Author
Jessica Olstad
This past Mother’s Day, my daughter was so excited to bring home a gift she made for me. It was a fill-in-the-blank sheet that the kiddos complete to describe their moms. Scrolling down the sheet, I chuckled that “my mom is really good at coloring” and I am “pretty as a tulip.” When I got to the part about what I like to do for fun AND to relax: look at my phone. My heart sank.
At first, I thought – it has become part of our culture and how we stay connected. I’m a working mama that juggles doctors’ appointments, PTA meetings and swimming lessons. However, that’s when I began to realize I needed to take my time back...one Facebook post or one email at a time. My daughter was obviously watching, and I needed to get my mental muscles back into shape.
I bought a paper calendar/planner. Remember those? Studies show that when you write something down, you’re more apt to remember it than if you type it into a computer. That was one less app I needed on my phone. I deleted my social media feeds and now just check them on my desktop computer. I bought myself a nice note pad so I wouldn’t take my phone to meetings. Besides, I’ve read that just by having your phone on the table subconsciously gives other people the impression you’re not interested in them. There’s a term for it, people. It’s called “phubbing.”
CLICK TO TWEET:Would you go back to using a flip phone? Turns out a lot of people are including - perhaps - our Jessica Olstad.
In my research and attempts to stop relying on my phone, I found out that I wasn’t alone. There is a push for simplicity, going “old school.” Now, before I move on, I realize what I do for a living. I work for a company that connects people. We talk about 5G, cell towers, mobile networks and smart cities. I get it, but I do think that there is something to be said for staying connected in a simpler way…like using a flip phone.
That’s right, folks. Flip phones are coming back. There are a few reasons – smartphones aren’t exactly cheap, and some people don’t want to be bound to one device. They want to (gasp!) call people, text, maybe check email. I’m thinking about making the switch. In the meantime, I asked some of my CommScope colleagues what they thought about this topic in a recent Facebook LIVE. Some of the responses from Terri, Scott, Carla and Jenni really surprised me:
