18 ms·

I Ditched My Phone and Unbroke My Brain

247 points by imartin2k 8y ago

ianai 8y ago
“I found myself incapable of reading books, watching full-length movies or having long uninterrupted conversations. Social media made me angry and anxious, and even the digital spaces I once found soothing (group texts, podcasts, YouTube k-holes) weren’t helping.” So don’t take the call and keep having the conversation. Delete all apps that aren’t a net benefit. Is this really that difficult?
- PavlovsCat 8y ago
  By the sound of it, for them that was all apps. So just use a normal phone, no point in a smartphone without apps.
- randomsearch 8y ago
  Problem with the self discipline argument is that there are thousands of highly paid software engineers and designers who spend every working day aiming to break that discipline, and they have a mountain of data and a powerful low latency feedback loop as weapons.
  - ianai 8y ago
    Yep, in hindsight, I’m off base here. I delete apps as soon as I feel like I’m being manipulated (people too). I pretty much use my mobile devices for note taking, calendar, email (with rule sets for the “offenders”), reminders, and internet/music. Basically it’s augmenting all the stuff I normally forget.
- jasonvorhe 8y ago
  Yes, obviously, or they wouldn't struggle with it. If you're addicted, rational thought isn't dominant.
- huffmsa 8y ago
  Yes. The system is designed to be difficult to ditch. For a lot of people, the little thrill of an unread notification badge is like mainlining heroin. It's a dump of happy chemicals right to their brain.
  - smileypete 8y ago
    The 'notification junkie'... :P
  - doodliego 8y ago
    Cigarettes might be a better analogy: that little pick-me-up in small bursts throughout the day.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- wilde 8y ago
  Yes. People who think they have better self control over something tend to just have a different level of enjoyment. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/11/3/13486940/self-control-psychology-myth https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/11/3/13486940/se...
  - rofo1 8y ago
    First of all, I completely disagree with this article. Anecdotally, I always had insane amount of will-power compared to my peers/people that I can gauge. From the article: "But if, for example, the change is to eat fewer sweets, and then you find yourself in front of a pile of cookies, researchers say the pile of cookies has already won." I use to do this daily on purpose, just to better my will-power. I bought tons of stuff that I specifically didn't want to eat (I had 6 pack, attempting to get 8 pack) and I put them on my table so I can see them the whole day. I never reached for them, cause even if sometimes I thought of it (especially when there was no other food available (rarely), I STILL didn't touch them). Cause it's my choice, and it's up to me and I'll do what I decide to do. End of story. It's up to you. It's a choice. Forget everything you have been thought, it's completely up to you. When you take Coca Cola and put it in your mouth, you are doing it. Not some abstract will-power or genes or anything. It is you! Similarly, we can make up our minds on anything and stick with it. I refuse to believe that we aren't control of our own, damn it! There's some dumb things in the article like: “People who are good at self-control … seem to be structuring their lives in a way to avoid having to make a self-control decision in the first place,” Galla tells me. And structuring your life is a skill. People who do the same activity — like running or meditating — at the same time each day have an easier time accomplishing their goals, he says. Not because of their willpower, but because the routine makes it easier." So according to them, there is no such thing as "willpower" cause it's always something else. They say nobody has willpower anyway; there are people that have no temptations and that's why they persevere. Ridiculous.
    - rkhassen9 8y ago
      Hmm. Maybe it’s not black and white - try this idea out for size: “willpower” as a finite resource. Some have more. Some have less. Some learn how to develop it and increase capacity. Some use their current capacity to greater effect by creating systems for themselves that maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their current level.
- Yetanfou 8y ago
  For some people it seems to be, others either see through the shallow attempts at creating and stimulating a need for more instant gratification which the 'app' world is so rife with or just plain are not interested in wasting time on caressing their touch screens for no identifiable purpose. Some - me amongst them - fit in both categories. Mobile devices can be handy tools as long as they are seen as just that, tools to perform tasks which are laid aside when the task is completed. For some this seems to be difficult as this happens to be a tool which can be configured to call for attention at any time... ...a family is having dinner, 'bleep' says the phone in mommy's pocket and she is instantly is pulled off-balance by the urge to look for the cause of that 'bleep' versus the annoyance she knows this creates. Either she gives way to the urge and annoys her partner who feels these devices have no place in this context or she keeps it where it is and feels the pull of the thing in her pocket, the unfulfilled desire to know what made it bleep even though she knows it will just be another pointless message...
grecy 8y ago
I'm 37, and I have never really had a smartphone, because I don't want one. I know I tend to be addicted to the internet (I can't resit my laptop when it's nearby with wifi), so I think it's more healthy for me to just not have a smartphone than to resist temptation (like an alcoholic simply not going into bars). I'm a Software Engineer and I've never downloaded or used an "app" on a smartphone. I did buy a new Android one for $20USD in Guinea, but I just use it to tether my laptop and it doesn't have a single app on it. I've never browsed the web on it or made a phone call because the interface sucks. It's interesting to watch how addicted people are to their phones, and how much it invades everyday life. I think I have an interesting perspective looking from the outside in. Whenever I'm out for drinks or dinner, every single other person checks their phone about every 1-2 minutes, often spending at least that long doing nothing other than staring at their phone, oblivious to those around them. During those times I really enjoy looking around to see who else isn't on their phone, and I make eye contact and smile to see what kind of human responses I can get. I have previously been at a table of 10 people and I'm the only one not staring at a phone. I get that they can make life much easier in certain situations (coordinating meetups with people, locations, timing, etc.), but to be honest the more I observe from the "outside", the more I'm convinced the negatives outweigh the positives. Of course everyone needs to make their own choice, and I'm by no means saying everyone should ditch their phone or that phones are stupid.
- tannhaeuser 8y ago
  In my current job I'm almost daily going by subway and see most people fumbling on their phone all the time. Many can't even stop when hopping on/off the train. Now when I carefully look at just what it is that captures their attention, it's mostly cheap games or endless-scroll taboola-style crap. A guy sitting next to me the other day simultaneously phoned and frantically clicked on random crap on his phone with no chance of actually reading anything on there. I've noticed some are even staring caustically at the phone's home screen or settings panel after having consumed everything being offered online for the time being. I don't know, but IMHO these people should go see a therapist, and we should seriously get a move going to call out and stop this pathological addictive behaviour.
  - 8y ago
CPLX 8y ago
I followed almost the exact same track as this guy, slowly realizing that my phone was a problem, then the problem, and coming to the conclusion that real drastic intervention methods were necessary, something that went beyond vague "trying to do better" efforts. I started a daily life 90% detox for a week or two then also did a completely phone free weekend, in my case at a Zen Buddhist monastery (and also in the Catskills, ironically). I completely and totally agree with his ultimate conclusion. Having a smartphone had literally rewired my brain, and not in a good way. The inability (or unwillingness?) to hold concentrated attention on literally anything that requires more than 5 minutes of sustained attention is just a horrible way to live. It's a tough thing to do, I freely admit that I have lapsed repeatedly since I started working on this seriously about two months ago. And I don't talk about it IRL with people since it's impossible to discuss without coming across as a holier-than-thou asshole. But this is a real problem, and looking around it seems nearly everyone in modern society has it. I think we're all going to look back on this era and what we've done to our mental health in abject horror, like we do on whatever era it was that the Romans decided sugar of lead was an awesome way to sweeten wine.
- PavlovsCat 8y ago
  I don't preach as much as mostly take light jabs. "Oh, so what's new on Myspace? I am so hip to all this interwebs stuff", that sort of thing. They just give me a confused grin... I mean, what are they gonna do, unfriend me on a platform I'm not on? :P And I also had a few conversations about this topic, with smartphone users, and they were rather pleasant. It's difficult on the web, then it easily can sound arrogant. But in person, I haven't met a single person I liked, and who liked me, that had a problem with me not having a smartphone... and sometimes talking about how an information age would be neat, rather than a mobile serfdom age. Maybe me and a person who totally "identifies with" their smartphone wouldn't like each other to begin with, but at any rate it never was a problem for me, not even with bosses. Sure, I also don't inspire anyone to give up their smartphone, but in a live-and-let-live sort of way, I don't feel a need to hide my opinion, at all, as long as I keep it somewhat light.
