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My recent anecdote. Last month my phone broke: the touch screen would stop responding, but I could still connect a Bluetooth keyboard and headphones. After mayb

My recent anecdote. Last month my phone broke: the touch screen would stop responding, but I could still connect a Bluetooth keyboard and headphones. After maybe 5 hard resets in a row, the screen would work again for a few minutes or hours. After a few days, my head was clearer. I was sleeping better. My relationship felt better than ever, because we wouldn’t both lay next to each other on our phones before sleeping. My time with my kids was more focused, and I was more patient and fun. In week 2, I commented to my wife that I don’t know what changed, but I felt better than ever. At the time I attributed it to a new therapy lamp. After a few weeks, I finally acknowledged that due to my responsibilities I do need a working phone 100% of the time and I replaced it with a newer, modestly fancier one. In the month since, nothing else has changed: same therapy light (and now longer daylight hours); no dietary or outside well-being changes or adverse events. But that positivity isn’t there anymore. I don’t think I fully acknowledged that until this moment. And I’m still not sure what do do about it.

suoduandao2 4y ago
There are apps that change a smartphone screen to be greyscale only. Probably not as good as not having one but it might reduce the addictive quality substantially, worth a try in any case
- techstrategist 4y ago
  That’s a great idea. I tried a lot of similar techniques years ago without much success, but I should try again since I’ve been diagnosed and treated for ADHD since then.
- mtklein 4y ago
  If you're an Apple user, it's built-in, and I've found it ergonomic to assign its toggle to a triple-tap on your phone's back and/or laptop power button. Those triple-taps are effortlessly quick and rarely if ever misfire, making it totally reasonable to stay in greyscale by default and reengage color selectively when you're looking at something that merits it (film, family, friends, a Wordle scorecard...)
  - RMPR 4y ago
    On Android it's also built-in, iirc it's called Bedtime mode.
- npteljes 4y ago
  Android phones can do that in Developer mode. https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/74887/force-android-to-display-in-grayscale#90217 https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/74887/force-andr... (Old answer, but the placement is similar)
  - NoGravitas 4y ago
    On LineageOS, it's been a regular setting, with a quick tile, for quite a while. And in recent mainstream Androids (12, I think?) it's available under bedtime settings or something.
    - npteljes 4y ago
      You're right! My /e/ OS has it as "Reading mode" in the quick tiles. And has a Reading mode toggle in the LiveDisplay settings.
- chuankl 4y ago
  On my Pixel 6a running stock Android 13, the setting is under Accessibility > Color and motion > Color correction > Grayscale. No separate app and no development mode needed.
AJJB2 4y ago
There will be many answers about a technical solution for this (apps that limit apps, dumb phones, different launchers etc.). None will work. Train yourself to not phone. Same as you can not consume advertising (cant adblock billboards). All the technical solutions trim too much away about what makes a smartphone great, or add too much friction, either to configure or to disable again, which you will do anyways. Also these technical solutions are just products again. They exist not to actually work, but to make money. Sometimes both are true, but rarely. This is a two tier society. Those who can train themselves to do this, who will be able to read books, learn, be present without Soma and ... the zombies.
- wilsonnb3 4y ago
  > There will be many answers about a technical solution for this (apps that limit apps, dumb phones, different launchers etc.). None will work. Don't listen to this guy, all of those things work well for a lot of people.
  - saiya-jin 4y ago
