Poll of the Day > Could you live without a phone?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Some people think you can't live without one.

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I kinda did for a while. My old phone was a piece of crap that would restart itself at random times while I used it. I got an iPhone recently and I love it.

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Could I live without a smartphone? Yes. Could I live without a basic cellphone? Probably not. I rarely talk/text with anyone and I can still play my mobile games on an emulator but texting is still my primary means of communication with family and friends so not having at least a basic cellphone would be challenging.

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Live, sure. Do my job, no. They don't provide me with a phone so I have to bring my cell to work.

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Obviously I could. I mean, in the modern world a cellphone is one hell of a convenience, but it's just that, a convenience. In a survival situation, assuming the grid is down, I'd sacrifice it for a stout knife without hesitation, but as long as I have electricity and plumbing, it's there when I need it.

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I wouldnt like not being able to communicate with friends and family...
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InfestedAdam posted...

Could I live without a smartphone? Yes. Could I live without a basic cellphone? Probably not.

This. I text and call friends and family all the time, especially since we're all scattered. Not being able to easily communicate with them and relying on staying in touch via email and/or Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc would be an unnecessary hassle.

I also use my phone for a lot of other functions, such as navigation when driving in unfamiliar areas, music storage, multi-factor authentication be it sms codes or app prompts, photo creation and storage, fitness tracking, few games, financial stuff like checking stocks and paying people/services through Venmo or Apple Pay, and recreational stuff too like Twitch, YouTube, and Discord.

I hardly use my phone and grown up without mobile phones so yeah. Anything I need to do online I have multiple devices that connect to the internet and can even make calls through zoom or the like.

LinkPizza posted...

I wouldnt like not being able to communicate with friends and family...

More than one way to skin a cat right?
Send letters, use other devices or whatever.

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wwinterj25 posted...

More than one way to skin a cat right?
Send letters, use other devices or whatever.

Thats great if I dont need an answer quick, or possibly ever. Id rather have actual communication, and at a decent speed. Like the same day, for instance...
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Not any more; I could have - I don't use my phone for much, but now my phone is the key to my apartment

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LinkPizza posted...

Thats great if I dont need an answer quick, or possibly ever. Id rather have actual communication, and at a decent speed. Like the same day, for instance...

Yes you can use the internet on multiple devices. Those allow for phone calls too.

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wwinterj25 posted...

Yes you can use the internet on multiple devices. Those allow for phone calls too.

If youre talking about Skype and Oovoo, that still requires them to have it. And it would require me to have a laptop and internet connection.
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LinkPizza posted...

If youre talking about Skype and Oovoo, that still requires them to have it. And it would require me to have a laptop and internet connection.

Yeah. Hypothetically if you didn't have a phone then chances are you would own one of those things. The other person would just need the app on their phone or installed on their device. As already said in this topic phones are just a convenience thing really. Not sure why someone couldn't live without one.

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I could easily live without a smart phone. I'm not comfortable with not owning a phone at all.

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PMarth2002 posted...

I could easily live without a smart phone. I'm not comfortable with not owning a phone at all.

I'm the opposite, I need a smart device to do things - but I pretty much never need the phone part

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If you pay a subscription fee you can have a phone number through Skype and make calls to any phone number with the app.

Literally? Yes. But if theres a scenario where I cant use a phone ever again Im probably in a situation where Im better off dead

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I wouldn't be able to swipe into work and without work I wouldn't be able to eat or pay my bills. So no, unless I got another job.

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wwinterj25 posted...

Yeah. Hypothetically if you didn't have a phone then chances are you would own one of those things. The other person would just need the app on their phone or installed on their device. As already said in this topic phones are just a convenience thing really. Not sure why someone couldn't live without one.

Hypothetically, that could work for almost everything in here, then...
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I can basically do everything from my computer lmaoo

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If by phone, you mean iPhones and cell phones, then I can because I grew up without them. If you include landlines, then I probably can't. I need a phone to communicate with some people.

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Yes I could live without one. However, like someone else said, at this point I would not be able to do my job without it, so I would have to find a new one.

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Yeah I imagine people would accommodate my lifestyle choices.

I still do. I have a flip phone required for work, and that's it. Besides the convenience of being able to google anything on a whim I can't think of any other reason I would want or need one. I'm a homebody.

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I could because I don't use my phone as some people i.e. to pay for things, taking pictures etc. I even keep numbers written down just in case I lose my phone.

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papercup posted...

I kinda did for a while. My old phone was a piece of crap that would restart itself at random times while I used it. I got an iPhone recently and I love it.

I had a phone like that. It was a bottom tier LG and this thing would randomly dial people in my contact list without me doing anything.