  - PavlovsCat 8y ago
petersonh 8y ago
I downloaded an app to track my phone usage on a daily basis, and the shame power of seeing how much time I wasted helped me cut down to the essentials.
huffmsa 8y ago
I've just setup a new phone and have decided to leave all of the dopamine triggering apps off of it. I installed one thinking "it won't be that hard to moderate" but my fingers were immediately flipping it open and scrolling unconsciously. So off it goes. I'm already noticing myself not caring about those platforms and not even really checking them on the desktop.
- tomrod 8y ago
  My spouse and I did this with all of a few company's apps, utilizing the mobile website only. The difference in time saved is notable.
  - huffmsa 8y ago
    I tried mobile site only hut they quickly became as bad a habit. As much fun as arguing on Twitter is and seeing those analytics go 1+, it's not improving my life, skills or earning potential.
epx 8y ago
I've always loved to read, any kind of book would do, but recently I've been unable to sit down and read a book, even technical ones. Guess I got used to the instant gratification that Reddit & friends give to the brain. Considering to ditch the smartphone as well. Actually, I can't ditch the WhatsApp because it is the new phone company these days... Using a very weak smartphone with small screen, too small and slow to read, would be a solution?
- ianai 8y ago
  My latest personal find has been audiobooks. Suddenly all the time in the car is “reading”
  - scruple 8y ago
    My Pixel 2 is, honestly, a glorified iPod touch. I guess with a radio chip. I don't have it near me to check but I'd imagine that at least 50% of that devices usage is audio. Audiobooks, podcasts, and music. I don't really have apps on it, and I've never really used smartphones apps. For me, it's a communication device that has the storage capacity and capabilities to handle my audio library. I love it for that and it works exceedingly well.
- Mirioron 8y ago
  I read on my phone. It's the main thing I use my phone for. Before I got a smartphone I basically hated reading fiction (thanks mandatory reading from school). Have you tried reading on your phone?
  - epx 8y ago
    I can't read even in the computer, for some reason screens are associated with 'quick read'.
    - Mirioron 8y ago
      I can't read on a computer either, but for me it's because I get distracted and feel like I should be doing something more productive.
mgbmtl 8y ago
As the author noted in his article, I would emphasise the importance of having a hobby you enjoy. My rock climbing gym is full of programmers, just saying, it's a nice sport that's accessible to all strengths, and you can probably find a meetup at the gym near you. Also, biking to work can be a great way to avoid both phones and advertising, and also reconnect with your surroundings. I hate taking the subway only to be bombarded by advertising, so I read on my phone, which has ad blockers.
- gerbilly 8y ago
  I find it's really hard to play with a phone while surfing. :-) Also to surf moderately well requires keen observation of nature. It's very meditative.
nickjj 8y ago
For developers or people who are on a computer a large portion of the day, I don't think the problem has anything to do with smartphones. A lot of those addictions (checking email, checking if someone engaged with one of your replies or content, etc.) can happen on a laptop or desktop workstation. The only difference is you're looking at them in a browser instead of on your phone. I never had a smartphone but I am a freelance developer where I spend most days doing work on a computer and it's really easy to get stuck in loops where you're checking XYZ on an abnormally high frequency. It's especially difficult if your business expects you to be on those sites. In other words, ditching your phone (if you have one) isn't going to change much if you spend most of your day on a computer. At best you'll be less rude to people out in public which is a good thing, but it's not going to fix your brain.
- stevewodil 8y ago
  Yup, would have to agree with this. I don't see how the smartphone is really the issue, when the internet as a whole is the "problem" (or really, you yourself are the problem). I use browser extensions to keep myself from loading distracting websites out of habit, and that generally helps as long as you have the discipline to not just turn the extension off or something. I also don't have chat apps like discord or slack open most of the day, because those are majorly distracting to me as well.
  - kcoul 8y ago
    I have been studying this problem as it developed over the past decade (mobile revolution), and am torn between the two perspectives on it. What desktops and laptops afforded that mobile takes away, 8 usable fingers aside, is the factor of dedicated computer use (reduced context switching with non-mobile), providing a much better opportunity to keep predominant brainwave patterns away from the "fight or flight" state historically associated to rapid context switching. Therefore there is one categorical problem (excessive computer use) that is indeed shared across mobile and non-mobile computational platforms alike, and we can point to the people who used their desktops or laptops so much that it could be considered unhealthy, all well before the mobile revolution. At the same time, the modern epidemic exacerbates the problem by not only summing total computer time between mobile and non-mobile, but there is added the additional factor or rapid context switching which is nearly unavoidable with mobile platforms. If that wasn't enough, there is also evidence that these newer behavioral patterns are bleeding back from mobile into non-mobile computing, meaning that people are now using desktop/laptops as though they were mobile platforms, rapidly context switching when 10+ years ago they simply did not do this. Altogether, the evidence indicates that you are right overall, the smartphone was a catalyst to a change in how the internet is interacted with which is the real problem by and large, but conversely, we might be able to use both mobile and non-mobile platforms in a way which minimizes context switching and in so doing restores healthy beta brainwaves rather than encouraging the unhealthy "fight or flight" patterns indicative of this modern (first world) epidemic.
fuball63 8y ago
I like the way the author talks about rewiring of the brain. A lot of articles like this focus on the social aspect of phone usage; anxiety and isolation. There are however more intagible but noticable affects. When I went on an international vacation and didnt buy a phone plan, I just turned it off at the airport and left it in my bag. I felt a strange clarity of thought and change in perspective about 3 days in. When I look back, I sadly think I was the best version of myself that week. I am not a heavy phone user; I have a Blackberry so there arent many apps and I am generally uninterested in social media. But for anyone reading these articles thinking its mumbo jumbo, I would encourage you to give it a try.
- frosted-flakes 8y ago
  You must have an old BlackBerry, because new ones are just like any other Android phone.
  - fuball63 8y ago
    I have the Blackberry Classic, from summer 2015. They did an integration of some sort with Amazon Fire apps, but they don't work super well. My next one will probably have the Android; I wonder where they are privacy wise.
drivers99 8y ago
There was a period a few years ago, where I went without a smartphone, and used a flip phone instead. (My iPhone 4 became too slow after upgrading iOS too many times, and before I got an iPhone 6.) Phone service without a data plan is a lot cheaper too. From the article: “A phone-free weekend involved some complications. Without Google Maps, I got lost and had to pull over for directions. Without Yelp, I had trouble finding open restaurants.” I these types of cases, researching, planning ahead, and writing things down are the solutions. That’s what we used to do, and it still works. What eventually made me justify getting a smart phone again was Uber (Lyft now), particularly when traveling. Funny, that’s 1% of 1% of what I actually use it for. (I don’t travel often.) So that might be an interesting thing to figure out: how to have a smart phone available for short periods of times when the benefits really call for it. I recently read Cal Newport’s book, Digital Minimalism, which isn’t about breaking phone addictions. (It’s not decide-specific.) It’s about choosing the specific things we do on all digital platforms. It might not be the phone that’s the problem. For example, YouTube seems to be designed for maximum engagement, and it is an issue for me on phone, tablet, and Roku/Chromcast. It didn’t seem to be a problem on a PC, which I used before discovering the apps (which I originally installed in order to cast YouTube videos on a Chromecast). Newport’s main philosophy is to get rid of most of the apps, websites, social media and then choosing (or tweaking) specific tools among those only if they are the best way to do something in support of what you value most. This is the opposite of the approach of using a digital technology just because it might have a benefit.
- tedmiston 8y ago
  I'm reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport right now which was the first thing that came to mind reading this article as well. For others that are curious, that book asks the question "Does the way we spend our time [particularly in the digital world] reflect our values?" https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Minimalism-Choosing-Focused-Noisy/dp/0525536515 https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Minimalism-Choosing-Focused-N... http://calnewport.com/books/digital-minimalism/ http://calnewport.com/books/digital-minimalism/ IMO Cal's approach being driven from core values and encompassing all device usage resonates on a deeper level for me than the author's. That said, I haven't read yet the book written by the coach of the article author, How to Break Up With Your Phone. Looking forward to checking that out. https://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Up-Your-Phone/dp/039958112X https://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Up-Your-Phone/dp/039958112X
