Airplanes were a last bastion of being truly off grid. No service and completely inaccessible. Sadly, that’s changing quickly. It seems the majority of planes are now equipped with WiFi, as well as free in-plane text messaging. The airlines are servicing our need and desire to always be connected.
This makes me sad. I have always loved being disconnected on an airplane. There’s something calming about knowing you’re completely unreachable for a set period. No temptation to scroll or chat or respond to anyone. It’s an easy place to leave distractions behind and it’s always been one of my favourite places to read or get focused work done. So it’s a shame to see the last mile become connected. I know using connected services is a choice that requires opt-in but the more convenient the service becomes, the more deliberate a choice needs to be to avoid using it.