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Yes. Or, more accurately, you're an idiot if you blame your phone for feeling distracted all the time. It's not your phone's fault. It's your brain's fault. Wi

Yes. Or, more accurately, you're an idiot if you blame your phone for feeling distracted all the time. It's not your phone's fault. It's your brain's fault. Without taking conscious action to stop thinking about the distractions you'll just move from one distraction to another when you choose a dumber phone. Getting a phone that can't run apps isn't going to magically make you pick up your side project. You'll watch more TV, or play more video games, or just play Snake on the dumb phone, or post more on HN or something. Being distracted by your phone is a symptom of a problem, not a cause.

Cthulhu_ 4y ago
I mean, everyone installing some kind of time management software is trying to offload their problems to an app, instead of dealing with their own issues of e.g. distractability or seeking low energy distractions. I think low energy distractions are fine, within reason though. As long as they don't start to affect other things, like sleep; if they do, you need to do some self-reflection and leave it alone.
falcolas 4y ago
I might agree with this if applications and devices were not created by people who have degrees and jobs explicitly aimed at getting and holding your attention. If there were not people who, because of mental disorders (or just being young) become addicted more easily than average. It's a war for your attention, and your phone is their primary gateway to your attention. Don't blame the victim when there's a multi-billion dollar market that hinges on victimizing people by getting - and keeping - their attention.
- throw10920 4y ago
  I spend far more time scrolling HN than I do on social media or on my phone. I have an HN problem, and no social media problem. Yet, HN has zero "engagement engineering" put into it. And why is this? Because chose to start browsing HN, and I chose to not spend time on social media. My addiction is a product of my own choices, and nobody else's. If you can show me that the majority of people addicted to social media and/or their phones were forced to use them, then that's involuntary. Otherwise, by definition, they voluntarily decided to use whatever social media app they're captured by.

Cthulhu_ 4y ago

I mean, everyone installing some kind of time management software is trying to offload their problems to an app, instead of dealing with their own issues of e.g. distractability or seeking low energy distractions. I think low energy distractions are fine, within reason though. As long as they don't start to affect other things, like sleep; if they do, you need to do some self-reflection and leave it alone.

falcolas 4y ago

I might agree with this if applications and devices were not created by people who have degrees and jobs explicitly aimed at getting and holding your attention. If there were not people who, because of mental disorders (or just being young) become addicted more easily than average. It's a war for your attention, and your phone is their primary gateway to your attention. Don't blame the victim when there's a multi-billion dollar market that hinges on victimizing people by getting - and keeping - their attention.

throw10920 4y ago
I spend far more time scrolling HN than I do on social media or on my phone. I have an HN problem, and no social media problem. Yet, HN has zero "engagement engineering" put into it. And why is this? Because chose to start browsing HN, and I chose to not spend time on social media. My addiction is a product of my own choices, and nobody else's. If you can show me that the majority of people addicted to social media and/or their phones were forced to use them, then that's involuntary. Otherwise, by definition, they voluntarily decided to use whatever social media app they're captured by.