honzzz 8y ago
How do you separate the enriching part from the addictive part? To me the problem is that my laptop and my phone are magical doors that lead to both smart people at HN and some niche subreddits/blogs that really make me think, change my opinion, make my life more interesting... and right next to it there are social media bubbles, overwhelming stream of news and insight porn that I can read/watch for hours anxious that if I don't, I will miss out on something important... but somehow it's almost never the case. I can distinguish how those two types of content make me feel - the first makes me feel fulfilled and inspired, the second tired and depressed. The problem is that the feeling only comes after I absorb the content and does not help me navigate towards the enriching and avoid the addictive - I start riding the enriching wave, I just need to look up some term or get distracted by something seemingly relevant... and suddenly I am sucked into the vortex of youtube-recommended videos and when I am finally able to free myself four hours later, I feel exhausted, sad and guilty that I wasted so much time.
- Mirioron 8y ago
  I find this weird. The main thing I do on my phone is HN, some subreddits and books. Most other things fail to engage me on a phone for some reason. I find surfing the web to be way too frustrating to do it on a phone.
- smileypete 8y ago
  I'm coming to the conclusion that it may be best to somehow curate and control your own 'feed'. Eg for Youtube, block the suggestions and just rely on RSS from subscribed channels, or bookmark videos recommended elsewhere. What may also work well is to think of a topic that is really interesting, /then/ go searching for it on Youtube. Trouble is the suggestion algorithms also work to wear down discretion, as it seems you've found...
  - frosted-flakes 8y ago
    For YouTube, I reccomend disabling watch and search history. That way, the only thing that shows up is from channels you're subscribed to or videos that are related to other vidoes you've "liked". If you want to remember a video, add it to a private playlist.
StanislavPetrov 8y ago
I still use a flip phone, even though its getting harder now that they are trying to force everyone to use smartphones. For example, ticketmaster is mobile only now (for NFL games at least). There is no option to get your tickets physically sent. No matter how hard it gets, it simply won't ever be worth the massive privacy implications to me.
- jammygit 8y ago
  I wonder how one would go about finding out which flip phones don't track you, eg, via contact lists or w/e. The answer doesn't come up in google searches.
- maxerickson 8y ago
  Say you keep wifi off most of the time and don't use a lot of apps. What's the massive difference in privacy?
booleandilemma 8y ago
No need to ditch your phone, just uninstall Facebook, Candy Crush, and other time-wasting apps.
sleepinseattle 8y ago
I got a cellular Apple Watch and leave my iPhone at home. Productivity at work went through the roof, and meetings aren’t as painful anymore because I have no choice but to pay attention and participate. It does all the smart phone essentials, including maps and Uber and two-factor auth, but the tiny screen staves off the addiction.
- peatmoss 8y ago
  I got the non-cellular watch a while back and have found it pretty good at avoiding the “hey here’s a text message, but why don’t I also check the news” loop. I think I made a mistake in getting the non-cellular version as I still am compelled to get out the phone and thus risk distraction when I want to respond to a longer text message.
- ravedave5 8y ago
  Watches are the worst, I find people with them look at them far more than phones. Its like they think it's not distracting for them to look down 15 times in a 10 minute conversation.
viburnum 8y ago
For those of you who have succeeded, how long was the withdrawal period? I try but in always get sucked back in after a few days.
davidscolgan 8y ago
I've been able to more or less "conquer" my smartphone by using the nifty little app called AppBlock on Android. Since the phone is not rooted, I can make it literally impossible to use certain apps unless I wipe the phone (I think you need the paid version for that, but it's like $7). Otherwise I'd just turn off the blocker. I just block the browser and Youtube and Reddit and everything else. I rarely have a case where I really need to use a browser when away from my laptop that isn't wasting time. Now my phone is just a thing that does calls and texts and that also plays music and podcasts and has ebooks and alarms and maps. Not a source of infinite novelty. My laptop, on the other hand, is the harder one to tame, since the really problematic things are so close to the productive things, especially when coding.
khalilravanna 8y ago
When the author mentioned the joy brought on by having that "digital retreat" it reminded me of my cross country motorcycle trip this past March. I rode from Boston to Chicago to Seattle to San Francisco to Utah and Colorado and then back to Boston in 3 weeks. If you do the math, I think it averaged out to like 450 miles a day on a motorcycle. Which if you've ridden you'd know is a shit ton of riding back-to-back. So while I brought along my laptop and my Nintendo Switch, I ended up not touching them because as soon as I got to the hotel I'd usually pass right out. That whole trip as a result was rather fantastic. Every day was just punctuated by the changing sights and sounds around me, as well as the physical challenge of the amount of riding every day. That is, except for my phone, which was the ever-present companion on my journey. See, I didn't have GPS, instead opting to strap my phone to the handlebar with a little mount and use it with Google Maps to navigate. At one point, 3 or 4 days into the ride, somewhere in Wisconsin or Minnesota, I saw my dad (who I was riding with for half the trip), take a photo with a little camera he had stashed in a tank bag. I was jealous, "Aw man, I can't take pictures till we stop." But surely it'd be inane to take my $1,000 iPhone X out of it's secure mount and hold it one-handed while riding at highway speeds on a motorcycle just to take some pictures. I'm sorry to say that that idea became less and less inane as the days went on and I was eventually pulling the phone out of its harness god knows how many times a day while riding. At this point you're likely thinking, so when did you drop it? Which is a great question. The answer to that question also brings us back to my original point with this point. I broke it right after the PCH goes from the 101 to the 1 on the coast of California, specifically right after it touches the coastline revealing absolutely breathtaking views. I was devastated, and a little concerned as I had no GPS and had been relying on it entirely for the ride up till that point (some, I don't know 4k+ miles). In fact, what it turned into is one of the best days of that trip. I was completely blind and completely detached from anything that wasn't physically connected to my body flying down the coast of California. I had to navigate by following signs and asking for directions. I noticed the surroundings much more along the way. Everything seems more vivid when you've lost the sometimes, I'm embarrassed to say, manic need to take pictures of things as you go along. The brutal irony of that day was that I dropped the phone because I couldn't stop taking pictures of the sights on the trip and as a result I lost every single picture I took from Boston to California. Thankfully I had kept a travelogue of daily Instagram posts, so then the only day that has no pictures to account for it was the day I rode down the coast of CA. Those are views that can only be recreated in my mind, sans-iPhone, and I kind of like it that way.
johnchristopher 8y ago
Which app did he use to get usage statistics ?
- johnchristopher 8y ago
  > as measured by the iPhone’s built-in screen time tracker I somehow missed it.
purplezooey 8y ago
"like getting really into healing crystals or Peloton." A dude with an apartment like that is going to tell me Peloton's a cliche?
- doodliego 8y ago
  I'm not a cyclist, what does reduced drag by biking in a group have to do with healing crystals?
  - bdsa 8y ago
    They're referring to the Peloton brand of exercise bikes, I think.
pdimitar 8y ago
IMO we should fight to consume the modern Web and apps in ways that benefit us and not somebody else. Throwing away the devices is a radical and unrealistic measure for many. If you need to live on a lonely island somewhere in the Pacific for 18 months then by all means, do so. I quite like it in the civilization when I am focused and not constantly distracted though. And that's achievable.
- superkuh 8y ago
  > IMO we should fight to consume the modern Web and apps in ways that benefit us and not somebody else. That's kind of a self-defeating statement. The modern web and it's requiring the end user to blindly run third party code to even get text to show on a webpage is the problem. And 'apps' on locked-down, proprietary computer devices like smart phones only makes it worse. My solution to the problem was to not start. I have never owned a smart phone that connects to a telco network. Only in the last year or two have I bought a ($15) smart phone to use over wifi with my custom 910 MHz wireless ethernet bridge between my home network and car network. But in the end I never used it since my thinkpad laptop was so much more powerful and better for getting actual work done.
  - pdimitar 8y ago
