Coming from the professional environment of being a technology journalist often carrying three or more smartphones for review, I embarked on an unplanned experiment at the request of my editors, which required me to experience an entire day without the use of a phone. The purpose of this adventure was to analyze the challenges that a person who has never operated without a phone might face and how I could counter them. Setting out for work, I was armed with only my work laptop, which depended solely on Wi-Fi for internet connectivity. But I gladly accepted the offer of freedom from having to respond to work messages.

In our world today, most people are virtually attached to their phones, with an average individual in Singapore spending no less than four hours daily on their devices, according to the data from industry tracker data.ai. This wasn’t news to this millennial who has an alarmingly close relationship with smartphone screens, having spent years scrolling through them.

Before embarking on this experiment, I planned properly. Knowing that I would be devoid of access to my mobile payment applications, I withdrew about $37 in cash and carried an ATM card with me. I noted down the location of my interview with researchers at Nanyang Technological Universit in my notebook, which was on my to-do list, along with picking up Christmas gifts from two unknown locations and having a lunch appointment.

However, problems began to emerge as soon as I stepped off the bus at NTU, without the surety of how to find the lab. Even though I had my laptop with me on which I planned to refer to a map in an email from the researchers, I was unable to connect to the public Wi-Fi for guests because verification required a one-time password, which was only accessible via a phone.

Post-interview, another challenge arose as I attempted to hail a cab to reach a lunch appointment in Lavender. Being aware of the no-phone situation, the interviewees informed me that the likelihood of getting a cab in Jurong West was low. Ultimately, one of the interviewees was kind enough to give me a lift to Lavender as she also had to go in that direction. Her colleague allowed me to link my laptop to her phone's hotspot while en route so I could send an email, notifying my lunch date about the delay in my arrival.

During my phone-free day, I soon realized that my day would not progress smoothly without the understanding and cooperation of others, a factor that was accentuated when I went to Tai Seng to collect a gift from a Lego store. At the cafe where I decided to get some work done, digital menus available via a QR code led to another hitch.

Nevertheless, the real gift this holiday season could be the pleasure of tranquil spaces carved out from the constant noise of our technologically-driven frenzy. Although smartphones offer convenience and foster productivity, they also expose us to the dangers of addiction and social isolation, often going unnoticed. Perhaps a healthier balance can be achieved in our engagement with technology, which would allow us to stay informed yet focused.