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Im only carrying mine around to keep the Mrs happy

Before which I was on a $10 a month pre-paid flip phone and was content with it

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Well, without a smartphone yes. Just in case my older pickup breaks down I would carry a flip phone to call roadside assistance. (And nowadays maybe Uber or Lyft since they dont let you ride in the tow truck because of the virus.)

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Live? Sure! 3 minutes for air, 3 hours for shelter, 3 days for water, 3 weeks for food. Unlimited for phone.

Would I want to do without a phone to respond when a blind elderly neighbor needs help? No.


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Yes

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LinkPizza posted...

Hypothetically, that could work for almost everything in here, then...

Yes.

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does this mean a smart phone or any phone?

I could live without a smart phone

I could not live without any phone

Yes. I pay $50 a month to basically charge my phone. I can't tell you the last time I actually used it.

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LOL the same people who can't go without a mask can't go without their phones... give me a break.

I'll bet you could go a month/year, but these individuals would feel incredibly socially isolated to the brink of psychological insanity.

Maybe you WANT to have the courage to go without a phone, but the poll results are in. You all are some liar liars pants on fires. (>75% of you.)

I talk to basically 2 people on my phone, a friend, and an uncle. Very rarely i'll use it to order food or check on something. My phone is old, cracked, battery is so bad it looses charge while plugged in (if on), and it randomly hits keys as well (opening aps etc). I really need to replace it, but it's at least $60 to do so, and I never use it, so I keep putting it off (and have for over a year).

So yeah, I think I could.

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I could live without it with my computer

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Extreme_light posted...

I could live without it with my computer

Yeah, don't ask me if I could live without my computer/internet right now though, it's my freaking lifeline. If I didn't have it, i'd be more insane then I already am, and I was already insane before this whole virus/isolation thing started.

My comp went out for 2 days a week ago or so (yep that is why I didn't post for that long) and it was madening. I can't even read normal books or my kindle oasis anymore, I had nothing to do but play on my ps4 for 2 days. I got alot of cleaning done at least.

But yeah, without a comp I would have just freaking said screw it and gone out and probably died by the virus long ago.

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Probably not. I don't use it to communicate that much but need it for that when I do.
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I generally need it for work, but I mostly use things like messenger, email, etc, outside work. However, I guess I'd kinda need my phone to use those things when I don't have a laptop handy (although I suppose a small tablet would work?). It would also be hard to play Pokemon Go without a phone.

In general, unless you want to schedule everything well in advance, you kinda need a way to communicate on the go. Plus so much shit is tied to smartphones nowadays.

darcandkharg31 posted...

Some people think you can't live without one.

It's pretty difficult to function in a society without access to a phone. If you're living on a self-sufficient farm or something and financially independent, you can probably get by without one. You don't necessarily need to use it a lot, but it's kinda vital in general.

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I got my first cellphone in 2017, so I could readjust to not having one pretty easily.

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TomNook posted...

I got my first cellphone in 2017, so I could readjust to not having one pretty easily.

This isn't just about cellphones, it's about phones period. Meaning no landline as well.

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No, but I could prob be ok without a smartphone. Need to call and text.

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Zeus posted...

This isn't just about cellphones, it's about phones period. Meaning no landline as well.

Are you sure about that? TC didn't clarify, but it seems a safe assumption that they meant smart phones and all their distractions.

If that's the case then I have to change my answer to No.

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no

an app controls my breathing

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kind9 posted...

TC didn't clarify, but it seems a safe assumption that they meant smart phones and all their distractions.

Why would you assume that when he says "phone"? >_>

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Zeus posted...

Why would you assume that when he says "phone"? >_>

I thought he said "your phone", but he said "a phone". So nevermind. In 2020 when people say "your phone" 100% of the time they mean the one you have glued to your hand 24/7, not your cordless at home.

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kind9 posted...

I thought he said "your phone", but he said "a phone". So nevermind. In 2020 when people say "your phone" 100% of the time they mean the one you have glued to your hand 24/7, not your cordless at home.

Besides landlines being a thing, I think you're forgetting that only 46% of the population still has a landline so a person's cell usually covers 100% of their phone needs. And 26% of people apparently don't have a personal laptop or pc, so it's also 100% of their internet access.

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I use mine for reading in bed and Steam 2FA. It is too outdated to top up now (the top up application requires Android 5.0 minimum, my phone is 4.4), outgoing phone calls no longer work (not sure about incoming), but texting still works (until I hit 1 year without top ups, anyway).

I need a new phone. :P
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Zeus posted...

Besides landlines being a thing, I think you're forgetting that only 46% of the population still has a landline so a person's cell usually covers 100% of their phone needs. And 26% of people apparently don't have a personal laptop or pc, so it's also 100% of their internet access.

How is that of any relevance to me and my answer to the question? Sometimes it's like you just want to argue.

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