My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

So in reading the post about the rude checkout girl in the supermarket responding to someone on line talking on their cell phone, I started thinking.

I did not get my first cell phone until I was out of college. I vividly remember living my life quite nicely without having a cell phone glued to my hand. True, I do work for a cell phone company and encouraging people to have them and use them is a part of my job, but I also recognize that I am becomming sucked into my BlackBerry... aka CrackBerry!

There is no reason for me to check my work email on my phone at 9:30 in the evening when I should be doing other things like talking to DH.

SO, I am giving myself a personal challenge. Starting tonight, I am no longer going to touch my cell phone at night. Once 8:00 rolls around, I am going to put my phone away in a room that I am not in and leave it there.

I have been starting to feel like I am disconnecting from reality a little bit when my face is constantly burried in my phone reading emails, text messages, Facebook status messages.

Anyone else out there feel as though you are becoming a slave to your phone? Are you up to the challenge of putting the phone down at night and leaving it there? I will start tonight and let you know how it goes!

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I actually HATE my phone. The house phone, the cell phone. Hate them all. I personally turn mine off at 5pm. I have no need to use it after that. I have gotten DH to lighten up on his crackberry. IF he uses it after 5pm, its for his own personally work (he writes apps for BlackBerry phones). Other than that, weekend they are off and its US time.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

that would be easy for me.

Aside from my occasional Wednesday night texts to MenBobs simulcasting the ridiculousness that is the real world, I don't even know WHERE my cell phone is after 8pm.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

i like this challenge.

i can't completely turn it off because i don't have a land-line.

but i will take this challenge and not answer my cell phone after i get home, unless it's from:

a) my mother (because my uncle is sick again)
b) my father (who lives across the country)
c) my son (only if he's out playing with friends)

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I can really relate to this. I feel attached to Status updates and online groups like crazy lately. I check my text and messages often now.. maybe it is time for a slight change.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I've had a cell phone since 1998. I still don't think I have accumulated, in total, more than the 300 minutes I am allowed each month!! I NEVER use it. Half the time I only remember I have it when the battery goes dead and it starts beeping at the bottom of my bag. I definitely could live without it, since I do now, but I know that if I gave it up, I'd be a nervoud nelly not having one, especially when I am out with the 2 kids by myself.

And on my limited use, my DH doesn't even own one.

Message edited 3/19/2009 10:46:16 AM.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

My cell gets no reception in my house, so it's easy not to use it when I get home...

I think caller-ID is the greatest invention since the telephone. I usually don't answer the phone, unless I know who's calling. My time with my family is too valuable to interrupt it for someone else.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

Good Luck !!!

It drives my DH INSANE when people are constantly looking at their phones when we're hanging-out. Makes me feel like they have better things to do or I'm boring them to death

My friends want me to get a Blackberry so we can "bbm".......I think DH would divorce me if I got one lol I'm on AIM enough mon-fri, 9-5 so I don't think I need another means of communication !

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

See, for me my biggest issue is not about talking on the phone. I never talk on the phone at night unless I am talking to my mom about when she is coming to watch DS or calling to tell my parents about something new he is doing.

It's the texting, email checking, Facebook checking, web surfing that is my achilles heel. I will be sitting on the couch with DH watching something on tv with my phone sitting next to me. If it so much as makes the slightest little noise, I grab it and check what came through. I am starting to realize that it is not OK to have a conversation with DH with my eyes on my phone. Hence my new challenge starting tonight!

I'm actually jealous of all of you who say you forget that you have a phone!

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I HATE the phone and hate my blackberry, so it wouldn't really be a sacrifice for me. Unfortunately, if I put the phone and blackberry away at 8 pm every night, I'd be unemployed by now. I'm doing a lot of work in different time zones these days...

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

My cell stays on vibrate all week long and in my bag when I'm at home. That way, if someone is trying to reach me after 6:30pm Mon-Fri chances are they won't get me bc I can't hear my phone where it's stuffed deep down in my bag on vibrate.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I hate the phone! My DD insists on calling my cell everyday on my 20 minute drive home. I don't answer, bluetooth or not!

I also got a realization while watching this past weeks episode of Celebrity Apprentice. Khloe Kardashian was bent over her Crackberry the whole episode and looked ridiculous!
It also had nothing to do with the episode! She was oblivious to her surroundings! I think I saw foam comming from her mouth

Message edited 3/19/2009 11:10:39 AM.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

YES!! DH and I had a fight last week and one thing that came up was my excessive use of the internet. I found that I don't get anything accomplished around the house and I am ignoring my loved ones
I am no longer on the laptop at night and I feel better about it

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I went without my cellphone for a month. I loved it.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I love this challenge--I wish I could get DH to do it!

I rarely use my phone. Honestly, the only person who ever calls me on it is DH. So, I have no problem shutting it down after 8pm (unless DH is out, then I leave it on for emergencies).

Great idea, though!

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I have crappy cell phone service at my house, so it's not really too big of a deal. Also, we (DH and I) did not subscribe to have internet on our phones. There is no reason too, for either of our jobs and as you say, I want to have some disconnect.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

Posted by jerseypanda

See, for me my biggest issue is not about talking on the phone. I never talk on the phone at night unless I am talking to my mom about when she is coming to watch DS or calling to tell my parents about something new he is doing.

It's the texting, email checking, Facebook checking, web surfing that is my achilles heel. I will be sitting on the couch with DH watching something on tv with my phone sitting next to me. If it so much as makes the slightest little noise, I grab it and check what came through. I am starting to realize that it is not OK to have a conversation with DH with my eyes on my phone. Hence my new challenge starting tonight!

I'm actually jealous of all of you who say you forget that you have a phone!

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

oh man...good luck with that!
i could go without TALKING on my phone for a while, but not txt/email/web/bb mess.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

Posted by luvsun27

Posted by jerseypanda

See, for me my biggest issue is not about talking on the phone. I never talk on the phone at night unless I am talking to my mom about when she is coming to watch DS or calling to tell my parents about something new he is doing.

It's the texting, email checking, Facebook checking, web surfing that is my achilles heel. I will be sitting on the couch with DH watching something on tv with my phone sitting next to me. If it so much as makes the slightest little noise, I grab it and check what came through. I am starting to realize that it is not OK to have a conversation with DH with my eyes on my phone. Hence my new challenge starting tonight!

I'm actually jealous of all of you who say you forget that you have a phone!

Me and my phone will send you a text tonight after 8...let's see if you answer or not

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

In on the challenge!

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

Easy for me to do. I hardly talk on my cell phone as it is.

Once I get home from work, it goes on my dresser in the bedroom and I rarely even look at it once I'm home.

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I went for a year without a cellphone..

Long story short I had had one with my job. When I left my office I just let the phone go and never ported the number..

One whole year without a cellphone..it was great.

My phone is never on...I never know where it is half the time..and Im someone who turns off the ringer on the landline and forgets to turn it on (much to the annoyance of my children)

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

Wish I could, but am on-call 24/7 and no one at work seems to understand that I have a home phone they could call!! Enjoy your peaceful nights!!

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

Re: My challenge to myself... anyone care to join me?

I did this a long time ago. I hate being accessible at every moment. I hard EVER use my phone anymore. It's quite nice