Phone. WTF!

I chose a “Distraction-Free Phone” life.

  1. My phone is always SILENT and on DND (Do Not Disturb).
  2. The first ring is enough; don’t call me repeatedly. I’ll call you back.
  3. Email and other forms of text messages are better alternatives.
  4. No. Nothing is an urgency.
  5. I reserve the right to avoid all unscheduled and unknown calls.

Society

We should start treating loud ringing phones in public like smoking - an irritant and polluting agent for people around. Almost all phones have a way to indicate an incoming phone call -- be it the vibrate mode or the blinking light. It is possible not to have phones that ring every time there is an incoming call.

Phone Makers

Phone makers can help transition to a better world by implementing silent phones by default.

  1. Phones are on silent mode by default and have to explicitely turn the mode off (reverse of the current trend).
  2. Make vibrate mode default instead of ringing sound.
  3. Notifications, alerts, etc. should have sound disabled by default except for emergencies and government mandated global alerts.