    > The modern web and it's requiring the end user to blindly run third party code to even get text to show on a webpage is the problem. Not really self-defeating. I am pretty sure you don't inspect every line of code of every software you run. There are reasonable compromises but we currently don't live in a system that has them (not in the widely used software anyway). > My solution to the problem was to not start. Good for you. I will again repeat however that there are many people like me who consume responsibly and make the system work for us, not we for it.
cyberferret 8y ago
I am amazed at how my brain's ability to focus on long term tasks has been diminished over the past few years. I used to be a voracious reader, but lately have struggled to read (offline) more than a few pages at a time. I won't blame smartphone usage entirely, but it certainly has been a large contributor to that. This year, I've begun a concerted campaign to reduce my phone time. The latest iOS screen time tracker ironically, has been a help. I look forward to the weekly reports that say "Your screen time has been reduced by x minutes per day". So far this year, the downward trend has continued. I spent the weekend just gone reading a lot more, and also taking up painting again after a nearly 3 decade break from it.
- legionof7 8y ago
  Yeah, I've noticed this too. I used to be able to finish pretty long books in one sitting and be completely absorbed in them, but now I struggle to finish a chapter.
  - raz32dust 8y ago
    It could also be that you've grown older, and have more responsibilities now, so you just don't really have as much time in continuous blocks? I used to be a reader in my teens as well, but in adult life, with work, social life and the tons of other activities that I have access to, it just isn't a priority. Slightly older friends of mine who are married/have kids have even less time. So it seems like free time reduces throughout adulthood until around retirement/kids-go-to-college, and then starts increasing again.
    - legionof7 8y ago
      Yeah, it's probably somewhat that, though I usually do most of my reading before bed and I'm still not able to concentrate nearly as much as I was able to.
  - allochthon 8y ago
    I wonder whether there's something deeper going on here in the world. The explosion of content on the Internet in the past 15 years has resulted in a great deal of high quality articles and long form journalism becoming readily available. Perhaps books were what we put up with when there was just less quality writing within reach. But now with heightened expectations we grow tired with the occasional rambling, repetition and longueurs that previously we would just power through out of habit. I'm not arguing this is the case. But it's something I've wondered about as a possible explanation for why books are less appealing to me now.
jammygit 8y ago
For people who advocate getting rid of their smartphones, what about apps for: 1. Audiobooks & Music 2. Mobile Authenticators 3. Flash Card apps (anki) 4. Podcasts Is it also valuable to get rid of those things? Are they part of the problem, or would they be a casualty of the abstinence?
- Nasrudith 8y ago
  The first and last are possible with a subset MP3 players - if just used for that purpose they are cheaper and more efficient. All but the second may be served by a sim-cardless smartphone/mini tablet. Putting aside if you should there are alternatives.
- geowwy 8y ago
  3 months smartphone free 1. Audiobooks & Music - I don’t really listen to music on the go but I’m considering an MP3 player 2. Mobile Authenticators - most password managers can handle OTPs 3. Flash Card apps (anki) - Using a Kindle for Mandarin and Bible Greek. It has language learning features that work okay, maybe a little better because there’s less temptation to quickly switch to another app. 4. Podcasts - Same as number 1
tramGG 8y ago
I got rid of my phone for 3 years and my employer (between failed attempts at startups) was appalled that I would even consider this. They became irate but eventually acquiesced. It's weird how much people can't understand how others don't want their addiction. This doesn't happen with heroin, or other drugs, just technology.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
ericsoderstrom 8y ago
As a mindfulness-building experiment, I'll occasionally try writing down everything I do on a given day (before I do it). Even small things, like reading an article on hacker news, or responding to a text. It's kind of the inverse approach to what is described in the article. I don't necessarily forbid myself from doing any smart-phone related activity. As long as I intentionally make some mental note of what I'm about to do before I do it. For some reason this seems to be more effective for me than the elimination approach.
pcprincipal 8y ago
Another strategy to help ditch the phone - try for a few days rating each day on a scale from -2 to 2 and recording a few notable things about each day. I learned about this technique from Jim Collins, who shared it on a podcast with Tim Ferriss[1]. Collins says sorting the spreadsheet is especially useful because you can see patterns and learn what separates good days from bad days. I bring this up in relation to this article because after three days of doing this (for those interested, [-1, 0, 0]), I concluded distractions are the biggest reason I didn't go [2, 2, 2]. My phone for me at least is the #1 cause of distractions - simply looking at it and seeing a notification can derail my train of thought. Setting it on Do Not Disturb and only checking a set number of times I'm thinking will be helpful. One more thing here - knowing that I need to rate myself at the end of each day absolutely is in the back of my mind during the day, which I think is a positive. [1] - https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/ https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/
html5web 8y ago
I no longer have social apps installed on my phone and I’m just doing fine. The social networks are full of garbage these days. I use HN for tech news and use feed api for reading news.
html5web 8y ago
Piece of advice: Turn off notifications for messengers and email apps. You’ll see how you feel better without being distracted. Also it makes you more productive.
mrfusion 8y ago
I’m really interested ingetting a weekly “digest” for each of my subreddits. That way I can just block reddit and stop wasting time but I can be sure I won’t miss anything important. I just want to see the top ten posts of the week for each subreddit. I guess that wouldn’t be that hard to code up. I think they have an. API.
faitswulff 8y ago
> changed my lock screen to one that showed three questions to ask myself every time I unlocked my phone: “What for? Why now? What else?” How does one do this? Asking for a friend...
- czr 8y ago
  I'm assuming they just made a wallpaper with that text on it and set it as their lockscreen background?
- gukov 8y ago
  You could also make it your unlock password.
xmb 8y ago
I've found it effective recently to push my chair out from my desk or to shove my phone back into my pocket as soon as I realize I am about to engage in a distracting activity. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing, meditating if you will, until I feel the temptation pass. It might help to build some concrete habit to replace a bad one rather than focusing on eliminating the bad habit directly.
magduf 8y ago
Honestly, I'm shocked by all the comments here from people without smartphones or only flip-phones, in what's supposed to be a community of technophiles. Personally, I'd be lost without my phone. I don't understand the "addiction" bit at all, it's just a tool to me that is extremely useful, mainly because of a handful of apps. The phone part (for talking) really isn't that important, because I don't talk that much on it. Here's what I use my phone most for: 1) navigation. Seriously, why the heck would I want to go back to the inefficiency and danger of paper maps when I have a navigator telling me when to turn and keeping me on track as I concentrate on paying attention to other drivers? 2) calendar. My calendar is online so it's easy to keep myself organized with it, and my phone gives me reminders. 3) texting. So many people text now that to communicate with them you have to text too. The nice thing about texting is that you don't have to interrupt what you're doing right that second to respond. Also, there's more to texting than SMS: there's many apps like Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, LINE, etc. which can offer more reliable and better user interfaces (such as read receipts). 4) calculator. I don't have to carry around an old HP RPN calculator, because my phone has an app that does the same thing. 5) notes. Instead of taking notes on easily-lost pieces of paper, I have an app for writing random bits of information down. 6) socializing. Meetup.com and various dating apps are quite helpful in finding events and meeting new people. How else is a single person supposed to meet dating partners anyway? (No, I don't drink, so don't tell me to go to a bar.) Web browsing is actually not something I do that much on my phone, because the screen is small and the UI for it sucks, so I generally save that for my PC. It's nice to have the capability now and then, for instance if I want to look something up on Wikipedia really quick when I'm out, but it's not something I spend a lot of time on.
- magduf 8y ago
  Oh yeah, I forgot a really big one: 7) camera. Instead of having to carry a separate camera around just in case I see something I want to photograph, I already have one built into my phone that's pretty good (though admittedly of course not nearly as good (particularly for low-light conditions) as a serious DSLR or other good camera). My new phone even has dual lenses, a 16MP regular lens with OIS and an 8MP wide-angle lens. Considering I carry the phone around all the time anyway for the other functions, the camera is a really nice bonus. Along with this is 8) Banking apps, with check-deposit functionality (enabled by the camera in #7). No longer do I have to take time off from work and waste my time and gas going to the bank when someone sends me a paper check; instead I just take a couple photos on my banking app and it's deposited.

