Being reachable has become an unspoken expectation in modern life.

The following story involves a man who prefers keeping his phone on silent.

However, this decision has become a problem with his wife.

She wanted him to at least put his phone on vibrate in cases of emergencies.

Do you agree? Read the full story below…

AITA for refusing to keep my phone on sound or vibrate at all times?

I prefer to keep my phone on silent. It is on “do not disturb” mostly. It does not vibrate.

I still check it regularly and I am reachable. I am just not instantly reachable.

I work online and check my phone way too much already.

This man missed his wife’s call while she was out shopping.

Today, my wife was shopping for her business. She hurried out and forgot her personal phone.

She called me. I missed the call. I called back about ten minutes later.

This situation came up years ago with my older brother.

He felt it was disrespectful and irresponsible. We disagreed and moved on.

I was also bad at answering texts back then. That has changed.

They mostly just wanted an answer in an acceptable timeframe.

She told him to put his phone on vibrate or turn on the sound.

Now, it has come up again with my wife.

She wants my phone on sound or vibrate in case of emergencies.

She says it is stressful for her knowing she might not reach me immediately.

From my perspective, being constantly interruptible makes me anxious and distracted.

I do not think being instantly reachable at all times is a reasonable expectation.

But he doesn’t want to be “on call” 24/7.

I told my brother and wife that I do not feel like I should be on call 24/7.

This is because of modern technology. It is my choice to be more at peace.

I do not want to be anxious about the phone.

But now, it turns into a situation where I get anxious when my wife leaves the house.

What if she calls? What if I miss it? It is an unhealthy situation.

Now, he’s wondering if he was being selfish and stubborn.

I wonder if I am being too stubborn. If there was a medical emergency, you should not call me.

You should call an ambulance, right?

She feels I am being stubborn and dismissive. I feel like I am setting a reasonable boundary.

AITA? Am I missing something obvious here?

Let’s check out the comments of other people on this story.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

This person makes a valid point.

Here’s some sound advice.

Short and simple.

Finally, there’s an easy solution, says this one.

When your phone’s on silent, apparently, the drama isn’t.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.