Friday 26 March 2021

Uninstalling, Unfollowing and Heading Back to Simplicity

 

Last night I went to bed early to read for a while.

Only I didn't pick up my book I picked up my phone.  Two hours later as the hands of the clock passed midnight I looked up.  I had played my word puzzle game, I had caught up with Instagram and I had had 'a quick look at TikTok'  ... I hadn't read my book at all.

This morning as I woke up I pondered this straight away.  

What a waste of time ... it had left me unfulfilled, dissatisfied and with little flashes of light in my eyes rather than a satisfying turning down of a corner and happy putting down of a book.  So before I had even cleaned my teeth or put the kettle on, I sat up in bed and uninstalled most of the time wasters from my phone, I had unfollowed people and companies on Facebook that constantly send me messages and I put my book in a prominent place ready for tonight.

Tonight I will read about the family that sold all their belongings and bought a barge to cruise up and down the canals making jewellery and enriching their children's lives, and I won't turn the light off wondering why somebody would film a little clip for TikTok of 'a brave person' rescuing a little drowning puppy as it's mother ran up and down the side of the deep water panicking ... while they filmed it and did nothing at all to help.

Heading back to simplicity one uninstall at a time.


Sue xx


29 comments:

  1. Sue, you know, I install games on my phone sometimes, when I am killing time, but when I play them, I uninstall them right away. Because there are so many, I can never find exactly the same game. If a game stays on my phone, I play it. It's a dreadful habit to fall into. Killing a little time somehow always manages to turn into wasting a lot of time for me.

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  2. Good for you!
    After my Dad died and I no longer needed to be reached 24/7 I gave my phone away. I can only access the internet via my ancient PC. The world wide web is a wonderful thing but a tremendous drain of our time. xxx

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  3. The library assistant in me cringed at the turning down of the corner of the page (even though I have been know to do it myself!) and of course I need to know the book title too!

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    1. Oops ... sorry, it's a very naughty habit 😬🙃😄

      It's called 'Family Life on a Narrowboat' by Richard Mackenzie.

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    2. so pleased you asked, I was going to ask too, sounds like my perfect book (and dream life)! Definitely know what you mean about time suck on these apps. I periodically abstain, always feel better but slowly find myself drawn back in. Am thinking of returning to blogging, which for me has the community and connection but isn't deliberately addictive.

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  4. The book you are going to read about the family on the narrowboat sounds wonderful and just my cup of tea. Please could you let me know what it is called and if you are enjoying it. The picture at the top of this post is wonderful and really defines simplicity in a lovely old fashioned way. Happy reading Sue.

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  5. I was still up at 2am surfing yet still have loads of books to read, again a bad habit when I can’t sleep. I do however look at nature, simple living or cooking sites so not too distracting.

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  6. Sue, I am so in agreement with you on this. I refuse to do Instagram or Tiktok and I'm only registered with Facebook so that I can keep up with the family. It worries me that people film horrible things on their phones when they could be helping too. What is the world coming to... I much prefer to read a book and I like the sound of the narrow boat one you're reading now 👍
    Well done for simplifying your phone!

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  7. Have you read "A narrow dog to Carcassonne ", it is a delight. I know what you mean here, I usually look at you tube in bed, far to stimulating for my brain instead of a relaxing book, so I have started reading a wartime story about the Lyons " nippies " and I'm really enjoying it.

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  8. I have never played games on a computer, I don't understand them. I do flick around a few silly vids on the tube just before bed. A habit I would do well to get out of.

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  9. Good for you! I can call out of town and out of country people via Facebook otherwise would not bother...

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  10. Sue I feel a bit hurt that you have unfriended me on facebook, is it because I messaged you to see if you were ok a few weeks back ? I thought that we had a good rapport.

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    1. I didn't know I had ... sorry ☹️

      I know I had 3 Elaine's, now there's only one, so I think a finger slip must have taken two out at once I apologise. Friend Request me again and can be reunited 😃😄

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  11. I have 1 game on my phone and thats it. I also have my Essex Library app which I use to borrow both audio and ebooks and I love this. Ive learnt to ignore huge chunks of rubbish scaremongering news because its not worth my time.

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  12. Our phones are full of time wasters and I'm guilty myself of getting caught up in apps and games. It's a habit I need to break!

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  13. Last night I watched a movie called ‘Captain Fantastic’, which dealt with a different, in some ways simpler and in some ways harder lifestyle. The movie is from 2016, highly entertaining, but makes you think, as well. I highly recommend it to anyone!

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  14. I can really relate to this! I uninstalled just about everything. I do still have my family Instagram but that's it other than my blog.

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  15. I have a total of three games on my phone. I deleted one a couple of days ago. I may delete another one shortly. Mind you I don't spend much time playing them. I don't have Tick Tock or Instagram either.

    God bless.

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  16. My mobile phone is steam driven and will do calls and texts - having the number keys where you have to tap a few times to get different letters. I am not proud of this and I know that one day (soon) I shall upgrade to Iphone/Smart phone but not yet. I switch the TV off at night, take The Dog out and go to bed, the thought of reading a book/screen would be too wakeful for me.

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  17. It's always a book for me at bedtime, and if I wake in the night, which I rarely do, it is a book then too. I do have my phone by the bed and may look at blogs first thing in the morning before I get out of bed because I know that Sue's post, if she's done one always publishes at 7, if I am not in a hurry to get up, but other than that, screens and phones are a no no in the bedroom. Never had a television in the bedroom either, they are just for holidays and hotels. I have never played games on my phone so don't think I would know where to begin but I guess if I wanted to I would!

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  18. I read my Kindle Paperwhite every night until I'm ready to sleep. It doesn't have a 'blue screen' like computers so doesn't affect the eyes. At present I'm waiting to have a cataract operation so I can't read book print; the Kindle has adjustable sized fonts.
    There's a high stack of books waiting to be read - all Christmas gifts or purchases!!!!

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  19. Well done Sue:) I started following my son on Instagram when he was living overseas for a few years as I don't use Facebook. From following 1 person I'm now following 156 yikes how did that happen:(

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  20. I really don’t understand the concept of Tik tok, so I didn’t get into it, Facebook and Instagram are for work only . I love blogs and I allocate only a small amount of time on them in the morning. I always read before I go to sleep. As it helps me to sleep. I only bother with the other 2 when I am work. I play one online game and I enjoy that game and again that gets allocated as amount of time
    We are quite lucky as we haven’t been to badly hit by covid . But I agree there are far to many time wasting apps out there.

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  21. What a good idea.

    What’s that lovely picture at the top of the thread pls?

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    1. Sorry I haven't got it's title written down, so when I found it it mustn't have been with the picture :-(

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  22. Adolph Menzel, a view from a window in the marienstrasse, that’s the painter and the name of the painting. Victorian artist. Beautiful isn’t it?

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