have people call him or he didn't want to call others. He basically was saying he wants to be in charge of his life not a smart phone that will do every thing but use the bum gun for you.

It does raise a question, do people feel so lonely or disconnected that they have to be in communication all the time?

If I'm stuck in the airport, for example, I might check my email and the footy results, but I'd rather read a good book.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you are rite there. I knew one guy who had two smart phones.

I myself have a dumb phone it is 8 years old and it still takes calls and makes calls. The only thing smart about it is if I punch the star button it will tell me the time orally. In the middle of the night if I wake up I will often grab it and push the star button and decide if I want to get up or not. It works better in bright sunlight than any smart phone I have ever seen for telling the time.

I can call Canada and the States on it or my next door neighbor. I had to laugh at a clerk in the apple store I was looking at the I 5 and I asked him if he could do this I pressed the star key and it told us the time. He said no then he thought a moment and said yes he proceeded to play with it for a bit then touched a spot and it did say the time. I bet he couldn't do it in the dark.

And my point - in case you missed it HelloDolly - was to simply be smarter than your phone. If that requires you to have a dumb phone then so be it.

Another advantage of those Nokias is they can be used as a hammer in a pinch. Like when you have to make rapid escape after van crash

The sarcastic commenters don't get it. There are real studies going on showing how constantly being on smart phones and the internet is literally making us stupider and less able to focus compared to 30 years ago.

This article is spot on and the issue actually needs to be taken seriously. Something's wrong when kids are more comfortable speaking in emoticons then speaking verbally. There's even some proof that kids today are less proficient in spoken language compared to their elders when they were the same age.

I think it's a serious issue that should not be taken lightly, even if it at first glance it appears like fluff. It's not.

Like any addiction it's hard to give up. People find reasons why their situation is different, and why their outcome will be different. One thing I believes diminishes intelligence is looking up the answers to a discussion immediately on wikipedia instead of discussing and analyzing the topic verbally.

When a person can just look up the answer they give up the opportunity for critical thinking. A group of people will develop their brains when they sit and discuss a topic whether or not they even get the right answer or not. Look up the answer on wikipedia or something similar and sure they have the answer but the brains were not used.

Science has shown for a long time that doing puzzles, playing chess and in general thinking critically keeps one sharp into old age. Getting the puzzle right or winning at chess is not the point. It's the exercise itself that counts. Looking up answers on wiki is the equivalent to getting pec implants. They may look alright but there is no strength there. In this case though at least a discussion of sorts if being had.

Facebook, Twitter and other social media are detrimental in other ways. People are losing the art of writing properly, even on email. Writing is a great form of communication and although I prefer a face to face chat over email or letters I have found that the mass use of texting has degraded the overall level of email writing too. It's making people lazier and it's pretty sad when people are too lazy to even try to write properly. It's not even the same level as going to the gym. It's just exercise for brain but it seems that things are getting to the point where even this is difficult.

I think that it takes a particularly disciplined type of person to use a smartphone intelligently. I acknowledge it's positives for work although when I was required to use one I found that it increased my workload and wasn't really a positive. These days I don't need to use one so I don't. I put it on the shelf and it hasn't left that shelf for several years. When I'm out and about I see more and more people who seem so zoned out on their smartphones that it just seems sad. Devices that were supposed to connect people seem to actually seem to disconnect people in the physical world.

The sarcastic commenters don't get it. There are real studies going on showing how constantly being on smart phones and the internet is literally making us stupider and less able to focus compared to 30 years ago.

This article is spot on and the issue actually needs to be taken seriously. Something's wrong when kids are more comfortable speaking in emoticons then speaking verbally. There's even some proof that kids today are less proficient in spoken language compared to their elders when they were the same age.

I think it's a serious issue that should not be taken lightly, even if it at first glance it appears like fluff. It's not.

Good points....although I don't know how you would stop a societal trend. It's gotten so bad that recently in San Francisco, a train full of passengers didn't notice some guy with a gun because they were all on their smartphones. Personally, I'm still using a dumbphone as I'm too lazy to get a smartphone and relearn how to use the darn thing.

It does raise a question, do people feel so lonely or disconnected that they have to be in communication all the time?

If I'm stuck in the airport, for example, I might check my email and the footy results, but I'd rather read a good book.

Reading a book is communication. I am an author. That's how I communicate my ideas. So you better throw away the

book and the mags at the same time as the phone and the lappie . .

When I don't want to be disturbed, I turn the ruddy things off . . . . is that so difficult? Including my smart phone AND my

dumb phone. I have two for balance. . . streuth . .

as is said here

are we that involved in our personal choices?

Does any of it matter?

I believe however that we have reached a kind of saturation point. People are turning off . .

Perhaps we could encourage the Thai government to have a "technology free day" like they do in New York. .

I agree with you also Lite Beer. I just purchased a dumb phone two days ago at Lotus for 395 THB after being without here in Thailand for two years. I purchased a simm card for 50 THB and 90 minutes of calls for 100 THB good for 4 months. The only reason I bought the dumb phone was to be able to pay bills online through my bank. I carried a smart phone that my company gave me for years and when I retired it was the first thing I wanted rid of. It actually stresses me out watching all the people in public scrolling on their smart phones on the BTS, Subway or at the mall. I personally enjoy living the simple life and getting aways from letting technology run my life 24 hours a day. That being said when I get home I do enjoy being on my desk top computer and surfing around. Maybe I am just old school.

Why would it stress you out watching other people.Just don't have a phone,leave other people to have their own enjoyment.

Amen to that!