247 points by imartin2k 8y ago

“I found myself incapable of reading books, watching full-length movies or having long uninterrupted conversations. Social media made me angry and anxious, and even the digital spaces I once found soothing (group texts, podcasts, YouTube k-holes) weren’t helping.” So don’t take the call and keep having the conversation. Delete all apps that aren’t a net benefit. Is this really that difficult?

PavlovsCat 8y ago
By the sound of it, for them that was all apps. So just use a normal phone, no point in a smartphone without apps.
randomsearch 8y ago
Problem with the self discipline argument is that there are thousands of highly paid software engineers and designers who spend every working day aiming to break that discipline, and they have a mountain of data and a powerful low latency feedback loop as weapons.
- ianai 8y ago
  Yep, in hindsight, I’m off base here. I delete apps as soon as I feel like I’m being manipulated (people too). I pretty much use my mobile devices for note taking, calendar, email (with rule sets for the “offenders”), reminders, and internet/music. Basically it’s augmenting all the stuff I normally forget.
jasonvorhe 8y ago
Yes, obviously, or they wouldn't struggle with it. If you're addicted, rational thought isn't dominant.
huffmsa 8y ago
Yes. The system is designed to be difficult to ditch. For a lot of people, the little thrill of an unread notification badge is like mainlining heroin. It's a dump of happy chemicals right to their brain.
- smileypete 8y ago
  The 'notification junkie'... :P
- doodliego 8y ago
  Cigarettes might be a better analogy: that little pick-me-up in small bursts throughout the day.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
wilde 8y ago
Yes. People who think they have better self control over something tend to just have a different level of enjoyment. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/11/3/13486940/self-control-psychology-myth https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/11/3/13486940/se...
- rofo1 8y ago
  First of all, I completely disagree with this article. Anecdotally, I always had insane amount of will-power compared to my peers/people that I can gauge. From the article: "But if, for example, the change is to eat fewer sweets, and then you find yourself in front of a pile of cookies, researchers say the pile of cookies has already won." I use to do this daily on purpose, just to better my will-power. I bought tons of stuff that I specifically didn't want to eat (I had 6 pack, attempting to get 8 pack) and I put them on my table so I can see them the whole day. I never reached for them, cause even if sometimes I thought of it (especially when there was no other food available (rarely), I STILL didn't touch them). Cause it's my choice, and it's up to me and I'll do what I decide to do. End of story. It's up to you. It's a choice. Forget everything you have been thought, it's completely up to you. When you take Coca Cola and put it in your mouth, you are doing it. Not some abstract will-power or genes or anything. It is you! Similarly, we can make up our minds on anything and stick with it. I refuse to believe that we aren't control of our own, damn it! There's some dumb things in the article like: “People who are good at self-control … seem to be structuring their lives in a way to avoid having to make a self-control decision in the first place,” Galla tells me. And structuring your life is a skill. People who do the same activity — like running or meditating — at the same time each day have an easier time accomplishing their goals, he says. Not because of their willpower, but because the routine makes it easier." So according to them, there is no such thing as "willpower" cause it's always something else. They say nobody has willpower anyway; there are people that have no temptations and that's why they persevere. Ridiculous.
  - rkhassen9 8y ago
    Hmm. Maybe it’s not black and white - try this idea out for size: “willpower” as a finite resource. Some have more. Some have less. Some learn how to develop it and increase capacity. Some use their current capacity to greater effect by creating systems for themselves that maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their current level.
Yetanfou 8y ago
For some people it seems to be, others either see through the shallow attempts at creating and stimulating a need for more instant gratification which the 'app' world is so rife with or just plain are not interested in wasting time on caressing their touch screens for no identifiable purpose. Some - me amongst them - fit in both categories. Mobile devices can be handy tools as long as they are seen as just that, tools to perform tasks which are laid aside when the task is completed. For some this seems to be difficult as this happens to be a tool which can be configured to call for attention at any time... ...a family is having dinner, 'bleep' says the phone in mommy's pocket and she is instantly is pulled off-balance by the urge to look for the cause of that 'bleep' versus the annoyance she knows this creates. Either she gives way to the urge and annoys her partner who feels these devices have no place in this context or she keeps it where it is and feels the pull of the thing in her pocket, the unfulfilled desire to know what made it bleep even though she knows it will just be another pointless message...

grecy 8y ago

I'm 37, and I have never really had a smartphone, because I don't want one. I know I tend to be addicted to the internet (I can't resit my laptop when it's nearby with wifi), so I think it's more healthy for me to just not have a smartphone than to resist temptation (like an alcoholic simply not going into bars). I'm a Software Engineer and I've never downloaded or used an "app" on a smartphone. I did buy a new Android one for $20USD in Guinea, but I just use it to tether my laptop and it doesn't have a single app on it. I've never browsed the web on it or made a phone call because the interface sucks. It's interesting to watch how addicted people are to their phones, and how much it invades everyday life. I think I have an interesting perspective looking from the outside in. Whenever I'm out for drinks or dinner, every single other person checks their phone about every 1-2 minutes, often spending at least that long doing nothing other than staring at their phone, oblivious to those around them. During those times I really enjoy looking around to see who else isn't on their phone, and I make eye contact and smile to see what kind of human responses I can get. I have previously been at a table of 10 people and I'm the only one not staring at a phone. I get that they can make life much easier in certain situations (coordinating meetups with people, locations, timing, etc.), but to be honest the more I observe from the "outside", the more I'm convinced the negatives outweigh the positives. Of course everyone needs to make their own choice, and I'm by no means saying everyone should ditch their phone or that phones are stupid.

tannhaeuser 8y ago
In my current job I'm almost daily going by subway and see most people fumbling on their phone all the time. Many can't even stop when hopping on/off the train. Now when I carefully look at just what it is that captures their attention, it's mostly cheap games or endless-scroll taboola-style crap. A guy sitting next to me the other day simultaneously phoned and frantically clicked on random crap on his phone with no chance of actually reading anything on there. I've noticed some are even staring caustically at the phone's home screen or settings panel after having consumed everything being offered online for the time being. I don't know, but IMHO these people should go see a therapist, and we should seriously get a move going to call out and stop this pathological addictive behaviour.
- 8y ago

CPLX 8y ago

I followed almost the exact same track as this guy, slowly realizing that my phone was a problem, then the problem, and coming to the conclusion that real drastic intervention methods were necessary, something that went beyond vague "trying to do better" efforts. I started a daily life 90% detox for a week or two then also did a completely phone free weekend, in my case at a Zen Buddhist monastery (and also in the Catskills, ironically). I completely and totally agree with his ultimate conclusion. Having a smartphone had literally rewired my brain, and not in a good way. The inability (or unwillingness?) to hold concentrated attention on literally anything that requires more than 5 minutes of sustained attention is just a horrible way to live. It's a tough thing to do, I freely admit that I have lapsed repeatedly since I started working on this seriously about two months ago. And I don't talk about it IRL with people since it's impossible to discuss without coming across as a holier-than-thou asshole. But this is a real problem, and looking around it seems nearly everyone in modern society has it. I think we're all going to look back on this era and what we've done to our mental health in abject horror, like we do on whatever era it was that the Romans decided sugar of lead was an awesome way to sweeten wine.

