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Comment by Dalewyn | Hacker News Reader

Wise people tell social pressure to sincerely fuck off.

One of the biggest lessons in life is learning that you don't have to care what the fuck others think about you.

Your life is short, and less than 1% of 1% of all the people you would ever meet will be of any consequence to you, let alone the rest of humanity whom you will never even know existed.

So if you want to disconnect: Go for it. Pedal to the metal. Afterburners blazing. Who the fuck cares? It's your life, not their's. They can leave a voicemail and wait for you to get back at your leisure.

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"you don't have to care what the fuck others think about you."

No, but there are still consequences.

"and catching up on work emails"

If everyone is doing this, there will be a expectation of you to do it. And if you don't - you will have to really shine somewhere else, to not get serious disadvantages.

Also I already had various big drama in my life for not being reachable (I still have a phone where I can put out the battery) - so yes, I know how to disconnect and I do. But there is an increasing pressure to be always reachable and when you don't live totally on your own - it is a real struggle to get away from it.

> If everyone is doing this, there will be a expectation of you to do it

Most people don't go to low- and no-connectivity areas to recreate. If you're bucking the trend by doing that now, it isn't much different to turn your phone off (or leave it at home).

"Most people don't go to low- and no-connectivity areas to recreate."

Well, those who do, are unfortunately often those who do it, so they don't catch Corona via the 5G waves ...

But my point was more that right now, it is still an acceptible excuse (in some areas) to not be reachable, to say you just had no reception. That is going away soon - and then it seems I will have to defend every time I turn off my phone and someone wanted to reach me with something "important". So yes, the problem is not the technology in my eyes, but the social expection. The result is still the same.

> No, but there are still consequences.

Can you name them?

Getting poorer reviews. Not being seen as a team player.

Seriously? Have you ever worked where the expectation is you'll be on-call, even on your vacation?

If we're talking just socially, that will impact how the people you interact with perceive you. It's the same thing, as work, but with different stakes in terms of your ability to move among social groups that use texting constantly.

>Getting poorer reviews. Not being seen as a team player.

>If we're talking just socially, that will impact how the people you interact with perceive you.

I reiterate for emphasis: Stop caring what the fuck others think about you.

>Have you ever worked where the expectation is you'll be on-call, even on your vacation?

You are working at your choice of employment out of your own free will; you chose to work that job that demands you be on call even on vacation. If you don't like it, you have a right to quit and find other arrangements better suited to your lifestyle.

"If you don't like it, you have a right to quit and find other arrangements better suited to your lifestyle."

I suppose you do not have a family or other ties? When you are young and unbound, the possibilities are a big bigger, than when you are settled down and don't want to uproot everyone to get a new job.

> Seriously? Have you ever worked where the expectation is you'll be on-call, even on your vacation?

No, because that would be illegal in my country, as it is in many. One call to the relevant government department would launch an investigation and at minimum lead to hefty company fines and the practice stopping.

If that's normal to you, you should fix it or leave whatever country you live in. That would be laughable to most of us if it weren't so sad.

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