Living Life Without Cellphones
| Field | Living |
| Went Obsolete | 1990s |
| Made Obsolete By | The popularization of cell phones |
| Knowledge Assumed | Social skills, people skills, common sense |
| When useful | If your phone breaks or the battery dies, or if you want to rely on technology less |
This is a broad topic, but here are a few tips should you decide to toss your cell phone for a few days:
1. Remember the names and numbers of all your contacts. If you aren't confident in your memory, then carry a pocket address book. This can come in handy if you meet someone new.
2. If you're out and about and need to call someone, find a pay phone. You remembered to bring coins, right?
3. Plan for your day in advance. Want to go to dinner with your friends? No worries, just go to the restaurant - they'll be there waiting for you, since you arranged it all last night.
4. Remember that most communication doesn't need to be instantaneous. Maybe you really, really want to tell your friends about that guy who harassed you on the subway, or maybe you wanted to ask your nerdy friend which monitor you should buy, or any number of other things - but maybe you could just ask the next time you see them.
5. Feeling lonely? Talk to the guy sitting next to you, I bet he's pretty cool. Use your address book if you feel like getting a beer with him sometime.
6. The news, your e-mail, and your Web sites will still be there when you get home.
7. Plan your trips out in advance using maps. Bring a little one with you if you don't think you can remember the way. Write directions on a piece of paper, and look up some local landmarks for guidance.
8. Bring a CD or tape player with you if you must listen to music. But why not break out of your little bubble and observe the world around you while you walk or drive?
9. Bring a camera with you if you feel like it, so you can take pictures of interesting things. Your camera's probably of way better quality than your crappy cell phone camera, anyway.
10. Wear a watch.
11. Learn to do arithmetic in your head so you won't miss your cell phone's calculator. Bring a pocket calculator if you must.
12. If you want to show someone a document or a picture, bring a hard copy with you in a briefcase or backpack or pocket. You'll find these are significantly more difficult to misplace, damage, destroy, or otherwise lose access to than a cell phone.