How Not to Let Your Phone Ruin Your Vacation

Uninstalling apps is not a permanent and good solution. I, myself have tried it in past several times. And each time I used to install the apps again and indulge in them. Finally, I had to change my mind and get more focussed to prevent using them even if they are not uninstalled and make a judicious use of it. Overall the article is very nice and should be helpful to travellers who are distracted.

And then there are other people and their phones and need to share. I spent what I was hoping would be a long week of natural beauty, serenity and fun, hard work at one of my favorite off the beaten track restoration projects in France. As it turned out, my volunteer mates (all 50+ years old) each had their phones with them at all times, and ended up sharing their latest messages over delicious and thoughtfully, freshly prepared meals, playing communal app games during drives through gorgeous mediterranean countrysides and ancient villages, and regaling the group with daily updates on their family dramas from home. My phone was tucked away in my backpack for the duration, yet I was the rude one when I opted out of these chances to share. You can't win.

Allright, already. God help the people who couldn't figure out how to disconnect on their own.

If this is the issue: "often, a quick check turns into an hourlong scroll session" the problem is not the phone. It is the user. Can't believe anybody needed to write an article about how to deal with a phone on vacation - near as I can remember, someone wrote the same article about getting mail through the newfangled post office in 1772, and then again when this Bell fellow invented the telephone, a century or so later. Rest assured, this very same article will be published in the run-up to Christmas, beginning: "Now that the festive season is in full swing"...

I just spent a wonderful week at Yellowstone National Park. Throughout most of the park, there is no cell service, and there is wifi only at a couple of spots and you have to pay for it. I loved it! I often choose to do a news fast while on vacation, and it is a great way to really connect to the place one is visiting. We did have wifi at our hotel; I checked email once a day to stay up-to-date at work, and other than that, stayed off the phone. Bliss.

Gps, camera and a daily dose of NYT. All essential. The only problem issue is "social" media. I refuse to use them even at home.

I smoked cigarettes for 22 years (a pack a day) from age 18 to age 40. I quit on my 40th birthday, using the 6 week nicotine patch method. It was very new at that time, and required an RX. I have not had a cigarette since, and that was 24 years ago. I am very grateful, and very fortunate. As far a cell phone addiction, I should mention this: A friend and I bootstrapped (as it's known today) a small, niche type small business in Lower Manhattan, NYC in January, 1991. My family did not have much money, (nor did I), but I was able to secure a $10,000 bank loan my father cosigned. We grew from 2 to 25 people, for the next 25 years. My point is, I became very dependent upon cellular phones, primarily to help run our company, and my family. Those days (of the business are (unfortunately) gone now. Having been "addicted" to both cell phones and cigarettes, I can tell you they can be very similar; especially the insanity of the first (5) days after quitting smoking. Now, only 3 years after my loss of the company, I don't use my cell phone very much. Also, screen addiction is an even a larger social problem than ever before. When in the full throes of screen addiction (I know the this sounds very dramatic); however, it is absolutely true, for some people.

Simple - Airplane mode. When I was in Spain I used my iPhone 7 Plus as my camera. At night I would post my favorite pictures of the day. Traveled with a tablet, would check emails etc on that in the evening before going to bed. During the day the tablet stayed locked in my suitcase. Came home with 4000 photos and lots of great memories. It can be done, you just have to allow yourself to disconnect. It is rather freeing.

One small point: If you tell everyone on social media that you are away, you MIGHT come home to an empty house.

How about leaving the phone home? --------------------------------------------- I think if people have to keep check their phones on vacation, that may turn into a "phony vacation? When you feel the need, ask other people if you can check email on their phones, or make calls on their phones? By asking people, you will be forced to socialize with others. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just went to Europe for a week. I called ATT and arranged for a $ 10 a day plan. Charges are not billed unless you turn it on. I informed my children that I would have my I Pad and would check e-mail. I gave them the hotel name, address and phone. "In an emergency use both of these contacts, please. And of course if something is going on I will turn the ( flip ) phone back on ." Done. No deleting apps, turning off notifications, no strategies about battery usage, no one calling me at 3 a.m because they either did not know or forgot where I was. ( This happened to me in Oregon more than once-which meant that their silly phone was in their hand at a ridiculously early hour at home and they just could not resist. Not one of my wonderful children though.) I took a small digital camera. In my experience the phone camera is slow to click which is aggravating. The camera took lovely pictures and people are spared from having to look at 1 inch square versions at lunch. Believe me no one loves this. I'm busy .It is hard for me to get ready to leave town. Packing, arranging for mail and paper stoppage, the dog, the yard care, letting the neighbors know ( not on social media which would be foolish) paying any urgent bills because it is not wise to do so on airport or hotel Wi-Fi...and I'm supposed to spend hours customizing and uncustomizing my phone settings? People have gone mad if it is necessary to make these detailed suggestions.

