Can we live without our mobile phones?

[Siddhant]

Today I forgot my phone at home. Needless to say, my day went quite unpleasantly. I noticed that when I didn't have my smartphone, I had nothing to do but stare out of the window while riding the tube (pointless, I know). Basically, I was feeling uncomfortable in my own skin for reasons unknown to me. This prompted me to think about the fate of our world without basic devices that we use throughout the day. Can we live without them?

[isisrose1968]

I can certainly understand how you felt uncomfortable.  Cell phones, especially smartphones, have become like an extension of our being.  We rely on them and their technology so much.  I know I would feel naked if I left it at home.  In fact, I would probably go back home and get it before continuing on with the rest of my day.

[Theblueunicorn]

I would like to think that we can, but i find myself checking my phone for notifications immediately i get out of bed and being very anxious when my battery is getting low and i don't have my charger with me. I believe that we can live without them (after all, we survived before mobile phones come into existence) but sort of choose not to. 

[HCT007]

Yes, no and it depends! For me personally, if I'm not expecting any phone calls or communications that require a response whilst on the move, travelling or out and about then yes, I could live without my mobile phone until I got home!

As someone who is self employed or freelance, the potential of missing out on assignments, new work or clients can be an issue when you are out and out of communication from any form of phone or internet based messaging platform. Instant messaging, website portals and mobile phone messaging or phone calls can mean that the first person to respond out of many gets the work assignment or client.

The other thing that I tend to rely on my mobile phone for is when travelling to an unfamiliar suburb and destination, using the GPS or Google Maps application. The times that my battery has died before I completed a journey to or from an unfamiliar place has left me slightly nervous about how I will complete my journey without guidance. Asking other people around on the street doesn't always yield directions or help that is useful, especially when the majority of people who use public transport as I do, are most often than not tourists. Whilst those walking on the streets and not using public transport are car drivers with no clues about the public transport system, or who estimate a 5 minute walking time when it is actually a 15-20 minute walking time as they have never actually walked it.

[ahpkind]

It is nearly impossible these days for us to live without mobile phones. We are so much addicted to mobile phones that we have no idea what to do rather than just to stare at the windows as you said. But some people, I would say some great thinkers or busy people can live without them.

[Simplify]

I definitely think we can return to a world without cell phones.  The only issue we need to remedy is that people forgot how to live in the world without these devices.  I spent over a month going on a road trip and knew I would be without reception in some areas, including Yellowstone, which is a huge swath of land where cell phone towers don't live.  So I prepared with an American Atlas, with detailed roads, and markers.  When I was camping in Yellowstone, I went days without using my phone for any purpose, except checking the time when my watch was too far away when I woke up in the middle of the night.  Besides, you didn't say no other forms of electronic devices.  In this scenario, people would have everything else, like the internet, Netflix, televisions, computers, PlayStations, etc.  People might need to rely more in messaging through the internet, and getting landlines back, but we would survive.

[No Excuses]

Absolutely not. We have become so addicted to mobile phones and other new age devices that it's hard to see how a normal person can do without them. Personally, it has always been a pretty depressing day for me any time I'm deprived of my mobile phone for any reason.

[TheFlow]

This is something I have been thinking about for some time now. Of course, physically, biologically we can live without them, but psychologically I'm not too sure.

Apart from the fact that we just tend to whip them out when bored or feel that we have to do something other than just look out of the bus window on our way to or from work I feel that, without them, we just feel lost or even scared that we can't contact someone should anything happen to us. Long gone are the days when you just left the house in the morning without feeling the need to contact friends or family 20 times a day.