In short, yes, you can survive with Nokia 301 in the 21st century at IBA. For me in particular it started with a bet, turned into an experiment, and now a research project.
Back in 2020, I used to have 3 phones for 3 different purposes, however, shifting to a single feature phone was one of the best decisions I made in 2021. I was dared by a friend that I won’t even last a month without a smartphone let alone a year. But once you make that transition, it just makes life so simple and easy.
Background
In today’s age, our urge to remain connected 24/7 has led us to drift apart from the people that really matter in our lives. Parents cant talk to their kids and vice versa, because all of them are glued to a screen that has made them a slave to a device. In addition to that research suggests that 61% of people look at their phones 5 minutes after waking up. Technology was created to make our lives easier so that we can focus on things that matter. However, it has now become a curse, especially with the advent of wearable technology and the shift towards the metaverse.
The Nokia 301 Experiment
My experiment of using a feature phone, allowed me to escape through this curse. The goal was to create a system that allowed me to focus on my work and enhance my productivity levels. However, we have been trapped in this curse so viciously that no matter what we try we can’t escape it. What I have realized, is it’s not the device itself that has enslaved us, it’s the applications running on it that have made us addicted to it.
The Current Challenges with Nokia 301
During the online and hybrid semesters, I had to go through several challenges. Firstly, whenever I had to submit my handwritten online exam, I was unable to take a picture of my work with a feature phone. So, I always had to borrow a smartphone to submit my work. Secondly, if any of my classes got delayed or canceled the notification used to come only on Whatsapp. Hence, by the time I got to know, it was already too late. Thirdly, you can’t use a ride-hailing application with a feature phone. Therefore, I had to call a friend every time, I had to go somewhere.
Moreover, whenever a teacher asked me to open a document or give an online quiz, I couldn’t do that with Nokia 301. Consequently, carrying a laptop just became a must for me during the whole experiment.
Conclusion
Throughout my whole experiment, what I have realized is that it’s not the devices that have made us their slaves. Its, social media and messaging apps that have made us addicted to being connected 24/7.
The reason I wanted to do this experiment for a year was to reduce my dependence on my phone, however, it only made me dependent on my laptop. So yes, you can survive with a Nokia 301, but the question is why should you? When the world is going forward, we need to continue to adapt and change our attitude and be responsible in timing ourselves.