I'm 26, and I gave up my smart phone for many of the reasons in this article. I'm on month 5 of having a "dumb phone" (the Nokia 3310). The one-year #DumbPhoneExperiment (dumbphoneexperience.com) has been interesting so far, and at this point, I'm not sure if or when I'll go back to using a smart phone.

It's quite a sad commentary on America that an article like this is even necessary. Shame on us.

I just spent a week’s vacation at a location where I had no WiFi. Old school telephone. That’s it. It was HEAVEN. It was remarkable to see the kids revert to themselves again - actually respond to questions, get out of the house and swim/kayak/canoe, play board games, read. We loved it.

These devices are a plague. If "staying in touch" is so important to you, save for business purposes and emergencies, then seek help.

Uh...don't let your phone ruin your life. Dont let it. The reality is, its not the device doing anything...its the owner/user letting it. Like anything else; drugs, alcohol, food, etc, that become an addiction. At some point the user willingly crossed the line from in-control to not. Is that too simplistic? Not really. Once you hear yourself say: "I've got this, I'm in control...I can say no at anytime...just not this time...". You are on or right over the threshold of not. If you have to read these sorts of articles, you have a problem. When coping mechanisms become something you are seeking...you got a problem. When you read them, consider their value, then ignore them...you got a problem. Being connected 24/7 is a made-up thing. Few people need it. FOMO is made up too. Guess what? You are always in a state of FOMO. Period. The issue is what are you actually missing that's so crucial to life? Now to those who love to state they don't have a smartphone, haven't had a TV in 20+years, my computer has more dust on it then those living near the Hawaiian island eruptions. I still communicate by Morse code, carrier pigeon, drums and/or smoke signal. Good for you, and only you! FYI; there's no virtue there either. So stop trying to apply it. You are not better, nor are others worse who don't do as you do. You made a choice, so move on. Don't hold it up like some example of a better, more virtuous life. These devices are tools. Period. See and use them as such.

I invested in a phone that is - just a PHONE. I take it with me when I want to have the seeming safety of being able to call for help, or be reachable by my family (the only people who have the number). It is life changing in the best possible way. I have tried many of these tricks - putting the phone in airplane mode, etc. - and honestly the pull of the "smart" phone is too much. Leaving it behind has been the best possible option for me. (By the way, I loved the suggestion of deleting emails that come in while on vacation! I think I might try that next time!)

Our phones have become one of the most resourceful travel tools we have at our disposal. We could not imagine leaving our electronic devices at home while we travel . In today’s digital age, it has become difficult to be completely isolated from technology and media. Nowadays, people are constantly using their devices to pay attention to the social media world rather than spend time with those who might have neglected. Overall, I found this article most appealing because it made me realize for once to put down the phone and go and spend some quality time with my family.

One thing I like about cruises, especially long ones, is that you may see 2000 or more people during the day and not one will be looking at a cell phone. The reason is, if service is available, it is very expensive. One can, upon reaching a port, stop at a cafe , get their password and get caught up on the latest happenings. But back on the ship, life proceeds as it did in a more civilized time 10 or 20 years ago.

Are you kidding me? I would want to know what’s on the next Michael Cohen tape even if I am on vacation. Can you imagine headlines that Steel dossier are substantiated and to miss that because I’m cleaning fish?

I'm more superior than all of the other posters here giving their smug advice on unplugging from their phones during vacation. I've never even used the internet!

Let your password expire. Prior to a recent twelve day vacation, as I was leaving the office I put an automatic "out of office" message on my work email saying I would have "little or no service" until my return date. At the same time I was getting these "your password will expire in x days" messages prior to departure. I can't reset my password remotely but must be in the office. When I left the office I was down to 5 days before the reset would be mandatory. For the first five days of the vacation I would respond to work emails each morning while drinking coffee. The rest of the day I turned the phone off. Then one morning I was unable to log in - my password had expired. Voila! I was free. By this time the incoming emails had slowed to a trickle as folks were getting my out of office response. I went the entire second week without checking work email. It was liberating.

If you want to look at your phone less, buy a watch to go with it. The watch lets you check messages without getting out the phone. It identifies callers so you know whom to send to voicemail. This is for people who have to be on duty even on vacation. The rest of us can lock it in the safe if they don't want to be tempted.

Shut your phone off and only turn it on if you are using the non-internet functions (taking a photo or--shocking--actually calling someone). Done? Shut it off.

Oh just leave it at home! It's not rocket science!

To save space for much-needed current affairs, this article should have been reduced to a mere three words: “Turn it off”.

Go someplace with bad service. They still exist.

