this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.
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It would be fine if you had a computer, like a lot of us did before smartphones were popular.
On your list of activities, most of those are not things I use a smartphone for. I do use it to play music sometimes, and I use an open source maps app for long drives where I'm traveling to somewhere new. Otherwise I do all of that with a normal phone call or a website on the computer.
I don't install anybody's app. Fuck everybody's store apps, I won't do it. An app is not necessary for most of life's activities, and I prove it on a daily basis by not using them.
Last time I went to a nice restaurant, they wanted me to check in at the front on a tablet. I went through the motions until it wanted my cell phone number to alert me when a table was ready. I canceled the process and refused to give them my cell phone number. The host / receptionist was not happy but was able to accommodate our simple request of getting a table anyway.
All you have to do is just not participate in the data collection by saying "no" to that stuff. It's easy when you get used to that as a default stance. I'm still able to do everything I want to without all that invasive bullshit.
But honestly, I love to use my phone for everything. Love not having to talk to people to get stuff done. Not deal with queues. Not wait for the server to be ready for me to pay before I leave. Not carry around paper tickets, or printed maps. Not having to find a seven-eleven to buy bus tickets.
I am worried for those who for some reason can't use a smart phone. A lot of this doesnt have a website alternative. Most of it has paper/plastic/in-person-alternatives still, true, rarely advertised though. I am worried the analog ways disappearing eventually since very few uses it.