1. Welcome to NoFap! We have disabled new forum accounts from being registered for the time being. In the meantime, you can join our weekly accountability groups.
    Dismiss Notice

Being forced to use a smartphone happened yet again.

Discussion in 'Off-topic Discussion' started by skaterdrew, May 20, 2021.

  1. most poeple use it for socials tik tok youtube and that stuffs. its like a mini pc buth with a twist that it is a privacy and security nightmare.
     
    En?gma likes this.
  2. The privacy issue made me remember the Pine phone having hardware kill switches, it looks like the geeks out there have gone out of their way to check this stuff out btw - here's an interesting thread - granted it's one guy (the one who replied to his own post at the end) but sounds legit:

    https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=12398
     
  3. PanteriMauzer

    PanteriMauzer Fapstronaut

    626
    962
    93
    I like my smartphone helps me in alot of stuff
     
  4. skaterdrew

    skaterdrew Fapstronaut

    1,712
    1,463
    143
    It's fine if you want to use one.

    But I do believe we are moving into a time where we are being forced to use the internet and other technical devices.

    People were never forced to buy a television, stereo and other devices throughout history. People only bought these things if they actually wanted them. But we are now moving into a time where the internet, a smartphone are now beginning to be required, rather than an option. So that basically is being forced.

    So as I mentioned before, needing to order your lunch, drinks on an app on your smartphone, as the option to cue wasn't available. A link being sent to your phone to verify certain accounts, and the only way you can open this link to verify it is you is if you have a smartphone. I also heard someone on here say something like they couldn't get a taxi without a smartphone, as the taxi had to be booked on an app.

    It honestly wouldn't surprise me if one day you couldn't get your groceries without a smartphone. This seems to be the sort of direction we are moving in.

    I feel like other options should remain available if someone doesn't have a smartphone. But as I said we seem to be moving in a direction where a smartphone is required for many basic and essential things.

    Which does mean people are being forced to use a smartphone. This is what I don't like and don't agree with.
     
  5. mazda_mx5

    mazda_mx5 Fapstronaut

    38
    25
    18
    I agree with you. I personally have a smart phone, but I have tried to make it more of a productivity device than something else. I have deleted all my social media and I have been very happy since. I don't like the mass surveillance that goes on with smartphones. And for practical matters - I feel like things that can be made into an app, should be made into a website first to grant a broad range of compatibility.
     
  6. Yeah I think it's stupid but it's where the world is going so you're either going to have to 1. be strategic with your thinking or 2. learn to do without the convenience services. I'm currently taking an approach to minimize browser capabilities via blocking/accountability apps while also working on eliminating my use of convenience services.
     
  7. mazda_mx5

    mazda_mx5 Fapstronaut

    38
    25
    18
    Sounds very nice! If you would like to have a chat about it (I have been going through a similar process), you can always send me a message.
     
  8. skaterdrew

    skaterdrew Fapstronaut

    1,712
    1,463
    143
    Just heard another one on the news there lol.

    An app on your smartphone that proves you have been vaccinated. It proves how many vaccines you have had etc. Some businesses, places are requiring this from people, and to travel abroad this is being required.

    It is unreal what is happening these days. Being forced to use a smartphone clearly is going to be a thing of the future. As it is already happening to quite a high extent at the moment. So in the future I would go as far as to say that owning a smartphone will be mandatory.

    It's the being forced side of it that really pisses me off. I feel like people shouldn't need to own or use a smartphone if they don't want to.

    What is actually happening is we are moving into a time where having a mobile computer on you is basically becoming essential, to access certain services etc, and some businesses are heading in the direction where an app on your mobile computer, so your smartphone, is the only way to access their service. A lot of businesses and services are heading in the direction where they are completely getting rid of the old systems, and the new systems are requiring people to have a mobile computer on them, so a smartphone on them.

    In my opinion if they want to bring in new systems like this it is fine. But I also believe the old options should still remain available to people as well.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2021
  9. Wonx

    Wonx Fapstronaut

    97
    143
    33
    I can relate.
    A year ago I got myself an oldschool nokia to get rid of mobile porn and social media access.
    About a week after buying it I had to go to a new place for work, which was in the middle of nowhere.
    It took me for ever to find because I had no navigation on my phone...
    Ofc my boss asked me what had happened and I lied to him that my smartphone broke and I didn't have the money for a new one so I bought a dumb phone... then he gave me a brandnew smartphone :emoji_joy:

    I still found a way to get rid of all that stuff I'm addicted to on my smartphone. For android theres a software called minimal adb fastboot. It allows you to remove any software from your phone. If you delete all browsers, app stores, mail programs and apps that allow apks to be send to your phone aswell as the folder program (where you can drop things on from the usb) you can get your phone to a state where nothing new can be installed and the only things you can use it for are calls and some apps of your choosing that don't offer a way to install things.

    However, for me, this wasn't the way. You can't remove porn accessibility. It's always going to be available in some way shape or form. If you get rid of it on the pc, you watch it on the phone, if you get rid of it on the phone, you get magazines or dvds etc. etc.
    Blockers and stuff can help to a degree, but we have to accept that our drug is always within reach, always.
     
    skaterdrew likes this.
  10. What we're really talking about is social pressure with some kind of technology thrown in. My first thought was in a way you can say having to use the English language sucks too, but of course that has a lot more flexibility and it isn't like a small number of people are at the root of the design and infrastructure with it, an individual that is creative can even attract more attention and influence (to a subject, not necessarily to themselves like a shallow influencer) by being intelligent and bringing some artistry to their writing and/or speaking.

