Wi-Fi Diet Day 3: freedom from constant connection
Friday, July 13th, 2012 Zoe Paknad, Program Mgr
It is Thursday evening, and I am coming to the last 24 hour stretch of my time on the Wi-Fi diet. Now that my time using only cellular data is coming to an end, I thought I’d use today’s blog post to think back on the things I learned from my experience.
My biggest aid throughout the diet was absolutely the iPass Open Mobile client’s Usage Meter feature. I’m familiar with the Usage Meter due to my work at iPass and have always thought it was a worthwhile and functional fixture. This week my appreciation for it increased tenfold. Looking at the large green bars, the evidence of my dedication to Wi-Fi, kept me on track at the times where I wished I could make just one phone call. Also handy was the Recent Connections function (on iOS you can tap on the Usage Meter and then swipe to the left to access it).
I also checked my phone bill online and was able to view my data usage and call history. There was a lapse in usage for four days on all of the displays of my usage, providing more reassurance that my Wi-Fi diet was successful!
Now that I am nearing the end of the week, it seems that my challenge wasn’t that difficult after all. I practiced all the same habits that I would were I on vacation in London or Paris, yet I was at home. At first my lack of connection while on the road or out running errands was irritating—what would I look at while waiting in line at a store? Yet now I am starting to see the benefits of a selective connection. Usually when I am out and about, my 3G connection is weak and unreliable. On my Wi-Fi diet I am have a strong connection in certain locations and none in others; when I DO connect I am driven to quickly take advantage of this; I text the people I need to text, call the people I need to call, and email the people I need to email. Wi-Fi has eliminated the concept of procrastination and overexposure. I feel that I am actually getting more done this way.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that my selectivity in data usage has removed some of the negative aspects of constant connection. I am not tempted to check my phone while I drive. When I go out to get lunch I focus on my surroundings instead of emailing or texting. Instead of picking a restaurant for dinner via a search engine or Yelp, I physically walk up and down the streets and decide based on what smells and looks good. At the risk of being overly cliché, without my smartphone I feel as though I am living my life instead of using social network sites to constantly post about it or relying on the internet to map out each step I take. Additionally, there is that feeling of freedom when going out after work, knowing that I am virtually unreachable by friends, family, or coworkers. I cherish the hour of alone time each day, a mini-vacation. Those blissful hours seem to reduce some of the other stresses of daily life. I have time to ponder problems and then deal with them later when I have Wi-Fi, as a calmer individual.
I don’t know that I’ll be sad come Friday evening when I turn Airplane Mode off and join the rest of my peers in constant connection. It will be nice to be able to use the phone occasionally on drives home, or send a quick text while running errands. But I also find a sense of relief in knowing that if life gets a little too hectic sometimes, I can always seek solace with a brief Wi-Fi diet.
Tags: mobile apps, mobile device, mobile workforce, smartphone, wi-fi access
