Since the 1990s, mobile technology has opened us a brave new world. The portable device, which was once used mainly by businessmen and weighed like a standard brick, enabled anyone on the face of the planet to be available at all times. The subject of availability will be important here, as it became a byproduct of the new era. It may sound like people weren’t available at all in the old days, as phones existed from the late 19th century, yet most people weren’t in the need to be around them all of the time.
Telecommunication has evolved in the last 100 years — from heliographs to telegrams, from rotary dial to push button telephones to cell phones, and the list goes on. As technologies developed and became much more sophisticated, the circulation of the new breed of phones has spread worldwide, dismissing the necessity of old communication formats like collect calls and letters.
Yet, one question must be asked — is all this availability worth it? In the age where our privacy is exposed from every corner, and transparency is no longer a sacred word, the need to be reachable might cause an inevitable headache. Needless to say, sometimes having a smartphone may just be bad for our health.
In recent years, social media has hooked us to availability — the dying need to know on our whereabouts and current status has become addictive, and the various platforms have helped to that matter. Back in 2012, Facebook has added a checkmark to its messenger, letting users know if their messages were read, and in 2014 WhatsApp caused a stir when they added the double blue tick to its feature. The latter example outraged many users, as their will for privacy and not being reachable was suddenly dispensable. Nowadays, it seems you can’t be offline or inactive for even a few hours (not to mention minutes), as this kind of action might offend someone or even worse — mark you as asocial.
The availability factor applies not only for social media, but for mailing platforms as well, with special tracking extensions plugged into your inbox. Now your boss will probably give you the evil eye if you haven’t marked his email as “read” right away or confirmed that RSVP. And we haven’t even started talking about smartphones as if you don’t answer immediately than you’ll get the angry text message that wonders where you have gone. It seems like all is lost, but there are some ways to avoid availability and keep some time to yourself, as one should do.
Block calls
Sounds somewhat harsh, but sometimes the rough tactics are the beneficial ones. If you want only your friends and family to find you, and avoid useless spam calls, install caller ID apps like Sync.ME or define your smartphone with a limited contact list. This way you’ll know who’s calling and decide whether to be available or not.
Lock your phone
If caller ID is not enough and you’d want to continue to the next step, then locking your phone is a simple solution. There are even dedicated apps for that, like AppLock for Android; if you’re an iPhone owner, then go to the settings on your iOS device — they’ll be your friend.
Be firm put polite
You don’t always have the time or energy to be reachable, yet you wouldn’t want your friends to think you’re a snob or a hater. In this case, mobile technology is actually here for you. Sometimes a short text message, chat, or phone call explaining your condition will do wonder and put you in a better light, and, of course, enable you to go off the grid.
It’s easy to be anonymous, but it’s very hard to be unreachable. Turning your smartphone might not always work out, but it’s important to know when to be online and when being out of touch. Smartphones aren’t going anywhere, but mankind is moving forward, and should know when to take a break and just stay “stop”, even for a few minutes.
—socialmediatoday.com
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