    But from the perspective that "we're all cyborgs now", as Amber Case said, it is more emphasis on the tech and less on the free range human side. Even though it's a small part of the equation and it's not implanted into our nervous system, clearly a lot of peoples attention is on the device.

    And from the perspective of user knowledge, which is relevant in terms of knowing ourselves, we tend to know more about our devices than our biological and psychological makeup. And even that is limited, while there's a good number of people who have relatively decent technical knowledge a lot of people don't know anything. It's a huge difference from the early days of computing where people have to learn at least some of the BASIC programming language just to operate it.

    The fact that people focus on the device is not about the device to me, except maybe the tendency to objectify, (which of course relates to sexuality too) but just a reflection of how mechanistic peoples thinking is. So this is really something that touches on far more than just PMO or privacy but what it means to be people both on an individual and collective level. A very simple litmus test is whether someone responds to a post online in a black and white way, when the issue is not black and white, and even have no clue when it should be pretty clear from the context the other person is speaking figuratively. It's like they are a binary machine in their thinking and it's either 0 or 1.
     
  11. skaterdrew

    skaterdrew Fapstronaut

    1,712
    1,463
    143
    That sounds like a complete nightmare what happened to you with your boss giving you that smartphone.

    See I have found a system that works for me on a laptop. But with an android smartphone I definitely think I would always end up finding a bypass.

    I know how to turn an iphone into a dumb phone. But again what would be the point in using the iphone at that point, other than making it appear to other people that you have a smartphone. Plus I wouldn't be surprised if I discovered a bypass on the iphone. Like finding a way to just wipe it completely or something.

    The truth is I have found a way that 100% works for me on a laptop. To the point I am restricted beyond belief, and bypassing it is next to impossible for me. I know of a few potential bypasses, but I would need admin access to attempt these bypasses, as I don't usually have admin access. But even if somehow I found a way to get admin access, or get around the user account control, at that point the only other bypass I know would be a full factory reset, which would take hours, and then I would need to set everything back up on my laptop again, then also adding the blocking system, configuration again etc. Plus there is a chance a factory reset would break my laptop altogether with certain software not being uninstalled correctly off my laptop before performing the full reset. So basically even if I could bypass it, the hassle and risk to me wouldn't even be worth trying it. So I wouldn't even attempt it.

    Smartphones are different. Bypassing them tends to be much easier, with much less hassle. Plus even if I found a way to make it difficult to bypass a smartphone, I feel like the restriction level on the smartphone would still be nowhere near the restriction level I have on my laptop. But with an iphone as I said I do know how to turn this into a dumb phone, with no apps, internet at all, but what would be the point in even using it at this point? Then like I also mentioned it wouldn't surprise me if I discovered a way to wipe the iphone and get the internet and apps back on it.

    It's frustrating for me because I have found a system where I just can't get porn and artificial sexual stimulation, and it really works for me. But to achieve this I have had to get rid of all devices except my laptop, and then have my laptop configured a certain way. But the thing is I am willing to do this so I can't get any porn and artificial sexual stimulation. But if this wasn't difficult enough, it makes it so much worse when new technologies come out, smartphones etc being forced on people. It's as if there is always a new problem around the corner, like it's a constant battle for me to make sure a new door doesn't open where I can access porn and artificial sexual stimulation again. It's almost as if I am not allowed to have my perfect system where I can't access porn and artificial sexual stimulation.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2021
    Wonx likes this.
  12. Wonx

    Wonx Fapstronaut

    97
    143
    33
    Seems to me like your knowledge of technology is more of a problem than solution in this case. But you seem very determined to find your solution this way.

    At one point I also tried to just get rid of every possible way to access porn and went to ridicilous lengths with it... it was all for nothing. In a sense it made things worse because I played this game with myself where if I find a way to access porn i'd give myself the permission to relapse. It's basically a form of fishing.

    Honestly, going back and just accepting that porn is available within seconds wherever and whenever and the realization that my willpower is the only way to overcome this addiction felt pretty liberating. I had my best streaks of over 90 days this way - no blockers, no safe browsers, nothing.
     
  13. skaterdrew

    skaterdrew Fapstronaut

    1,712
    1,463
    143
    I've tried both methods. Being able to access it, using my own will vs simply not being able to access it.

    For me not being able to access it massively wins. I would be terrified to go back to being able to access it anytime I wanted.

    The thing is these days I would even be freaking out if I could access something like safe search google images. That's the extent I have got to with all this blocking. I don't like being able to access anything that could make me go back to anything that even slightly resembles my old behaviour. So the constant searching etc, and constantly getting something new to look at that turns me on. I just don't want anything that even slightly resembles that sort of behaviour at all. So even being able to search attractive images of women on google images while on safe search, these days this would even be too much for me. I would literally be freaking out these days if I could access something like this.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2021
    Wonx likes this.
  14. Wonx

    Wonx Fapstronaut

    97
    143
    33
    Whatever works for you man. I hope you eventually find a way to block everything out on every device. Good luck!
     

Share This Page