PavlovsCat 8y ago
I don't preach as much as mostly take light jabs. "Oh, so what's new on Myspace? I am so hip to all this interwebs stuff", that sort of thing. They just give me a confused grin... I mean, what are they gonna do, unfriend me on a platform I'm not on? :P And I also had a few conversations about this topic, with smartphone users, and they were rather pleasant. It's difficult on the web, then it easily can sound arrogant. But in person, I haven't met a single person I liked, and who liked me, that had a problem with me not having a smartphone... and sometimes talking about how an information age would be neat, rather than a mobile serfdom age. Maybe me and a person who totally "identifies with" their smartphone wouldn't like each other to begin with, but at any rate it never was a problem for me, not even with bosses. Sure, I also don't inspire anyone to give up their smartphone, but in a live-and-let-live sort of way, I don't feel a need to hide my opinion, at all, as long as I keep it somewhat light.
- PavlovsCat 8y ago

petersonh 8y ago

I downloaded an app to track my phone usage on a daily basis, and the shame power of seeing how much time I wasted helped me cut down to the essentials.

huffmsa 8y ago

I've just setup a new phone and have decided to leave all of the dopamine triggering apps off of it. I installed one thinking "it won't be that hard to moderate" but my fingers were immediately flipping it open and scrolling unconsciously. So off it goes. I'm already noticing myself not caring about those platforms and not even really checking them on the desktop.

tomrod 8y ago
My spouse and I did this with all of a few company's apps, utilizing the mobile website only. The difference in time saved is notable.
- huffmsa 8y ago
  I tried mobile site only hut they quickly became as bad a habit. As much fun as arguing on Twitter is and seeing those analytics go 1+, it's not improving my life, skills or earning potential.

epx 8y ago

I've always loved to read, any kind of book would do, but recently I've been unable to sit down and read a book, even technical ones. Guess I got used to the instant gratification that Reddit & friends give to the brain. Considering to ditch the smartphone as well. Actually, I can't ditch the WhatsApp because it is the new phone company these days... Using a very weak smartphone with small screen, too small and slow to read, would be a solution?

ianai 8y ago
My latest personal find has been audiobooks. Suddenly all the time in the car is “reading”
- scruple 8y ago
  My Pixel 2 is, honestly, a glorified iPod touch. I guess with a radio chip. I don't have it near me to check but I'd imagine that at least 50% of that devices usage is audio. Audiobooks, podcasts, and music. I don't really have apps on it, and I've never really used smartphones apps. For me, it's a communication device that has the storage capacity and capabilities to handle my audio library. I love it for that and it works exceedingly well.
Mirioron 8y ago
I read on my phone. It's the main thing I use my phone for. Before I got a smartphone I basically hated reading fiction (thanks mandatory reading from school). Have you tried reading on your phone?
- epx 8y ago
  I can't read even in the computer, for some reason screens are associated with 'quick read'.
  - Mirioron 8y ago
    I can't read on a computer either, but for me it's because I get distracted and feel like I should be doing something more productive.

mgbmtl 8y ago

As the author noted in his article, I would emphasise the importance of having a hobby you enjoy. My rock climbing gym is full of programmers, just saying, it's a nice sport that's accessible to all strengths, and you can probably find a meetup at the gym near you. Also, biking to work can be a great way to avoid both phones and advertising, and also reconnect with your surroundings. I hate taking the subway only to be bombarded by advertising, so I read on my phone, which has ad blockers.

gerbilly 8y ago
I find it's really hard to play with a phone while surfing. :-) Also to surf moderately well requires keen observation of nature. It's very meditative.

nickjj 8y ago

For developers or people who are on a computer a large portion of the day, I don't think the problem has anything to do with smartphones. A lot of those addictions (checking email, checking if someone engaged with one of your replies or content, etc.) can happen on a laptop or desktop workstation. The only difference is you're looking at them in a browser instead of on your phone. I never had a smartphone but I am a freelance developer where I spend most days doing work on a computer and it's really easy to get stuck in loops where you're checking XYZ on an abnormally high frequency. It's especially difficult if your business expects you to be on those sites. In other words, ditching your phone (if you have one) isn't going to change much if you spend most of your day on a computer. At best you'll be less rude to people out in public which is a good thing, but it's not going to fix your brain.

stevewodil 8y ago
Yup, would have to agree with this. I don't see how the smartphone is really the issue, when the internet as a whole is the "problem" (or really, you yourself are the problem). I use browser extensions to keep myself from loading distracting websites out of habit, and that generally helps as long as you have the discipline to not just turn the extension off or something. I also don't have chat apps like discord or slack open most of the day, because those are majorly distracting to me as well.
- kcoul 8y ago
  I have been studying this problem as it developed over the past decade (mobile revolution), and am torn between the two perspectives on it. What desktops and laptops afforded that mobile takes away, 8 usable fingers aside, is the factor of dedicated computer use (reduced context switching with non-mobile), providing a much better opportunity to keep predominant brainwave patterns away from the "fight or flight" state historically associated to rapid context switching. Therefore there is one categorical problem (excessive computer use) that is indeed shared across mobile and non-mobile computational platforms alike, and we can point to the people who used their desktops or laptops so much that it could be considered unhealthy, all well before the mobile revolution. At the same time, the modern epidemic exacerbates the problem by not only summing total computer time between mobile and non-mobile, but there is added the additional factor or rapid context switching which is nearly unavoidable with mobile platforms. If that wasn't enough, there is also evidence that these newer behavioral patterns are bleeding back from mobile into non-mobile computing, meaning that people are now using desktop/laptops as though they were mobile platforms, rapidly context switching when 10+ years ago they simply did not do this. Altogether, the evidence indicates that you are right overall, the smartphone was a catalyst to a change in how the internet is interacted with which is the real problem by and large, but conversely, we might be able to use both mobile and non-mobile platforms in a way which minimizes context switching and in so doing restores healthy beta brainwaves rather than encouraging the unhealthy "fight or flight" patterns indicative of this modern (first world) epidemic.

fuball63 8y ago

I like the way the author talks about rewiring of the brain. A lot of articles like this focus on the social aspect of phone usage; anxiety and isolation. There are however more intagible but noticable affects. When I went on an international vacation and didnt buy a phone plan, I just turned it off at the airport and left it in my bag. I felt a strange clarity of thought and change in perspective about 3 days in. When I look back, I sadly think I was the best version of myself that week. I am not a heavy phone user; I have a Blackberry so there arent many apps and I am generally uninterested in social media. But for anyone reading these articles thinking its mumbo jumbo, I would encourage you to give it a try.

frosted-flakes 8y ago
You must have an old BlackBerry, because new ones are just like any other Android phone.
- fuball63 8y ago
  I have the Blackberry Classic, from summer 2015. They did an integration of some sort with Amazon Fire apps, but they don't work super well. My next one will probably have the Android; I wonder where they are privacy wise.

drivers99 8y ago

There was a period a few years ago, where I went without a smartphone, and used a flip phone instead. (My iPhone 4 became too slow after upgrading iOS too many times, and before I got an iPhone 6.) Phone service without a data plan is a lot cheaper too. From the article: “A phone-free weekend involved some complications. Without Google Maps, I got lost and had to pull over for directions. Without Yelp, I had trouble finding open restaurants.” I these types of cases, researching, planning ahead, and writing things down are the solutions. That’s what we used to do, and it still works. What eventually made me justify getting a smart phone again was Uber (Lyft now), particularly when traveling. Funny, that’s 1% of 1% of what I actually use it for. (I don’t travel often.) So that might be an interesting thing to figure out: how to have a smart phone available for short periods of times when the benefits really call for it. I recently read Cal Newport’s book, Digital Minimalism, which isn’t about breaking phone addictions. (It’s not decide-specific.) It’s about choosing the specific things we do on all digital platforms. It might not be the phone that’s the problem. For example, YouTube seems to be designed for maximum engagement, and it is an issue for me on phone, tablet, and Roku/Chromcast. It didn’t seem to be a problem on a PC, which I used before discovering the apps (which I originally installed in order to cast YouTube videos on a Chromecast). Newport’s main philosophy is to get rid of most of the apps, websites, social media and then choosing (or tweaking) specific tools among those only if they are the best way to do something in support of what you value most. This is the opposite of the approach of using a digital technology just because it might have a benefit.

tedmiston 8y ago
I'm reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport right now which was the first thing that came to mind reading this article as well. For others that are curious, that book asks the question "Does the way we spend our time [particularly in the digital world] reflect our values?" https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Minimalism-Choosing-Focused-Noisy/dp/0525536515 https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Minimalism-Choosing-Focused-N... http://calnewport.com/books/digital-minimalism/ http://calnewport.com/books/digital-minimalism/ IMO Cal's approach being driven from core values and encompassing all device usage resonates on a deeper level for me than the author's. That said, I haven't read yet the book written by the coach of the article author, How to Break Up With Your Phone. Looking forward to checking that out. https://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Up-Your-Phone/dp/039958112X https://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Up-Your-Phone/dp/039958112X

honzzz 8y ago

How do you separate the enriching part from the addictive part? To me the problem is that my laptop and my phone are magical doors that lead to both smart people at HN and some niche subreddits/blogs that really make me think, change my opinion, make my life more interesting... and right next to it there are social media bubbles, overwhelming stream of news and insight porn that I can read/watch for hours anxious that if I don't, I will miss out on something important... but somehow it's almost never the case. I can distinguish how those two types of content make me feel - the first makes me feel fulfilled and inspired, the second tired and depressed. The problem is that the feeling only comes after I absorb the content and does not help me navigate towards the enriching and avoid the addictive - I start riding the enriching wave, I just need to look up some term or get distracted by something seemingly relevant... and suddenly I am sucked into the vortex of youtube-recommended videos and when I am finally able to free myself four hours later, I feel exhausted, sad and guilty that I wasted so much time.

