The author reflects on their experience of not owning a smartphone, contrary to 98% of Americans under 50. Initially met with disbelief and disdain, their choice now garners fascination and envy, especially as society recognizes the negatives of constant connectivity. The author claims benefits in attention span and social awareness but acknowledges downsides, such as navigating with paper maps rather than apps. This article contrasts the prevalent smartphone culture with the author's unique offline lifestyle, challenging assumptions about technology's necessity.
Unlike nearly 98 percent of Americans under the age of 50, I don't have a smartphone... the offline, air-gapped, inaccessible person has become an object of fascination, even envy.
I think I've avoided the worst effects of the smartphone: the stunned, preoccupied affect; the social atrophy; the hunched posture and long horizontal neck creases of the power scroller.
Being phoneless has definitely had downsides. The pockets of every jacket I own are filled with maps scrawled on napkins, receipts, and utility bills torn in half.
For a long time, people either didn't believe me when I told them that I didn't have a smartphone, or reacted with a sort of embarrassed disdain.
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