    Just guessing but maybe the poster meant that those things don't attack root cause which is sad but simple - screen/media addiction and easiness of obtaining next kick from it, versus actual physical relationships which are much harder to manage and it only gets worse with age. They help you existing around this gaping dark hole but not doing much with it itself, just trying to divert you staring into it. Well guess what, its now part of you, permanently. Admitting that to yourself ain't an easy task on its own, especially if one works with IT or with computers all day. With that being established, addictions can be tackled in numerous ways, but lets be frank here - our mind, often our greatest asset, is our greatest enemy with addictions. An addict has a permanent crack in persona, something you can put some glue in but things will never be the same as before, you are in recovery for rest of your life. Since screens and media are everywhere, its pretty hard addiction, similar to say cigarettes in terms of shedding it off. So I think all those tools mentioned work to some extent, for some, but actually getting off the drug shows different, more intense results. The effects are quite subtle unlike say heroin so there isn't societal outcry yet, everybody just complaints about 'kids these days' and moves on. That's why I consider criminal to let small kids play endlessly with phones/computers or sit in front of tv all day, getting their first addictions from their own parents who are often deep in their own rabbit holes.
ace32229 4y ago
Sounds like you simply need a communication device - not necessarily a "phone" with all that encompasses nowadays. One option would be to disable all apps/functions that aren't calling or texting (maybe emailing too depending on your usage). Another option would be getting a non-smart phone to enforce the above.
- techstrategist 4y ago
  Vouched to bring this comment back to life. Probably flagged because it’s an “actually your problem is very simple” response, but there’s truth to it. My pocket device needs these features: (a touch short of absolute requirements, but who’s counting) a nice camera; cellular connection for data, sms, and voice calls; receive notifications from various apps (email, school, daycare, whatsapp), actually open the apps that don’t put all the relevant information in the notification; and play spotify and libro.fm with a speaker and bluetooth headphones. While reducing excess usage in ways that are not too complex to configure, and also not too easy to disable. Maybe I could get close with a wifi camera + a cellular watch?
  - seelmobile 4y ago
    I had a similar experience as you but ended up reducing my requirements and getting a dumb phone (Jethro SC490) with no direct internet access and the ability to set up a hotspot. If I need anything besides SMS/MMS and voice calls I turn on a hotspot and take out my laptop. I'm "offline" by default but still reachable in emergencies. I do cheat on the camera portion by using my partner's smartphone for pictures where I care about the quality. You lose conveniences but the tradeoff was very worth it in my case. I have no plans of going back to a smartphone.
  - dorchadas 4y ago
    I'm roughly the same. All I want is a phone that lets me play Spotify, tracks my steps during the day/gps on runs, and lets me use messaging apps (Telegram, WhatsApp) along with SMS and call. Really need nothing else on it (and am starting to get that way). Maybe a smart watch is the best option, but I really don't like the design of most of them, and prefer my old school kinetic powered watch.
DeathArrow 4y ago
>And I’m still not sure what do do about it. Maybe break the touch screen again?
- techstrategist 4y ago
  I can always switch back to the old phone, if I can figure out how to ensure I can always answer calls and read notifications. I’d miss the upgraded camera but maybe it’s worth it.
jgrahamc 4y ago
My relationship felt better than ever, because we wouldn’t both lay next to each other on our phones before sleeping You could always do what I did and simply ban all electronics from the bedroom. In my bedroom there is a battery powered clock and that's it. No TV, phones or anything else.
- RMPR 4y ago
  Same, but I do allow ebook readers obviously not connected to Internet.
  - jgrahamc 4y ago
    Yeah. I am slightly incorrect. My wife has an ebook reader but it's not connected to the Internet. I just have a stack of paper books.
- JohnFen 4y ago
  This. The bed should be for sleeping and sex, nothing else.
  - eru 4y ago
    Eh, breakfast in bed can be nice. Some people like reading a book in there, too. And, of course, smaller humans like to jump.
    - JohnFen 4y ago
      Sure, there's lots of nice things to do in bed other than those two. But years ago, I took that advice from my business partner. Doing that improved my sleep (and life) significantly. It may or may not work for you (and you may not need it), but several people I know who started doing it reported that they benefitted greatly. My hypothesis is because it trains your mind to associate bed with just those activities. Mostly sleep, because you're probably doing a whole lot more of that than sex. So what ends up happening is that just getting into bed signals your mind that it's time to sleep. When you get in, sleep comes quickly. I do the other stuff, reading, etc., in a nice, quiet place that isn't in bed. Then I get tired and go to bed, and I'm sleeping soundly very quickly.
