Mobile phone - give it up?

[marinyork]

As for whatsapp and other messaging services, I am getting tired of the endless "interesting" pics and videos that people send, and usually expect some sort of acknowledgement even if just a quick smiley face. That includes cycling buddies sending "relive" clips of bike rides. Yes, good for you, !!

I do think whatsapp groups has made the work/other stuff just spiral out of control the last couple of years.

You have to find the balance that works for you. I did leave my workplace one for a couple of weeks as it did my head in. I would do so again if it got to that. Now I rarely post, I mostly stay in it to lurk just in case I need some documentary evidence of things said/bullying. There are downsides, I would imagine other workers would get annoyed by corporate weekend requests for overtime at farflung sites. I just read them and chuckle to myself now although I was annoyed by a manager at another site messaging me direct at a weekend when the England game was on that day when she doesn't have my number. A new member of staff refuses to go on whatsapp.

One place I volunteer for one of the least enjoyable bits is the argy bargy over contact particularly on whatsapp - no offices, no paid staff. It's a bit of a clash of different worlds. Some of the people who have Monday to Friday well paid secure work moan endlessly about contact in the 'evenings' or weekends (doesn't actually happen) at the people who do shift work, weekend or insecure work some of who find it annoying when they are messaged at other times but there you go. The people moaning will then be messaging people on holiday, 11pm at night at weekends and bank holidays! But there you go, there are upsides. It was the same when I was a trade union rep on minimum wage, you were expected to sort stuff out as some worker's life went into meltdown at a weekend, but the lazy blighters on their sumptuous salaries at head office disappeared into smoke before 5pm on a Friday.

My phone is nearly always on silent and I've experimented with turning off notifications. Still check a lot, but balance is a little different. At work I've had the texts at midnight, calls at 7am and so on .

 

[Chris S]

Get one of the older handsets. No picture messaging and no "apps", and leave it on silent.

Even a scuzzy Nokia 1100 will cost you a tenner, a more hygienic one will cost you about £20. They don't have trackers on so there's a high demand for them from dodgy drug dealer types. The ones from the German factory go for silly money - they can be hacked to receive calls from other and numbers and are used for all sorts of scams.

PS I bought the cheapest mobile phone that Argos sold. It's got a camera (with video capture, etc), a web browser, dual SIMS, ebooks, an MP3 player and Bluetooth. It only cost me £13!

 

[Lonestar]

Ever since I was woken in bed by a manager (we had an argument about this) ringing me to go in early I don't have the phones in the bedroom at night...I'm forever missing calls but I couln't care less.

 

[raleighnut]

Basic Nokia phone,



I've got voicemail de-activated (it just continues to ring but shows me 'missed call') Standby time is ludicrous (@10 days) and cos I rarely need to use it about a tenner a year on PAYG.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Basic Nokia phone,

View attachment 420186

I've got voicemail de-activated (it just continues to ring but shows me 'missed call') Standby time is ludicrous (@10 days) and cos I rarely need to use it about a tenner a year on PAYG.

What network? I went with Voda as they promised me they wouldn't deactivate the SIM if it went unused in my cycling emergency phone for months on end.

Guess what? I had an accident (hit by car) and couldn't ring home because the SIM had been deactivated. Luckily a forum member was on hand to help.

 

[snorri]

I tend to agree with many of the points made in the OP but like the fact that my (online) bank and/or credit card company can send me a text if my credit card spending is approaching my monthly limit, or if there has been suspicious activity on my account. The bank also sends me a security code number when an attempt is made to transfer bigger sums of money out of my account,this assures the bank that it is actually me who is doing the transferring.
My old Nokia was given to me by an employer at the time when it was realised I wasn't going to buy my own mobile which would only be used for company business. An Android 'phone seemed to me an attractive thing to have a couple of years ago, but the old Nokia is still the most used, it holds its charge for much longer than the Android and is more user friendly.
I don't like taking a phone out of my house and risk losing it.

 

[gavroche]

I like what modern technology provides. Very few people have my mobile number so I get very few calls and texts only from family so really, having a mobile phone is not a problem for me but very convenient.

 

[marinyork]

Ever since I was woken in bed by a manager (we had an argument about this) ringing me to go in early I don't have the phones in the bedroom at night...I'm forever missing calls but I couln't care less.

It does help if you couldn't care less. I don't now, but I did 2-3 years ago and before that about 5-6 years ago in the previous job.

 

[raleighnut]

What network? I went with Voda as they promised me they wouldn't deactivate the SIM if it went unused in my cycling emergency phone for months on end.

Guess what? I had an accident (hit by car) and couldn't ring home because the SIM had been deactivated. Luckily a forum member was on hand to help.

I'm on Orange/EE/BT they say some activity in 3 months keeps it 'live' but as I've only ever had 1 mobile number for 20yrs I've managed to get em to reinstate some credit when they did switch me off once. nowadays I just send my mate Geoff a text when I'm visiting him (He's a Textmonster whereas none of my other friends are)

 

[classic33]

I'm on Orange/EE/BT they say some activity in 3 months keeps it 'live' but as I've only ever had 1 mobile number for 20yrs I've managed to get em to reinstate some credit when they did switch me off once. nowadays I just send my mate Geoff a text when I'm visiting him (He's a Textmonster whereas none of my other friends are)

Reduced to thirty days now.

 

[Drago]

I've got a dumbphone, so dont feel compelled to check it ever 12 seconds. I also don't do social media etc. The phone only gets switched on at all when I want to make a call, or if I'm on call for SAR. No need to give up an addiction i havent formed. Good luck.

 

[MontyVeda]

...
I am finding myself getting more than a little bit annoyed at the assumption of everyone that we should be available to take calls 24/7, 365 days of the year
...

Most of my friends and acquaintances have pretty much succumbed to the idea that my 'mobile' phone rarely leaves the house... it took a few years mind.

 

[classic33]

Can we not have an "Old Gimmer, I hate the Modern World, everything in it and young people" subforum so I can stick it on ignore?

Do not google that!!

 

[pjd57]

Turn it off every night , turn it on again after you are up , dressed , fed etc .

Ditch the house phone as well.

No more disturbed sleeps.

 

[Lonestar]

Nuisance calls as well...I generally let the answer machine get them.Don't get so many now.

Did get one I answered with a rather crappy telephone manner...Laughing in backround and pressing of keys making beeps...so I reported it as a nuisance call...As it turns out,it wasn't.

This is another reason I have very little to do with phones.