Put down the idiot box! screen time is killing your camping experience.
We need to wake up to the addiction that’s ruining our lives. It lives in our pants pockets, on specially made docks in our cars, and increasingly in our hands during every waking moment of the day. It’s called a “smartphone”, or as I prefer, the “idiot box”, and it’s ruining the quality time we are spending in the outdoors.
The idiot box and you.
Are you addicted to your phone? The answer is probably yes. In the modern day, nearly every adult in the United States, Canada, and similar countries spend every waking and sleeping moment with our phones within arm’s reach. The majority of us have constant access to the internet, and unless you’re a luddite you likely spend a significant portion of your day using the phone for non-phone activities, like shopping or social media. Whenever you have a free moment, your phone comes out of a pocket or purse, your head goes down, the “doomscrolling” begins. If I were to take your phone away from you, you’d quickly become bored and irritable. You have no ability to just be in the moment. If that sounds like you, then let me be the first to tell you - you’ve got a problem. But don’t worry, you’re not going through it all alone. We all share the problem. Together, we can get though it.
Your phone is your drug. I want you to re-read the above paragraph but replace the word phone or internet with “pill” or “alcohol”. What do you think? Do we have a problem or what? The answer is a resounding “Yes, Uncle Biv.” But I’m not done yet. Not only are we addicted to our smart phones, they’re changing our behavior outside - and making it worse.
Are you in it just for the picture? A cursory scroll through social media reveals a world of “influencers” (AKA advertisement managers who double as their own models), who use the outdoor “scene” to push products. They’re selling a carefully crafted story of what it means to be outside to sway your opinion on if you should purchase whatever it is they are hawking - from camping gear to make up, apps and services to to truck parts, and everything in between. It’s a job, and in today’s saturated marketplace it’s needed for companies to sell their products. I’m not casting stones at these people - they’re keeping a van on the road and food in their bellies. They are typically real people who really love the outdoors and found a way to make money on it using their skills at social media. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. However, what makes it worse is the idea that we are all influencers in our own way, and that anyone can give up their boring 9 to 5, snap a few photos, and become an instant success. Why is this a bad thing? Because it forces us to become more glued to our phones than ever before. If I can just post the right picture, then I’ll be validated with likes. If I have a good caption, it’ll go viral. If I tag a company, I can become an ambassador. I can get free stuff, I can, I can, I can. The list goes on. And you know what? It’s taking you away from being smart and enjoying your life in the outdoors.
“What are you talking about, Uncle Biv?” you ask, disbelief in your voice as you justify your phone addiction, “I’m just taking pictures to post on IFaceSnapGramTock! How is this taking away from me enjoying my time outside?” I’ll tell you how - you’re losing awarness of the situation. You aren’t being mindful. And some of you might even be taking unnecessary risks to “get the pic”. Have you ever become so lost in your phone taking a picture that you got in someone’s way? What about walking and texting on the trail because that communication was so urgent you couldn’t stop, compose a quick text, send it, and move on? How about spending the evening curating a post instead of looking at the stars or listening to the earth wind down for the day (or get started for the night)? How many times have you planned trips to get a picture in front of an arch, canyon, or waterfall because it was popular? How many of your conscious and subconscious decisions are based around driving engagement with your social media persona? Worst of all, have you ever done something risky for the purposes of taking a picture or video for social media? Have you ever texted and driven on your way to a campsite or inside of a campground? If you answered yes to any of these, you’ve proven my point. If you answered no to these, you’re either a saint or a liar. And Uncle Biv can’t stand liars.
So what are you gonna do? You’re convinced that I’m right, and you’ve got a phone problem. You spend more time on it than with your kid or your dog, and you can’t remember a good trip memory without scrolling through your social media feed or camera roll? Well I’ve got a little advice for you.
use the phone as a tool, not a pacifier.
Babies need pacifiers to soothe them. In today’s age, if you’ve got a phone problem then you’re a big baby, and that idiot box is your pacifier. But, unlike a pacifier, a phone has some legitimate uses other than distracting a child (read, you). Many people rightfully use phones to maintain contact with support structures and family while camping, as a means of communication in an emergency, as a means of navigation using the onboard GPS system, or even using apps that help identify plants, trees, and bat calls (which is pretty cool). These are all good uses for the phone in the outdoors, and in pursuit of outdoor recreation. But you have to be mindful of the phone, and disciplined in its use. Read below to get an idea on how to run a “tech free day” to start freeing yourself from phone dependency. Not all use cases for the phone are bad, and not all people using phones outdoors are contributing to the idiot box problem. The phone can be a powerful tool in the outdoors to do all of the things that we’ve identified and more. The important thing is that you make a conscious decision to use it, then put it away. You don’t need the phone every waking minute of the day, and that goes double for when you’re enjoying time outside. If you’re going to use a phone as a tool, then do so. But as soon as you close that app and open up a text message or social media app to scroll you’ve gone too far. At that point, it’s not a tool - it’s a toy. Put it down. And for those of you looking to lead a more “unplugged” life outdoors, or at least to structure your trips so you look at the phone less, and put some systems in place to protect yourself from “doomscrolling” and “brainrot”. I have some suggestions.