People are pathetic, you really need advice on how not to ruin your own vacation with a phone? I’m sure on your deathbed you’ll look back and be so happy that you answered those work emails and checked you twitter feed instead of engaging in life.

Uh, leave it at home?

Wow, am I ever so glad I don't own one of these 'smart'(?) phones. Who's controlling who? Get a life for a little while when you're on vacation. Take a vacation from your phone. So tired of the tourists roaming around where I live with their eyes glued to their devices as they walk around in a zombie state. Wish they'd all stay home instead. Try and be in the moment more, like every day.

I went on a week-long horse-trek to track wild mustangs, and purposely left my phone in the parking lot. Because...at this remote location you needed either to a) have a satellite phone, or b) climb up a really huge hill and stand at the top and hope there was some reception up there. Didn't miss my phone at all, but there were always a few hardy souls also on the trip who regularly made the climb up the hill. Now THAT'S an addiction...

It's easy to mock people who feel they can't let go of the centrality of their smart phones while on vacation, but they truly are addictive devices and how professionals don't do all their away-from-work work via their phones? I don't have any social media on my phone, and I've removed it from my tablets (yes, I have two for different reasons, but only travel with one). I do social media only on my PC at home. I use my smart phone when traveling as a phone, for GPS, and for calling a car service. I do check email about once a day on a tablet, but I'm usually too busy meeting people, seeing sites, taking photos and notes about what I've seen to shift focus to email and social media.

I find myself laughing when I read all these "helpful tips". But then I remind myself, I'm an old fogey who grew up and developed my habits in a time when having a phone attached to one's body was unheard of. I have a mobile phone and carry it with me most of the time. It's convenient. But I find it so easy not to be a slave to it because I wasn't enslaved by it when I was young. I wonder how old is the author of this article. Most days I take a long walk. I rarely carry my phone on those walks unless I'm expecting a specific and important call. When I'm eating a meal in the dining room, the phone is on my desk upstairs. If I miss a call during dinner ... well, tough luck folks. If you've got something important please leave a voicemail. I manage to miss most of the sales calls this way. It's really not so hard.

When I went camping a couple weeks ago I let everyone at my work know that I would be completely off grid for four days. I really had signal, but that small white lie gave me the best break I've had in a long time and I was able to be present with my friends and family. And through some miracle, work survived without me.

In the 1980's carrying a cell phone was a symbol of status. Today only not carrying one is.

What smart phone? I call, occasionally text and leave the rest at home or work every day. Maybe I am just not that important.... All of the important people in my life can find me.

Excellent suggestions. We just returned from a 2 week road trip and we both agreed to not follow the news at all and only use the phone for pics and GPS directions. It truly was a break and colleagues at work even complimented me on not "checking in" as I had told them I would not be doing.

Most amusing to someone who doesn't own a smartphone and wouldn't consider taking a computer on a vacation. Cell phone is flip style and does not receive email.

I had one additional idea while reading your advice. Use a digital camera rather than a mobile phone to take photos while on vacation.

Or, just don't let your phone control your life. Period.

If you’re on a family vacation, then everyone you really care about in life is right there with you. Anything else is superfluous.

You toggle the phone to ‘off’. Voila.

I was on vacation last week. I picked up my phone to check emails (and mainly delete useless ones) each morning, and refused to check facebook. By the end of the week, I had deleted facebook off the phone altogether, and I still haven't checked it even though I've been back several days. Vacation was a nice time to break out of that cycle.

I recently dropped my phone in water on the first day of vacation. I was on a long drive. After the initial shock of feeling how do I get in touch with anyone! do pay phones still exist? I had the best 2 week vacation in a long time! You know what? Work was still there when I got back. I also decided not to put work email on the new phone. I get text messages in case of work disasters and have decided that's enough for me!

Not a good idea to post on social media that you will be away - despite the best of privacy settings, someone may see it and decide its a good time to break into your house. It is also possible if you have a house sitter, or someone caring for pets/plants, the intruder could come across that person and harm him/her. Posting on social media about your trip needs to wait until you return.

How about you just leave it in the hotel room? If you're so important that you can't be away from it for five minutes you're not really able to take vacations, are you?

I've never owned a smartphone nor do I want one. I haven't owned a television for 26 years. I do own a desktop computer and read the NY Times, do research and check emails. My old fliptop phone (cellphone) is usually in my car in case of an emergency. I read a lot of books (mostly classic literature - this year only Russian classic literature), play classical guitar, listen to music, enjoy time with my dog. I have an old camera in the closet -- haven't taken any photos in years. I have lots of photos of trips all over the world -- I never look at them. Then lots of photos of dogs. That was years ago. My travels and the people I've met along the way live in my memories as well as all the dogs I've known and loved.