I have grown to hate my phone. And I’m hating everyone else’s phone too. We spend too much time face down in them and get blinded by all the good stuff around us. I went out to one of the ponds in the Groveland area. I left my phone on the kitchen counter. I brought a cheap ass lawn folding chair and a rod. I sat down at the waters edge. I listened to all the cool stuff and I saw all the cool stuff. And I promptly fell asleep. A great nap. Nobody bothered me. I went back to my kitchen and fixed some eggs and toast because there is always time for breakfast. I stole this image from Google because it is pretty close to the feeling. I gotta do chores now.
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I concure, I was noticing families out to dinner together and all were like you said. People definitely aren’t present like they use to be, unless they are texting each other instead of actually having a conversation.
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I have a rule no phones at dinner.
Second, I love summer vacation where I leave my phone in the condo and forget about it.
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I run out of Islamorada into the glades and I don’t start fishing until I get no signal. I feel ya
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Funny you post this. Over the past two years I have watched myself fall into phone compulsion and now addiction. Its a problem. Everything is in the @&!,* thing so you pick it uo to check the weather and then suddenly you are on the social media.
We severely linit the kids use of the phones but they are taking more and more control.
But leaving the house without one poses some legitimate issues - like, where IS the grocery store?!??!
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My wife and friends know if I’m fishing, the phone is turned off.
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My phone is used for my workout/driving music, communicating with my children/wife/and talking to you guys. I try my best not to rely on it too much but I am guilty of short stints where it controls all my focus.
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Agreed!!
Mine does go with me, but it’s generally in the dry box, and I don’t use it for anything other than pics, or navigation if running in oyster bar areas. Texts,Calls,Emails,ect.. never get answered until I get home.
Good for you! That’s a big reason why I like to camp in the Everglades National Park.
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I’m with you on this, when I’m off work (I do use my phone while working) it goes on silent and stays on silent outside of work. It’s funny, when it doesn’t ding at me I forget about it.. I have a hard time sitting still, I’m always tinkering in the yard or garage.. while fishing it’s always on silent in the dry box inside the helm. Pics and that’s it! It does drive my wife a little crazy if she calls as I miss her call 90% of the time when outside of work lol.. I always call back though! Another thing that has helped is I walked away from social media in 2020 and never looked back.. the scrolling will suck you in! Also, I don’t sleep with it near me and I read a paperback book when I get in bed.. no scrolling before sleep or right after waking up
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My phone is always on a RAM mount on my console while fishing, but used almost solely for music (I always listen to music while on the boat). I work in sales, so taking phone calls is inevitable sometimes, but I always enjoy being able to mostly ignore it for a few hours while I’m on the water.
Camping is another story. Most of the places we camp at in the state forestry areas here have no cell service, which I LOVE. So nice not having to mess with it at all for a day or two once in awhile.
Self control is something we all could use more of. As with anything, phones can be a blessing and a curse. You can also eat ten cheeseburgers a day…
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Talk about silence. Was fishing up a small creek today off the sound, had to poll through the shallow mouth to get back in. All’s quiet and I hear the cordgrass rustling at low tide. About 10 ft from the skiff out pops a Salt Marsh Mink. I stayed still, cool to watch it up close!
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I have my phone on silent 99% of the time. I’m not listening to that noise 24/7!
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I’m with you fellers. People have come to expect from me to not answer right away and I can respectfully appreciate it when someone doesn’t get right back to me. My wife knows if I’m fishing that if something goes wrong at home then I’m not the first to be called. Hell if in an emergency by time I get to the ramp and back home the emergency would no longer be emergent. My dad’s generation called the TV an idiot box and rightfully so. The todays idiot box is portable and on your person at all times. Powerful influencer right there. I don’t do any kind of soc media. This forum is the closest thing I’ve done in regards to airing my life/lifestyle to strangers. I have found myself head down and in the phone more lately. If I go silent a few months then you know why.
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There is nothing wrong with untethering, it is necessary to stay sane. I got a chance to a few weeks ago and took it.
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Mine doesn’t even work in the areas where I fish!
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Wait… I can eat 10 cheese burgers a day? I wish someone told me this sooner!
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No law against it that I know of! Maybe in California or Oregon.
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My favorite summer camp trips are where there are willing Cutthroats, few people and no cell service. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed the annual Upper Rock Creek trip in Western Montana until I came back to civilization in 2016 after 5 days and realized how nice it had been not to hear politicians voices for almost a week. Now as a retiree I seek those trips out more than ever.
That doesn’t mean I don’t drive to cell service and call the wife every couple of days but not having the option of using your phone for anything other than snapping pictures is a beautiful thing.
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