uoaei 4y ago
It sounds like better sleep is probably a lot of the explanation of the improvement, too.
mixto 4y ago
Recently I uninstalled most of the applications on my phone, including the browser, email, youtube, and any other form of social media. Now I mostly use my phone for podcasts, texting, phone calls, maps, and as calendar. It's really great! It's worth a try I think. You can always reinstall those apps if you change your mind.
shepherdjerred 4y ago
I wish I could get rid of my phone, but I can't. it's too useful. What I did to use my phone less is: * Set the screen to grayscale. I have a shortcut setup to toggle grayscale/color, so that I can view things like images/videos the friends send me, but I go straight back to grayscale afterwards. I found that I spent a lot less time on apps like Instagram when they're in grayscale. * Set up time limits for apps. Android and iOS both have features for this. In addition, set it up so that you need to enter a PIN to go over the limit. This worked well for me for a bit, but I quickly became reflexive in going over the limit (even with a PIN!). Adding a little bit of friction to going over the limit gives me the chance to think and consider if I really want to be using my phone. So, don't memorize the PIN that you set -- write it down on a piece of paper and stick it between the back of your phone and your phone case. This adds some friction so that you don't reflexively go over your time limits -- if you _really_ need to use some app you can. * Delete any apps that you don't actually need. For me, I deleted all social media apps, and basically anything I could access on my desktop/laptop. Go further, and really question what apps you need. Do you really need easy access to your email, or Discord, or Reddit, on your phone? * If you're able to stomach it, delete your social media accounts. I did this last year, and I don't miss anything. I keep in touch with friends by texting them, asking to setup phone calls, and so on. I did like being able to see what's going on in my friend's lives, but I don't think it was worth the negative effects. If you want to keep in touch with people, you can do so without social media. Send postcards or letters to friends. Actually seek out talking to the people that you want to hear from, rather than passively posting/reading online. * Consider your consumption of news like Reddit, Hacker News, news sites, and so on. I thought I needed Reddit. I thought that it added positive value. I spent a _lot_ of time on Reddit in college. But, after I graduated I slowly weaned myself off. Now I realize that it did have _some_ marginal benefit in keeping up with the news, but I think there was a giant negative impact. Reddit can be a very negative and cynical place; I think it can really influence your thoughts in ways you don't realize. I also saw that there are other ways to keep up with current (I now read the New York Times instead). * Regarding Hacker News, take advantage of the noprocrast features. Also, I use hckr news [0] so that it only shows me the top 10 articles each day. This means I spend less time on here, but I still get the majority of the benefit of reading Hacker News. Of course, you don't have to apply all of the above at once! According to iOS Screen Time, over the course of maybe ~2 years I went from using my phone 2.5-3 hours per day, to ~15 minutes per day now. Hope that you find something that works for you! You (or anyone else!) feel free to email me if you need any advice. I'm certainly not an expert, but I'm so happy that I no longer reflexively pull out my phone. * [0]: https://hckrnews.com/ https://hckrnews.com/
mixmastamyk 4y ago
Our internet shuts off at 11pm at the router so no way to modify that for hours.
colinflane 4y ago
Exact same thing happened to me when we traveled to Costa Rica for a wedding and I unwittingly waded into the Pacific with my waterproof-but-cracked Galaxy in the pocket of my swimming trunks. Came out in death throes, scanning pink lines and emitting horrible noises. Bliss! Returned to the States and decided to upgrade to an iPhone, but the wait times for the 14 was a couple weeks. Exceptionally lovely time. Go for a walk after wrapping up work -- and that's all it is!
AussieWog93 4y ago
>And I’m still not sure what do do about it. Start by disabling the browser. If you have to make a conscious decision every time you check Reddit, you'll find that you stop doing it so much.

