4 ms·

I ditched my smartphone and opted for a dumb phone instead. For me, having a smartphone made my distractibility even worse than it naturally is (I have ADD). Al

I ditched my smartphone and opted for a dumb phone instead. For me, having a smartphone made my distractibility even worse than it naturally is (I have ADD). Also, I no longer hear the siren call of the internet calling to me everywhere I go.

jmcgough 9y ago
Was it hard to make the transition? I wish I could get rid of my smart phone, but I'm so dependent on lyft, my gps, etc, that it's hard to separate the addictive parts from the parts that are really useful.
- santoriv 9y ago
  Well, I have a Garmin for GPS (which is arguably inferior but it's fine) and I don't live in an big city so we don't have Uber or Lyft here anyway. I can see how for some people it is a requirement to have a smartphone - esp if you need to be constantly tethered to your email (dev ops etc...)
  - gcb0 9y ago
    so the trick is not ditching your device access to online stuff, but your physical access. without a cellphone in big urban centers you'd have a tough time moving around. well, I would. public transport in big us cities are broken down by little cities, which any European would call neighbourhood... and parking in sf and ny is impractical. now you have to know how to transfer between several buses routes, or even if you decide to just take a cab, you must know the cab number for the company for that specific little region you find yourself at. I can't imagine not having a phone with a browser to navigate this mess, obviously designed to limit mobility.
- Stanleyc23 9y ago
  Maybe delete the apps that's you want to force limited exposure to. Deleting my native Facebook app did me wonders. I can always use the website if I really want to but I naturally visit less frequently
  - jmcgough 9y ago
    I did the same, as well as using a chrome extension to block my feed on the non-mobile version. It's been a great decision.
- jelled 9y ago
  I switched to an iPhone SE recently and it seems to be the best of both worlds. Uber, GPS, and internet are there if I need them, but that tiny screen makes aimless browsing much less tempting.
sliverstorm 9y ago
I am extremely tempted to do this, but I also benefit from simple positive features like contact syncing, notes, grocery list syncing, calendar syncing, and a few other utilities. I've decided to try one of those micro-smartphones, hoping the small screen will be fine for calendars but miserable for email & web surfing. Sometimes I think what I really need is WiFi but no data. Sync on the nightstand, but no data connectivity out and about.
- aith 9y ago
  Got some examples of these micro phones? Sounds interesting! Edit: This is from a Kickstarter - Super cheap and fits the bill https://www.amazon.com/Unihertz-Smallest-Smartphone-Android-Unlocked/dp/B0752CMXJM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1508172337&sr=8-3&keywords=small+smartphones https://www.amazon.com/Unihertz-Smallest-Smartphone-Android-...
- misev 9y ago
  > Sometimes I think what I really need is WiFi but no data. Sync on the nightstand, but no data connectivity out and about. I only have 10MB data / month. Perfectly sufficient for chat and the rare emergencies.
  - sliverstorm 9y ago
    Huh I'd think Android would suck up 10MB in minutes doing random useless stuff. No ability to turn mobile data completely off for all BUT one or two apps.
    - misev 9y ago
      It works just fine for me, I've never gone above the 10MB. "Restrict background data" on my Android 4.1 on each app/service does the trick.
dharmab 9y ago
I have to carry a smartphone for work. Removing or disabling distractions can still make a big difference. Uninstalling games and social media apps, disabling Google Now's feed and disabling most push notifications helps me.

jmcgough 9y ago

Was it hard to make the transition? I wish I could get rid of my smart phone, but I'm so dependent on lyft, my gps, etc, that it's hard to separate the addictive parts from the parts that are really useful.

santoriv 9y ago
Well, I have a Garmin for GPS (which is arguably inferior but it's fine) and I don't live in an big city so we don't have Uber or Lyft here anyway. I can see how for some people it is a requirement to have a smartphone - esp if you need to be constantly tethered to your email (dev ops etc...)
- gcb0 9y ago
  so the trick is not ditching your device access to online stuff, but your physical access. without a cellphone in big urban centers you'd have a tough time moving around. well, I would. public transport in big us cities are broken down by little cities, which any European would call neighbourhood... and parking in sf and ny is impractical. now you have to know how to transfer between several buses routes, or even if you decide to just take a cab, you must know the cab number for the company for that specific little region you find yourself at. I can't imagine not having a phone with a browser to navigate this mess, obviously designed to limit mobility.
Stanleyc23 9y ago
Maybe delete the apps that's you want to force limited exposure to. Deleting my native Facebook app did me wonders. I can always use the website if I really want to but I naturally visit less frequently
- jmcgough 9y ago
  I did the same, as well as using a chrome extension to block my feed on the non-mobile version. It's been a great decision.
jelled 9y ago
I switched to an iPhone SE recently and it seems to be the best of both worlds. Uber, GPS, and internet are there if I need them, but that tiny screen makes aimless browsing much less tempting.

sliverstorm 9y ago

I am extremely tempted to do this, but I also benefit from simple positive features like contact syncing, notes, grocery list syncing, calendar syncing, and a few other utilities. I've decided to try one of those micro-smartphones, hoping the small screen will be fine for calendars but miserable for email & web surfing. Sometimes I think what I really need is WiFi but no data. Sync on the nightstand, but no data connectivity out and about.

aith 9y ago
Got some examples of these micro phones? Sounds interesting! Edit: This is from a Kickstarter - Super cheap and fits the bill https://www.amazon.com/Unihertz-Smallest-Smartphone-Android-Unlocked/dp/B0752CMXJM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1508172337&sr=8-3&keywords=small+smartphones https://www.amazon.com/Unihertz-Smallest-Smartphone-Android-...
misev 9y ago
> Sometimes I think what I really need is WiFi but no data. Sync on the nightstand, but no data connectivity out and about. I only have 10MB data / month. Perfectly sufficient for chat and the rare emergencies.
- sliverstorm 9y ago
  Huh I'd think Android would suck up 10MB in minutes doing random useless stuff. No ability to turn mobile data completely off for all BUT one or two apps.
  - misev 9y ago
    It works just fine for me, I've never gone above the 10MB. "Restrict background data" on my Android 4.1 on each app/service does the trick.

dharmab 9y ago

I have to carry a smartphone for work. Removing or disabling distractions can still make a big difference. Uninstalling games and social media apps, disabling Google Now's feed and disabling most push notifications helps me.