A tribute to my legendary Nokia 1202
This is my Nokia 1202.
We call it “the brick” in Vietnam because of its sturdiness.
It doesn’t have a camera, a music player, or even a recorder. It can’t hold a group chat. A few basic, black and white colored games stand in contrast to a wide selection of fun, flashy apps in the popular Android. It’s so dull and lacking compared to smartphones. Some people may call it country bumpkin. Strangely, I return to using my Nokia 1202 after many years of using smartphones. People see this phone in 2016 and tell me : “Wow, this is an OLD ass phone. Why use it?”
I reply : “Old but Gold”.
HTC. IPhone. Samsung galaxy. Phones have grown beyond the basic function of calling and texting, into entertainment devices. Many kinds brag impressive functions that can entertain me and leave me without boredom. I can log in to Internet, listen to music, play some 3D games for hours, read tabloid, sing karaoke, upload Facebook statuses, post some selfies and use an app that miraculously cover the acne and leave my face flawless like models on overly-photoshopped magazine covers.
THE LIST GOES ON.
And… that’s why I decide to quit using smartphones.
There will be the time when you feel tired of all the hustle. You will return to simpler matters and values.
But more importantly, the reason I use my Nokia 1202 again is because I want lessen the presence of technology in my life. They hack my brain. They leave behind uneasiness, addiction, insomnia, communication-breakdown, myopia.
Now I return to the boring Nokia 1202, the state that I am in is summed up as one word.
FREE.
I went to the coffee shop today, as usual. Everyone was gazing at their wide-screen smartphones, typing on the keyboard like automatic robots.
I was happy as I had nothing to look at.
