Day 14: More Observations, mostly about connection.

I'd like to go back to day 12 when I was discussing some of the initial observations about disowning a smartphone. Already two weeks in I feel there have been some interesting changes going on. While I talked about what was easy and what was hard, I would like to really focus on communication with others.

Not having a smartphone instantly places you outside the norm. By this I mean that since everyone else around you has a smartphone, and I mean everyone, one is now slightly put on the peripheral. Over the last couple weeks I have had to become okay with this. While it has been difficult not being in contact with as many people, I just think back to the fact that our ancestors survived. I can survive.

Before my tech diet I was probably in contact with about 20-25 people per day across a range of different mediums. Whether it was texting, calling, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc., I was sometimes exhausted by this. While I loved the connections I was having with people, I was overwhelmed, and sometimes found that I was too connected. Simply put, I was talking to people so much that it almost did not feel special. It was as if I had too much of a good thing. The smartphone gave me the ability to be in touch with people 24/7, and I still felt like there was something off.

Now, without a smartphone (I have officially switched over to a BlackBerry, much easier to text on), I am probably in contact with about 5 people per day. And while it has been hard adjusting to this new amount of connection, I think in some way it is healthier.

I am not sure whether being in contact with less people over the long run will serve me well, but I am hoping that it will provide deeper and more sustainable relationships with people in the long run.