"I Got Rid of My iPhone"

by Wendy Murray

Chris Reynolds, age 30, possessed an iPhone5 for three months then gave it up, citing annoyance and "spending endless hours looking a b*******."

Chris lives on the grounds and works as the grounds-keeper of public gardens at a nonprofit-owned estate on Boston's North Shore. He is a certified arborist, horticulturist, expert on cats, goats and African Ridgebacks (dogs). But his real passion is fowl -- chickens, turkeys, guinea hens, ducks, geese, homing pigeons, lovebirds, canaries. He hatches, raises and sometimes sells an ever-evolving flock.

He purchased an iPhone in October 2013 because, in the business of buying and selling fowl, he wanted to be able to keep an edge on the market. He does not have internet in his home, so the thought having an iPhone, thus instant access to the internet, would enhance his fowl acquisition and selling activity.

Instead, he says, "I felt like I was carrying around a great weight." The constant dinging, bleeping and buzzing, signaling incoming messages, vexed him and pulled his gaze constantly toward the apparatus and away from whatever he was doing and whoever he was with. "It's messed up. People aren't supposed to live like that. You forget to live in the moment. You forget to be grateful for where you are."

"When you live alone like I do," he says, "you gravitate to the internet. I spent all my time looking at all stuff online.  I was constantly on Craigslist looking for chickens."