suoduandao2 4y ago

There are apps that change a smartphone screen to be greyscale only. Probably not as good as not having one but it might reduce the addictive quality substantially, worth a try in any case

techstrategist 4y ago
That’s a great idea. I tried a lot of similar techniques years ago without much success, but I should try again since I’ve been diagnosed and treated for ADHD since then.
mtklein 4y ago
If you're an Apple user, it's built-in, and I've found it ergonomic to assign its toggle to a triple-tap on your phone's back and/or laptop power button. Those triple-taps are effortlessly quick and rarely if ever misfire, making it totally reasonable to stay in greyscale by default and reengage color selectively when you're looking at something that merits it (film, family, friends, a Wordle scorecard...)
- RMPR 4y ago
  On Android it's also built-in, iirc it's called Bedtime mode.
npteljes 4y ago
Android phones can do that in Developer mode. https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/74887/force-android-to-display-in-grayscale#90217 https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/74887/force-andr... (Old answer, but the placement is similar)
- NoGravitas 4y ago
  On LineageOS, it's been a regular setting, with a quick tile, for quite a while. And in recent mainstream Androids (12, I think?) it's available under bedtime settings or something.
  - npteljes 4y ago
    You're right! My /e/ OS has it as "Reading mode" in the quick tiles. And has a Reading mode toggle in the LiveDisplay settings.
chuankl 4y ago
On my Pixel 6a running stock Android 13, the setting is under Accessibility > Color and motion > Color correction > Grayscale. No separate app and no development mode needed.

AJJB2 4y ago

There will be many answers about a technical solution for this (apps that limit apps, dumb phones, different launchers etc.). None will work. Train yourself to not phone. Same as you can not consume advertising (cant adblock billboards). All the technical solutions trim too much away about what makes a smartphone great, or add too much friction, either to configure or to disable again, which you will do anyways. Also these technical solutions are just products again. They exist not to actually work, but to make money. Sometimes both are true, but rarely. This is a two tier society. Those who can train themselves to do this, who will be able to read books, learn, be present without Soma and ... the zombies.

wilsonnb3 4y ago
> There will be many answers about a technical solution for this (apps that limit apps, dumb phones, different launchers etc.). None will work. Don't listen to this guy, all of those things work well for a lot of people.
- saiya-jin 4y ago
  Just guessing but maybe the poster meant that those things don't attack root cause which is sad but simple - screen/media addiction and easiness of obtaining next kick from it, versus actual physical relationships which are much harder to manage and it only gets worse with age. They help you existing around this gaping dark hole but not doing much with it itself, just trying to divert you staring into it. Well guess what, its now part of you, permanently. Admitting that to yourself ain't an easy task on its own, especially if one works with IT or with computers all day. With that being established, addictions can be tackled in numerous ways, but lets be frank here - our mind, often our greatest asset, is our greatest enemy with addictions. An addict has a permanent crack in persona, something you can put some glue in but things will never be the same as before, you are in recovery for rest of your life. Since screens and media are everywhere, its pretty hard addiction, similar to say cigarettes in terms of shedding it off. So I think all those tools mentioned work to some extent, for some, but actually getting off the drug shows different, more intense results. The effects are quite subtle unlike say heroin so there isn't societal outcry yet, everybody just complaints about 'kids these days' and moves on. That's why I consider criminal to let small kids play endlessly with phones/computers or sit in front of tv all day, getting their first addictions from their own parents who are often deep in their own rabbit holes.

ace32229 4y ago

Sounds like you simply need a communication device - not necessarily a "phone" with all that encompasses nowadays. One option would be to disable all apps/functions that aren't calling or texting (maybe emailing too depending on your usage). Another option would be getting a non-smart phone to enforce the above.

techstrategist 4y ago
Vouched to bring this comment back to life. Probably flagged because it’s an “actually your problem is very simple” response, but there’s truth to it. My pocket device needs these features: (a touch short of absolute requirements, but who’s counting) a nice camera; cellular connection for data, sms, and voice calls; receive notifications from various apps (email, school, daycare, whatsapp), actually open the apps that don’t put all the relevant information in the notification; and play spotify and libro.fm with a speaker and bluetooth headphones. While reducing excess usage in ways that are not too complex to configure, and also not too easy to disable. Maybe I could get close with a wifi camera + a cellular watch?
- seelmobile 4y ago
  I had a similar experience as you but ended up reducing my requirements and getting a dumb phone (Jethro SC490) with no direct internet access and the ability to set up a hotspot. If I need anything besides SMS/MMS and voice calls I turn on a hotspot and take out my laptop. I'm "offline" by default but still reachable in emergencies. I do cheat on the camera portion by using my partner's smartphone for pictures where I care about the quality. You lose conveniences but the tradeoff was very worth it in my case. I have no plans of going back to a smartphone.
- dorchadas 4y ago
  I'm roughly the same. All I want is a phone that lets me play Spotify, tracks my steps during the day/gps on runs, and lets me use messaging apps (Telegram, WhatsApp) along with SMS and call. Really need nothing else on it (and am starting to get that way). Maybe a smart watch is the best option, but I really don't like the design of most of them, and prefer my old school kinetic powered watch.

