Saying Goodbye To Instant Messaging.

If you have read any of my recent blogposts, you would know that I am in my neo-luddite era. I’ve grown to distain social media, television, smart phones, video games, the majority of modern tech is trash in my eyes. Texting is one of those things, that still hasn’t fully left me yet. Currently, I am using a Graphene-OS Google Pixel 7a. I am done with the iPhone. With the emergance of AI Siri, things will only get worse. iPhone owners will be enslaved. My phone is still a smartphone. I still use it for habits, calendar, web-browsing, yet why? Why do I require this? I can remember a few times, I required a smartphone. Ticketed events. Skiing. Theme Park tickets. Yet, I could just as easily printed out the tickets prior, brought them to the front desk. If they attempt to turn me away, to “use my smartphone” I can tell them, “sorry ma’am, I do not have a phone with smartphone capabilities” as 1. My phone would be in the car, prior to the event. 2. My phone would ideally not have smart phone capabilities. Right now, it does, yet, I am really going to minimize my Graphene setup. I want to text people, maybe, once a week? Check texts on hump day? That seems right. Very few and far between. Sparingly. I would rather have to tethered in the bathroom. That’s what I’ve been doing. Phone in the bathroom allllll day. If I travel, or use my car, it will go into my car, but I won’t take it out. New rule, no phone in my pocket. I don’t want to carry it around!!! I want to leave it a) in my bathroom b) in my car. Those are the two spots. If I travel it will just be in the bathroom. I just won’t check texts. I want to remove all the extra stuff on the device as well. No web browser. No camera/photos usage. Note taking? Nah. I don’t want it!!!! I don’t even want to text. The only reason, I still have texting, is because of security urls. If I have a SMS 2 factor checkup, I can be okay. Otherwise, if I had a phone without texting, I would be in trouble. So that’s why I have sms. In an ideal world, I would not have any taking or signal. I will keep them. I could actually bring out the phone now real quick, and start to remove these things. Like I said, I want to use it for a) navigation while driving b)phone-calls c)text messages/signal (once a week) so that means, removing email off of it. Removing venmo and banking information as well. I understand, that I may have a ticketed event, and want to have my ticket on my phone, I will cross the bridge when I get to it. Right now, that would only slow/hold me back, from detangling myself from the smart phone technology. I am anti-slab. It’s no good. I don’t want it. I don’t want to use it. Instant messager is weird. I want to talk to be people, or write letters with people. I don’t want instant messages. I am saving myself by doing that too. It’s really the move, after all.

Fears

I haven’t checked my SMS since this morning. I checked it before I went to volunteer. I went to volunteer at a animal sanctuary today, and I wanted to make sure that I was still on. So I double checked. Although, I really didn’t have to, as I knew I would be volunteering. The next time I would check SMS, is for a protest tomorrow, I will double check right before the event to grab the address when it is taking place. I also have a halloween party, I can call for that. Those are the boundaries though. I will probably text the person at the sanctuary before sunday as well, when I will be ready next weekend. So in that respect, that’s it. My friends, my family, they can call me if they want to be in contact. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting on a reply. Even just not replying to the people when I check SMS for a task. It’s addictive to text people texting addiction is real! I also am in a place, with giving up television, social media, video gaming, where I am more likely to drive and dive back into texting more fully.

Usually, when dating, I would use texting to get to know the person I want to date. NO MORE. Frick that. The latest time I did this, I realized it made my attachment style worse! I am already someone who is anxiously attached, always worrying if they love me or love me not. Or it could be the otherway, where I don’t love them, and only like them as a friend. To be honest, dating app culture pushed me into these loops. I am bonding with woman who are unable to communicate any other way. Or don’t feel comfortable in person until they text. They would rather text me it seems than spend time in person. It’s like that in high school too. SO. MUCH. USELESS. TEXTINGGGG. During all that texting, I could have been making blogpost, cooking, reading, cleaning, going on walks and runs, spending time with people in person ;)

Replacing it with Sending Letters.

I think email and text are tainted mediums. I will only use them for work/volunteer/responsbilities. That means sparingly! (if not at all) Where social networks will be placed into writing letters, phone calls, and in person. It’s that simple. I doesn’t have to be a whole song and dance. Sadly, society has moved all online, so it seems lonely. I would rather have 10 real ones, that 1000 fake ones though. Texting, is like talking to a robot, it’s just icky in my eyes now. I can’t do it. Letters, phone calls, in person.

Best, Aidan