replacing the phone
In the past, when the dinosaurs pulled the covered wagons across the plains, people had to rely on a multitude of devices to perform the functions that we handily have in our phones today. Yes, it resulted in them having to acquire and carry more things, but each of these devices was a stand-alone capability and, more importantly, none of them were designed to funnel your attention towards applications that are designed to capture your attention and never let it go. A way to protect yourself from your phone is to go back to the old pioneer days of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and use purpose made technologies to replace the phone.
If we look at phones, we see they have several capabilities we want outside; mapping, identification applications, and cameras. So, to replace phone useage, we can choose to replace those functions. Instead of relying on a GPS mapping phone application, we can choose to purchase (used, preferably) a handheld or vehicle/bike mounted stand-alone GPS unit. This device, paired with (GASP) a map and compass, can allow us to easily navigate trails and routes without the need to ever use our phones. With improvements in battery technology and the relatively low power drain of these modern devices, we can even get a more reliable and longer lasting solution than our smart phone can deliver, in a cheaper reuggedized and waterproofed container. What a wonder.
For photography and identification we can revert to a (used) digital camera and a good field manual. Many older digital cameras can be had online with as good (or better) cameras than our smart phones. They can offer the same (or more) storage on their internal drives and if you are a prolific photographer (as many are) you can bring extra memory at the cost of micrograms of weight. You may even improve your photography experience due to the increased options for photos on a stand-alone device (ever heard of ISO?), and the increased availability and diversity of lenses. You’ll get clearer photos of far away animals, and trust me, your close ups have never looked better. Paired with a good field manual and a set of binoculars, you’re set to wildlife watch to your heart’s content and to explore the joys and challenges of animal and plant identification without being spoon fed an answer.
What about recording memories? There is a well loved technology called “writing” and it occurs in small handheld form factors known as “journals”. This may seem crazy, but as you hike around, or when you get back to camp, you may break out a pen and write down the days memories. I personally write one line a day in my journal to serve as my memory, be it good, bad, or otherwise. You can write about all the things you saw, and all the fun you had. When you get home, you can print out your photos and glue them to the opposite page to give a visual representation to the memory. You’ll find that journalling your trip enhances you ability to recall and relive it, and you may find it a peaceful and enjoyable end to each day spent in the outdoors.
“But what about wearables?” you ask, desperately clutching the latest smartwatch to your chest. You have a point, wearables can be supremely useful in the field for navigation, recording time, distance, and altitude accurately (which a GPS can also do) while pairing it with information like heart rate data to help you keep an eye on yourself. Some diabetics even have wearables that pair with their smart meters and let them know when their sugar is high or low. This is a good tool. However, not all wearables are created equal. Seek out models that enhance or augment your outdoor experience instead of ones that are designed to funnel your attention to your phone. If your wearable is the same brand as your phone, bloops every time you get a notification, and allows you to read and reply on the watch itself - that’s probably not the right one to encourage mindfulness and presentness in the outdoors.
And if you’re truly brave, and truly bold, perhaps consider a “tech free day” on the trail. Let me explain.
Uncle biv’s Tech free days
A tech free day on the trail is a day where you use your phone as little as possible, ideally not at all. It starts by putting the phone on silent or do not disturb - only to be used to call out in the event of an emergency. If your wearable is connected to your phone and designed to funnel your attention to it, take it off and replace it with a regular watch. Then you go about your day, replacing your phone with appropriate technology. Like we talked about above, you use a GPS unit (or preferebly, a map and compass) to navigate yourself. You break out the field manual when you need to identify something. You write down your memories in a notebook, and you draw or take a photo (with your standalone camera) things that you find interesting. You leave your e-reader in the bag, truck, or at home and break out an honest to God paper book in the evening, or when you’re relaxing at camp. And you make a promise to yourself. “Today",” you say, “I will not use my phone unless it’s an emergency.” And you keep that promise.
If you do this, you just might find a little more enjoyment in the outdoors. You might see that you didn’t need your phone to be happy. You might, even, realize that you’re more present. That you’re living in the moment. That you’re focused on being outside, and the people around you. You might learn more about your environment and the people you’re with. You might even build a stronger memory of this day, uncluttered by technology, that will bring you happiness for years to come.
You might even realize that this is what it’s all about.
Have a question about camping you need answered? Ask Uncle Biv. Want to share your memories of a tech free day, or a photo taken on an honest digital camera (not a phone)? Send it in.