Mirioron 8y ago
I find this weird. The main thing I do on my phone is HN, some subreddits and books. Most other things fail to engage me on a phone for some reason. I find surfing the web to be way too frustrating to do it on a phone.
smileypete 8y ago
I'm coming to the conclusion that it may be best to somehow curate and control your own 'feed'. Eg for Youtube, block the suggestions and just rely on RSS from subscribed channels, or bookmark videos recommended elsewhere. What may also work well is to think of a topic that is really interesting, /then/ go searching for it on Youtube. Trouble is the suggestion algorithms also work to wear down discretion, as it seems you've found...
- frosted-flakes 8y ago
  For YouTube, I reccomend disabling watch and search history. That way, the only thing that shows up is from channels you're subscribed to or videos that are related to other vidoes you've "liked". If you want to remember a video, add it to a private playlist.

StanislavPetrov 8y ago

I still use a flip phone, even though its getting harder now that they are trying to force everyone to use smartphones. For example, ticketmaster is mobile only now (for NFL games at least). There is no option to get your tickets physically sent. No matter how hard it gets, it simply won't ever be worth the massive privacy implications to me.

jammygit 8y ago
I wonder how one would go about finding out which flip phones don't track you, eg, via contact lists or w/e. The answer doesn't come up in google searches.
maxerickson 8y ago
Say you keep wifi off most of the time and don't use a lot of apps. What's the massive difference in privacy?

booleandilemma 8y ago

No need to ditch your phone, just uninstall Facebook, Candy Crush, and other time-wasting apps.

sleepinseattle 8y ago

I got a cellular Apple Watch and leave my iPhone at home. Productivity at work went through the roof, and meetings aren’t as painful anymore because I have no choice but to pay attention and participate. It does all the smart phone essentials, including maps and Uber and two-factor auth, but the tiny screen staves off the addiction.

peatmoss 8y ago
I got the non-cellular watch a while back and have found it pretty good at avoiding the “hey here’s a text message, but why don’t I also check the news” loop. I think I made a mistake in getting the non-cellular version as I still am compelled to get out the phone and thus risk distraction when I want to respond to a longer text message.
ravedave5 8y ago
Watches are the worst, I find people with them look at them far more than phones. Its like they think it's not distracting for them to look down 15 times in a 10 minute conversation.

viburnum 8y ago

For those of you who have succeeded, how long was the withdrawal period? I try but in always get sucked back in after a few days.

davidscolgan 8y ago

I've been able to more or less "conquer" my smartphone by using the nifty little app called AppBlock on Android. Since the phone is not rooted, I can make it literally impossible to use certain apps unless I wipe the phone (I think you need the paid version for that, but it's like $7). Otherwise I'd just turn off the blocker. I just block the browser and Youtube and Reddit and everything else. I rarely have a case where I really need to use a browser when away from my laptop that isn't wasting time. Now my phone is just a thing that does calls and texts and that also plays music and podcasts and has ebooks and alarms and maps. Not a source of infinite novelty. My laptop, on the other hand, is the harder one to tame, since the really problematic things are so close to the productive things, especially when coding.

khalilravanna 8y ago

When the author mentioned the joy brought on by having that "digital retreat" it reminded me of my cross country motorcycle trip this past March. I rode from Boston to Chicago to Seattle to San Francisco to Utah and Colorado and then back to Boston in 3 weeks. If you do the math, I think it averaged out to like 450 miles a day on a motorcycle. Which if you've ridden you'd know is a shit ton of riding back-to-back. So while I brought along my laptop and my Nintendo Switch, I ended up not touching them because as soon as I got to the hotel I'd usually pass right out. That whole trip as a result was rather fantastic. Every day was just punctuated by the changing sights and sounds around me, as well as the physical challenge of the amount of riding every day. That is, except for my phone, which was the ever-present companion on my journey. See, I didn't have GPS, instead opting to strap my phone to the handlebar with a little mount and use it with Google Maps to navigate. At one point, 3 or 4 days into the ride, somewhere in Wisconsin or Minnesota, I saw my dad (who I was riding with for half the trip), take a photo with a little camera he had stashed in a tank bag. I was jealous, "Aw man, I can't take pictures till we stop." But surely it'd be inane to take my $1,000 iPhone X out of it's secure mount and hold it one-handed while riding at highway speeds on a motorcycle just to take some pictures. I'm sorry to say that that idea became less and less inane as the days went on and I was eventually pulling the phone out of its harness god knows how many times a day while riding. At this point you're likely thinking, so when did you drop it? Which is a great question. The answer to that question also brings us back to my original point with this point. I broke it right after the PCH goes from the 101 to the 1 on the coast of California, specifically right after it touches the coastline revealing absolutely breathtaking views. I was devastated, and a little concerned as I had no GPS and had been relying on it entirely for the ride up till that point (some, I don't know 4k+ miles). In fact, what it turned into is one of the best days of that trip. I was completely blind and completely detached from anything that wasn't physically connected to my body flying down the coast of California. I had to navigate by following signs and asking for directions. I noticed the surroundings much more along the way. Everything seems more vivid when you've lost the sometimes, I'm embarrassed to say, manic need to take pictures of things as you go along. The brutal irony of that day was that I dropped the phone because I couldn't stop taking pictures of the sights on the trip and as a result I lost every single picture I took from Boston to California. Thankfully I had kept a travelogue of daily Instagram posts, so then the only day that has no pictures to account for it was the day I rode down the coast of CA. Those are views that can only be recreated in my mind, sans-iPhone, and I kind of like it that way.

johnchristopher 8y ago

Which app did he use to get usage statistics ?

johnchristopher 8y ago
> as measured by the iPhone’s built-in screen time tracker I somehow missed it.

purplezooey 8y ago

"like getting really into healing crystals or Peloton." A dude with an apartment like that is going to tell me Peloton's a cliche?

doodliego 8y ago
I'm not a cyclist, what does reduced drag by biking in a group have to do with healing crystals?
- bdsa 8y ago
  They're referring to the Peloton brand of exercise bikes, I think.

pdimitar 8y ago

IMO we should fight to consume the modern Web and apps in ways that benefit us and not somebody else. Throwing away the devices is a radical and unrealistic measure for many. If you need to live on a lonely island somewhere in the Pacific for 18 months then by all means, do so. I quite like it in the civilization when I am focused and not constantly distracted though. And that's achievable.

superkuh 8y ago
> IMO we should fight to consume the modern Web and apps in ways that benefit us and not somebody else. That's kind of a self-defeating statement. The modern web and it's requiring the end user to blindly run third party code to even get text to show on a webpage is the problem. And 'apps' on locked-down, proprietary computer devices like smart phones only makes it worse. My solution to the problem was to not start. I have never owned a smart phone that connects to a telco network. Only in the last year or two have I bought a ($15) smart phone to use over wifi with my custom 910 MHz wireless ethernet bridge between my home network and car network. But in the end I never used it since my thinkpad laptop was so much more powerful and better for getting actual work done.
- pdimitar 8y ago
  > The modern web and it's requiring the end user to blindly run third party code to even get text to show on a webpage is the problem. Not really self-defeating. I am pretty sure you don't inspect every line of code of every software you run. There are reasonable compromises but we currently don't live in a system that has them (not in the widely used software anyway). > My solution to the problem was to not start. Good for you. I will again repeat however that there are many people like me who consume responsibly and make the system work for us, not we for it.

