For the past two years I have been an AT&T customer using an iPhone 3G. During this period of time I enjoyed having a phone that followed my every move; kept me up-to-date with email, to-do lists, calendars, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, News, and more; and allowed me to enjoy a quick game or two (and sometimes three). On most days I knew my un-read email count, number of to-dos, the weather forecast, and had my whole day planned out all before I got in the shower. The two years with AT&T got me addicted to data more than I ever could have imagined. Everything I ever wanted to know, and some things I didn’t, were always a tap away and I took advantage of that more times – and in more places – than I’d like to admit.
The last six months have been marked with a change in my attitude though and I’ve been feeling the negative effects of so much connection. I can barely read through a magazine article, textbook, or even an email without wanting to see what else is out there. Needless to say my attention span has gone from very focused to Oooh! Some friends are having Mexican food for dinner. I should mention that they could make a spicy chocolate dish for dessert to stay with the theme of the night AND still get their mexican fix. *Clears throat.* Sorry about that.
Last night my attitude change fully manifested. I’m now a Verizon Wireless customer using a “regular” phone (pictured above) that makes calls, sends and receives text messages, stores my friends’ phone numbers and…. that’s it. It doesn’t check my email or sync with my calendars. The words, “there’s an app for that” don’t apply to this phone. And I love it. Though it has come with a learning curve. This morning I found myself wanting desperately to see what the weather forecast was for the day or how many emails I would expect to have waiting for me. But I resisted like I have for many mornings lately – even with the iPhone – because I need to learn to disconnect. I’ve been reading so much lately about disconnecting from the smartphone world and what it’s like to be a skeptic internet addict and now it is time to put all of that knowledge and philosophy into practice. One of the blogs that I subscribe to is called “Tweetage Wasteland: Confessions of an Internet Superhero.” In a recent post titled “Pull Over Before You Read This” the author, Dave Pell, states, “All of this data can wait until later – and much of it can wait until never.” I love the sentiment and it has become a mantra of mine. Email? It can wait. Calendars? Those meetings probably haven’t moved and if they do I’ll get an email about it. To-do lists? Just get it done. Stop fussing.
I don’t consider myself holier-than-thou for giving up the iPhone. It’s something I’ve needed for myself for a while now. I’m about to become a father and I want to be fully present to my family. Facebook, Twitter, blog posts, and emails all pale in comparison to spending time with a baby and enjoying a quiet evening with my wife. I’m partially exiting the realtime web in exchange for what I hope to be a more present experience of life. And I’m learning along the way. Now, about that spicy chocolate dessert….
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