Why I Don’t Own a Mobile Phone

and What It’s Like to Live without One

an autobiographical type text that explains why I don’t have and don’t want to acquire a mobile phone

I still remember the surprise and admiration I felt the first time I saw a mobile phone. A marvel of technology, pulled straight from a science fiction movie. I was a little kid, and it was the first time I saw something that made me think that the future had finally arrived.

I grew up in a family where money was tight, only sufficient for the absolutely necessary. So it never even crossed my mind that I could have one soon, as the cost of buying and using mobile phones was much higher than that of a landline, making it a luxury item. A few years passed, and mobile phone companies invented prepaid connections, making it easier to obtain a mobile. Since there wouldn’t be a contract with fixed charges and connection bills, everyone could now have one. Parents could be in touch with their children at any time with little or no cost. Gradually, more and more kids at school began to come with mobiles.

The time came when I left home and went to Athens for my studies. That’s when I got my first mobile phone, and finally I was able to talk to my friends at any moment, exchange messages, and play games. I was happy. However, during the three months that I had it, I noticed that while the fact that I could communicate with whomever I wanted at any time was fantastic, the same applied to others. Anyone could bother me at any time. As a student, I regarded the time I spent on the couch smoking hash and playing video games as precious and sacred. I couldn’t tolerate my parents and relatives interrupting my leisure time, feeling that they saw me as their messenger in Athens, forced to take care of every little job and matter for them there.

it is annoying and you don’t need to be available for everyone all the time unless you are a doctor or have a profession that requires constant communication

I then concluded that it was annoying and that you don’t need to be available for everyone all the time unless you are a doctor or have a profession that requires constant communication. And since no one’s life depended on me, I began to reassess the positive and negative impacts that having a mobile had on my life.

One day, I read the instruction manual for the mobile that my mom had just bought, and a phrase regarding the safety of using the device caught my attention. The mobile phone manufacturer itself warned users to avoid keeping the phone close to the areas of the head and genitals. The areas that were most commonly used with the mobile, at the head when talking and in the pocket when not in use. This made me realize that I didn’t need something that bothers me and, furthermore, could harm my health. So, I gave it away to an acquaintance who happily accepted it, and I freed myself.

The second and third periods I had a mobile were forced. The second was imposed by my job since I had to be on the road and communicate with my coworkers. This led me to quit that job and return to Santorini, where I grew up. The third time, I was a soldier, and it was imposed when I became a driver for a superior officer. The first thing I did when I was discharged was to break it by throwing it on the sidewalk outside the barracks. I felt free again. More from my release from the mobile than from my discharge.

Thus, I understood that if I wanted to live without a mobile, I would need to find a job where its use wouldn’t be necessary, and I began to organize my life in such a way that I wouldn’t need one. I have a landline phone, internet access, a computer, and a home address, and that’s enough for my communication and any questions or searches I may have.

At this point, I must apologize because for a while, after realizing that I am one of the few Greeks—if not the only one, along with my father—who do not have a mobile, I began to feel special. This strengthened my desire not to acquire one. This feeling has passed, and I am now sure that I don’t need it for the reasons already mentioned.

But what is it like to live without a mobile? “It makes no difference because everyone else has one,” I always replied to those who asked me. “Since everyone else has one, you can always use theirs if you need to, and only those you wish to reach you will know how to find you.” I concluded.

However, it is indeed different. It has its pros and cons. For example, when I want to meet someone, we must have pre-decided where and when to meet, and we must not deviate from the plan until we meet. The advantage here is that there’s no need for repeated coordination for the meeting, but the downside is that if one of the parties has an issue, the meeting probably won’t happen, leaving the other waiting unnecessarily.

The downside is that you get a little more tired, and sometimes you might really get bored

Another example of how life without a mobile is different is that when I need to wait for someone or something (a plane, bus, another person, in line, at the doctor’s office), I don’t have the luxury of checking my mobile screen to pass the waiting time. Instead, I have to actively invent and create something to pass the time or succumb to boredom. What I create could be something very simple, like a thought or a contemplation or recalling a memory. However, it still requires some effort or “work” involved. This is much more tiring than the mindless motion of the thumb on a flat surface. The advantage of this is that you might come up with new ideas and maintain some mental alertness. The downside is that you get a little more tired, and sometimes you might really get bored.

There are still many examples I could give about how different life is without a mobile phone, but I won’t dwell on them further. I will only say that life without a mobile is not impossible but definitely different. It requires different planning, a different approach, a lot of patience at times, and certainly effort. Personally, it rewards me with the peace and freedom it offers, and I don’t plan to acquire one anytime soon. I like that I still have to memorize things, be punctual, be present, struggle to find words to describe things, attempt not to get bored, lose myself on the road, ask for help from people in person, and keep my patience.

I think the most important aspect of all is that I can choose when to be alone

I think the most important aspect of all is that I can choose when to be alone. When I’m alone, no one can reach me unless I’m home. No one can disturb me, unsettle me, disorient me, or distract me from what I have to do. It’s like when you have no battery or signal on your mobile… without the stress.

I’m not against using them. Nor am I against technology. Mobile phones, especially smartphones, are incredibly useful. A whole computer in your palm. I’m not hysterical. If I have a planned road trip, I will make sure to borrow a mobile to have in the car, in case of an accident on the way. I don’t prevent anyone from having a mobile. And I don’t think I’m doing the right thing; I’m doing what makes my life better. It’s a matter of choices, and that’s how it should remain. But I will discuss the subject of choice in a later piece.

And I don’t think I’m doing the right thing; I’m doing, as I must, what makes my life better

So I encourage you to try it yourself and judge for yourself whether and how much you actually need a mobile phone. On this website, you will find everything you need to give it a try, along with some tips on how to manage living without a mobile phone.

gotnophone.org