Hacker News Reader

Comment by CrackpotGonzo | Hacker News Reader

Honestly, the easiest way for me is to just use a "dumb" phone. I switched to an old Nokia and love it. I also use the SMS search engine Text Engine (http://www.textengine.info/) if I ever need to look up an address or directions. I definitely feel more productive, and most importantly present in my daily life.

Curious to hear if others have had success with other methods or if anyone else has tried going back to a non-smartphone.

Great question.

View on HN

Do you miss being able to use the phone for distraction, say for example when stuck in line at the bank? That is why I'm always sneaking a peak at twitter or facebook.

Also as lame as it is, I worry about not keeping up with the Joneses on social media and being seen as irrelevant because I don't have an online "presence." I applied for a job via HN a few weeks ago that wanted links to my facebook and twitter accounts. I ended up withdrawing my application because that seemed frivolous and nosy. But it did give me pause to consider my "online brand" and whether or not it was professional, and if I should work on keeping that up.

Can you name and shame the company that wanted your Facebook and Twitter account? That's absurd.

I do miss it sometimes, but after that initial FOMO the urge quickly disappears. For me, it helps to know that i'm simply unable to endlessly scroll through Twitter or whatever else. I do still use social media while on my computer and like the intentionality that I now use my computer with.

Hey Gonzo, appreciate the comment. I'm the developer of Text Engine. Glad to hear it's been useful for you. Let me know if you have any questions about the utility.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com