cyberferret 8y ago

I am amazed at how my brain's ability to focus on long term tasks has been diminished over the past few years. I used to be a voracious reader, but lately have struggled to read (offline) more than a few pages at a time. I won't blame smartphone usage entirely, but it certainly has been a large contributor to that. This year, I've begun a concerted campaign to reduce my phone time. The latest iOS screen time tracker ironically, has been a help. I look forward to the weekly reports that say "Your screen time has been reduced by x minutes per day". So far this year, the downward trend has continued. I spent the weekend just gone reading a lot more, and also taking up painting again after a nearly 3 decade break from it.

legionof7 8y ago
Yeah, I've noticed this too. I used to be able to finish pretty long books in one sitting and be completely absorbed in them, but now I struggle to finish a chapter.
- raz32dust 8y ago
  It could also be that you've grown older, and have more responsibilities now, so you just don't really have as much time in continuous blocks? I used to be a reader in my teens as well, but in adult life, with work, social life and the tons of other activities that I have access to, it just isn't a priority. Slightly older friends of mine who are married/have kids have even less time. So it seems like free time reduces throughout adulthood until around retirement/kids-go-to-college, and then starts increasing again.
  - legionof7 8y ago
    Yeah, it's probably somewhat that, though I usually do most of my reading before bed and I'm still not able to concentrate nearly as much as I was able to.
- allochthon 8y ago
  I wonder whether there's something deeper going on here in the world. The explosion of content on the Internet in the past 15 years has resulted in a great deal of high quality articles and long form journalism becoming readily available. Perhaps books were what we put up with when there was just less quality writing within reach. But now with heightened expectations we grow tired with the occasional rambling, repetition and longueurs that previously we would just power through out of habit. I'm not arguing this is the case. But it's something I've wondered about as a possible explanation for why books are less appealing to me now.

jammygit 8y ago

For people who advocate getting rid of their smartphones, what about apps for: 1. Audiobooks & Music 2. Mobile Authenticators 3. Flash Card apps (anki) 4. Podcasts Is it also valuable to get rid of those things? Are they part of the problem, or would they be a casualty of the abstinence?

Nasrudith 8y ago
The first and last are possible with a subset MP3 players - if just used for that purpose they are cheaper and more efficient. All but the second may be served by a sim-cardless smartphone/mini tablet. Putting aside if you should there are alternatives.
geowwy 8y ago
3 months smartphone free 1. Audiobooks & Music - I don’t really listen to music on the go but I’m considering an MP3 player 2. Mobile Authenticators - most password managers can handle OTPs 3. Flash Card apps (anki) - Using a Kindle for Mandarin and Bible Greek. It has language learning features that work okay, maybe a little better because there’s less temptation to quickly switch to another app. 4. Podcasts - Same as number 1

tramGG 8y ago

I got rid of my phone for 3 years and my employer (between failed attempts at startups) was appalled that I would even consider this. They became irate but eventually acquiesced. It's weird how much people can't understand how others don't want their addiction. This doesn't happen with heroin, or other drugs, just technology.

deleted 8y ago
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ericsoderstrom 8y ago

As a mindfulness-building experiment, I'll occasionally try writing down everything I do on a given day (before I do it). Even small things, like reading an article on hacker news, or responding to a text. It's kind of the inverse approach to what is described in the article. I don't necessarily forbid myself from doing any smart-phone related activity. As long as I intentionally make some mental note of what I'm about to do before I do it. For some reason this seems to be more effective for me than the elimination approach.

pcprincipal 8y ago

Another strategy to help ditch the phone - try for a few days rating each day on a scale from -2 to 2 and recording a few notable things about each day. I learned about this technique from Jim Collins, who shared it on a podcast with Tim Ferriss[1]. Collins says sorting the spreadsheet is especially useful because you can see patterns and learn what separates good days from bad days. I bring this up in relation to this article because after three days of doing this (for those interested, [-1, 0, 0]), I concluded distractions are the biggest reason I didn't go [2, 2, 2]. My phone for me at least is the #1 cause of distractions - simply looking at it and seeing a notification can derail my train of thought. Setting it on Do Not Disturb and only checking a set number of times I'm thinking will be helpful. One more thing here - knowing that I need to rate myself at the end of each day absolutely is in the back of my mind during the day, which I think is a positive. [1] - https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/ https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/

html5web 8y ago

I no longer have social apps installed on my phone and I’m just doing fine. The social networks are full of garbage these days. I use HN for tech news and use feed api for reading news.

html5web 8y ago

Piece of advice: Turn off notifications for messengers and email apps. You’ll see how you feel better without being distracted. Also it makes you more productive.

mrfusion 8y ago

I’m really interested ingetting a weekly “digest” for each of my subreddits. That way I can just block reddit and stop wasting time but I can be sure I won’t miss anything important. I just want to see the top ten posts of the week for each subreddit. I guess that wouldn’t be that hard to code up. I think they have an. API.

faitswulff 8y ago

> changed my lock screen to one that showed three questions to ask myself every time I unlocked my phone: “What for? Why now? What else?” How does one do this? Asking for a friend...

czr 8y ago
I'm assuming they just made a wallpaper with that text on it and set it as their lockscreen background?
gukov 8y ago
You could also make it your unlock password.

xmb 8y ago

I've found it effective recently to push my chair out from my desk or to shove my phone back into my pocket as soon as I realize I am about to engage in a distracting activity. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing, meditating if you will, until I feel the temptation pass. It might help to build some concrete habit to replace a bad one rather than focusing on eliminating the bad habit directly.

magduf 8y ago

Honestly, I'm shocked by all the comments here from people without smartphones or only flip-phones, in what's supposed to be a community of technophiles. Personally, I'd be lost without my phone. I don't understand the "addiction" bit at all, it's just a tool to me that is extremely useful, mainly because of a handful of apps. The phone part (for talking) really isn't that important, because I don't talk that much on it. Here's what I use my phone most for: 1) navigation. Seriously, why the heck would I want to go back to the inefficiency and danger of paper maps when I have a navigator telling me when to turn and keeping me on track as I concentrate on paying attention to other drivers? 2) calendar. My calendar is online so it's easy to keep myself organized with it, and my phone gives me reminders. 3) texting. So many people text now that to communicate with them you have to text too. The nice thing about texting is that you don't have to interrupt what you're doing right that second to respond. Also, there's more to texting than SMS: there's many apps like Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, LINE, etc. which can offer more reliable and better user interfaces (such as read receipts). 4) calculator. I don't have to carry around an old HP RPN calculator, because my phone has an app that does the same thing. 5) notes. Instead of taking notes on easily-lost pieces of paper, I have an app for writing random bits of information down. 6) socializing. Meetup.com and various dating apps are quite helpful in finding events and meeting new people. How else is a single person supposed to meet dating partners anyway? (No, I don't drink, so don't tell me to go to a bar.) Web browsing is actually not something I do that much on my phone, because the screen is small and the UI for it sucks, so I generally save that for my PC. It's nice to have the capability now and then, for instance if I want to look something up on Wikipedia really quick when I'm out, but it's not something I spend a lot of time on.

magduf 8y ago
Oh yeah, I forgot a really big one: 7) camera. Instead of having to carry a separate camera around just in case I see something I want to photograph, I already have one built into my phone that's pretty good (though admittedly of course not nearly as good (particularly for low-light conditions) as a serious DSLR or other good camera). My new phone even has dual lenses, a 16MP regular lens with OIS and an 8MP wide-angle lens. Considering I carry the phone around all the time anyway for the other functions, the camera is a really nice bonus. Along with this is 8) Banking apps, with check-deposit functionality (enabled by the camera in #7). No longer do I have to take time off from work and waste my time and gas going to the bank when someone sends me a paper check; instead I just take a couple photos on my banking app and it's deposited.