Could you live without a cellphone?

It's 2018 and practically everybody in our society uses a cellphone. For calls, texts, social media, news, health control, you name it.

How many days do you think you could go without using yours?

Recently I've been forced to turn on my cellphone every wednesday and write a message that I'm still alive. Otherwise I would leave that thing turned off for weeks if not months.

It's definitely useful and often used, but I could adapt if I ever had to give it up.

I don't text much and I call people maybe like once a week. Most I use it for are apps which I don't even really need. I could easily go for days without using it...even more if I lose track of where it is and don't bother to look for it.

I think I could go without one if I had to though I would rather have one for an emergency. I'm not one to be glued to it per say but I feel odd not having it if I forget it at home because I usually feel llike that's when I'll need it most or an emergency will pop up.

Is it cheating if I can text from my laptop?

In this day and age, probably not. It's a necessity when things like roadside call boxes and payphones are not an option anymore should an emergency arise for someone.

no

my family makes use of cellphones pretty often; this is especially true in the case of those who don't really see each other much. it's pretty much a necessity. :x

I already rarely use my phone except to talk to my parents who are pretty much the only people who ever call me. And I guess work as well.

I can last my whole life without dumb smartphones. I went through most of my life without a smart phone anyways.

probably not haha, but only because I'm dedicated to some games that are mobile-only. I could absolutely live without texting and everything other than my apps

adventure said:

It's 2018 and practically everybody in our society uses a cellphone. For calls, texts, social media, news, health control, you name it.

How many days do you think you could go without using yours?

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You're sure you don't make a distinction between smart devices & cellular phones?

All the functions you mentioned are performed by smart devices (including smartphones); cell phones have only one purpose via two mediums (voice & text), and that is assuming your cell phone has the capability to text.

I don't mean to pick on you; I think the inclusion of "smart" language is quite important here.

Juno said:

Is it cheating if I can text from my laptop?

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If you want to use such language, sure. :tongue-poke:

I suppose the question begs to be asked whether you have a phone you text from, or do you carry your laptop everywhere you go---even in the bathroom to text, assuming that is a thing? :laugh-squinted:

Tsutarja said:

In this day and age, probably not. It's a necessity when things like roadside call boxes and payphones are not an option anymore should an emergency arise for someone.

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Which says a lot about where our society is going regarding privacy but that's a whole other discussion.

As for myself, yes I could live without a portable 'smart' device, including the cell phone functionality they possess for a given period. However, as pointed earlier how smart technology has become so ubiquitous in our global society, this could prove quite inconvenient.

i could, maybe. if forced, i can just use my computer. I mainly use my phone for communication (texts, calls, group chats etc.)

CrimsonMajestic said:

Which says a lot about where our society is going regarding privacy but that's a whole other discussion.

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I am legit curious to know why you bring this up as a reply to my post. My post was directed more towards emergency situations and requiring a cell phone, not privacy. You could still get along fine with just a feature phone, really.

absolutely not lmao

I literally could not live without my smartphone. I went a month without one a few years ago and it was miserable. I'm tethered to my smartphone. If I'm not on my laptop, I'm probably on my iPhone or iPad.

I try to always keep it charged, keep a powerbank on me if I'm going to be away from a charging source for an extended period of time, etc.

It might sound silly, but I mean... it's more than a phone. It has valuable information on it, photos, quality of life things, etc.

simple answer is no. long answer is no because i use my phone constantly for mobile only games and apps and my laptop isnt like the best ever for certain websites i use and stuff. plus my phone has a /lot/ of my pictures on them and music. stuff like that.

Castform said:

absolutely not lmao

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And here's a real-life story on why this is the answer:

I have a friend who lives with their grandmother. She does not have a cell phone, but instead has a landline phone. They had plans one day after he was done from class, and she didn't show up to the campus to pick him up (he doesn't drive). He called the landline phone and she didn't respond, worrying him. It took a wellness check to make sure she was fine, and as it turned out, she was just late from getting back from the doctor's office.

If that doesn't scream that cell phones are necessary in 2018, then I do not know what will.

If I had to, I probably could - I didn't get a cell phone until I was almost 18 and made do without one somehow. While I do make use of my phone for many things, like music or photos, they're not absolutely necessary for me. I mean, I'd be pretty bored, but I have other ways of occupying myself if I have to.

CrimsonMajestic said:

If you want to use such language, sure. :tongue-poke:

I suppose the question begs to be asked whether you have a phone you text from, or do you carry your laptop everywhere you go---even in the bathroom to text, assuming that is a thing? :laugh-squinted:

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My point was just that I technically could live more or less the same as I do now, since my laptop can have the functions of my phone anyway, haha. It wouldn't be as convenient for sure, but doable, and that include carrying it around everywhere (although I do bring it with me most days to work anyway, so it wouldn't be a huge change in lifestyle).

Texting in the bathroom isn't something I find necessary, but again, if I had to, that would be doable too.

Juno said:

My point was just that I technically could live more or less the same as I do now, since my laptop can have the functions of my phone anyway, haha. It wouldn't be as convenient for sure, but doable, and that include carrying it around everywhere (although I do bring it with me most days to work anyway, so it wouldn't be a huge change in lifestyle).

Texting in the bathroom isn't something I find necessary, but again, if I had to, that would be doable too.

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I've seen laptops that look like leaflets in terms of size. I've recently decided to switch from PC to laptop and while I bought a faster one just the other day, I got another one for far less that is just average in terms of age and performance for just general business use; and it's akin to a brick. I could use it as a weapon if I needed to.
So the concept you paint of being able to text and actually use a laptop on your 'lap' still seems very foreign to me.

How big is yours?