We need to stop looking into our hands so much.
Cells, berries, and ithings get too much attention.
Five days ago, I decided to try an experiment. It’s part of my real world immersion program.
I’m doing my best to make it so no one knows I have a cell phone. No checking for emails or messages when people are around me. No answering a vibrating phone (a ringtone? please) if I’m in a face-to-face conversation with another human being (ruuuude man).
My thinking here is this’ll make me more available to the people in front of me and the life around me and also help me focus more. I’m guessing it’ll also help me improve my real world communication skills (listening is a part of communicating) and consequently help me help others better.
The only downside I can think of is not being instantly available for a real emergency (but this is possible several times throughout the day anyway).
So far, it feels good. (update after 2 months below)
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(It’s scary that people text and read while they drive (grown-ups are especially surprising given that we’re not supposed to be that stupid)… make-up application too (yeah, I saw you taking that turn putting on your mascara in your rearview). I’m sure it’ll slow down as each of us personally know more and more people who have accidents (severe or not) but we’ll probably have to stick our finger in the socket a few times before we get disciplined.
If you’re up for a frightening (and very disturbing) awareness video on the topic (I’ve shared it with my 15-year-old who is with driving friends now, but I’m pretty hardcore as you likely know if you read my stuff), here’s 4 minutes. Do not watch it if frightening and disturbing are not your things. I’m serious. It’s a British PSA.)
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Update: Nothing but great things to say about the device diet. In fact, I downgraded to a regular phone a couple weeks after this post. The phone still has great keyboard features, etc. but it’s less of a distraction now (and I save $500 a year in usage fees).
I did violate the diet a couple weeks ago though and got a lesson — classic bad dad moment. I was looking up something on the phone at my son’s basketball game and missed his one basket of the game. I’m pretty confident I won’t pull that again.
If no cell phone sounds cwazy (so crazy, I spell it cwazy), here’s a Bloomberg/ Businessweek piece that might play to your ego and encourage more focus.
Sam – awesome! I am trying the same thing myself. I’m keeping my iPhone on vibrate unless I’m at home … alone!
Thank you for the reinforcement of the device diet! Great name for just such a beast!
I moved to the country a few months ago and as a result, I don’t have cell phone coverage where I live. I decided to downgrade from a BlackBerry to a regular cell phone since otherwise I was paying extra for something I couldn’t use when at home anyway. Wow! It was hard to wean myself off of the BlackBerry, and I confess that when away from my laptop, I still have this nagging feeling that I’m missing something. Six months later, however, I’ve yet to miss a thing! I don’t think we need to be as connected as we’ve led ourselves to believe! And I’m so glad I’m not the only one who has downgraded to a regular cell phone. I felt like such a geek when I did it–still do! And sometimes I miss being able to access maps on my phone (when lost!). But I know it’s all I NEED. And I think it’s a better example for my 12-year-old…who used to refer to my BlackBerry as my CrackBerry due to all the attention I gave that little handheld device!
Sam,
Thank you for sharing your experience with the Device Diet. I endorse it and will try it myself.
I personally find it very scary when I see people reading their emails on their mobile phones while driving. I get away from such drivers immediately!
Cell phone ringers are so awkward to me because I have used vibrate for so long. Even in the morning, I use my phone as an alarm clock and sleep with it under my pillow on vibrate, much calmer to wake up to than a blaring alarm. My world is a lot more peaceful (and cheaper) without those blasted tones!
Love your theory of the device diet. I was actually telling a friend today that phones should lose priority when people and business come up. It’s a big peeve when I walk into someone’s office and they’re texting and won’t put down the phone to acknowledge the business issue I bring them! Gotta make the best use of your time and really show people you are paying attention.