DeathArrow 4y ago

>And I’m still not sure what do do about it. Maybe break the touch screen again?

techstrategist 4y ago
I can always switch back to the old phone, if I can figure out how to ensure I can always answer calls and read notifications. I’d miss the upgraded camera but maybe it’s worth it.

jgrahamc 4y ago

My relationship felt better than ever, because we wouldn’t both lay next to each other on our phones before sleeping You could always do what I did and simply ban all electronics from the bedroom. In my bedroom there is a battery powered clock and that's it. No TV, phones or anything else.

RMPR 4y ago
Same, but I do allow ebook readers obviously not connected to Internet.
- jgrahamc 4y ago
  Yeah. I am slightly incorrect. My wife has an ebook reader but it's not connected to the Internet. I just have a stack of paper books.
JohnFen 4y ago
This. The bed should be for sleeping and sex, nothing else.
- eru 4y ago
  Eh, breakfast in bed can be nice. Some people like reading a book in there, too. And, of course, smaller humans like to jump.
  - JohnFen 4y ago
    Sure, there's lots of nice things to do in bed other than those two. But years ago, I took that advice from my business partner. Doing that improved my sleep (and life) significantly. It may or may not work for you (and you may not need it), but several people I know who started doing it reported that they benefitted greatly. My hypothesis is because it trains your mind to associate bed with just those activities. Mostly sleep, because you're probably doing a whole lot more of that than sex. So what ends up happening is that just getting into bed signals your mind that it's time to sleep. When you get in, sleep comes quickly. I do the other stuff, reading, etc., in a nice, quiet place that isn't in bed. Then I get tired and go to bed, and I'm sleeping soundly very quickly.

uoaei 4y ago

It sounds like better sleep is probably a lot of the explanation of the improvement, too.

mixto 4y ago

Recently I uninstalled most of the applications on my phone, including the browser, email, youtube, and any other form of social media. Now I mostly use my phone for podcasts, texting, phone calls, maps, and as calendar. It's really great! It's worth a try I think. You can always reinstall those apps if you change your mind.

shepherdjerred 4y ago

I wish I could get rid of my phone, but I can't. it's too useful. What I did to use my phone less is: * Set the screen to grayscale. I have a shortcut setup to toggle grayscale/color, so that I can view things like images/videos the friends send me, but I go straight back to grayscale afterwards. I found that I spent a lot less time on apps like Instagram when they're in grayscale. * Set up time limits for apps. Android and iOS both have features for this. In addition, set it up so that you need to enter a PIN to go over the limit. This worked well for me for a bit, but I quickly became reflexive in going over the limit (even with a PIN!). Adding a little bit of friction to going over the limit gives me the chance to think and consider if I really want to be using my phone. So, don't memorize the PIN that you set -- write it down on a piece of paper and stick it between the back of your phone and your phone case. This adds some friction so that you don't reflexively go over your time limits -- if you _really_ need to use some app you can. * Delete any apps that you don't actually need. For me, I deleted all social media apps, and basically anything I could access on my desktop/laptop. Go further, and really question what apps you need. Do you really need easy access to your email, or Discord, or Reddit, on your phone? * If you're able to stomach it, delete your social media accounts. I did this last year, and I don't miss anything. I keep in touch with friends by texting them, asking to setup phone calls, and so on. I did like being able to see what's going on in my friend's lives, but I don't think it was worth the negative effects. If you want to keep in touch with people, you can do so without social media. Send postcards or letters to friends. Actually seek out talking to the people that you want to hear from, rather than passively posting/reading online. * Consider your consumption of news like Reddit, Hacker News, news sites, and so on. I thought I needed Reddit. I thought that it added positive value. I spent a _lot_ of time on Reddit in college. But, after I graduated I slowly weaned myself off. Now I realize that it did have _some_ marginal benefit in keeping up with the news, but I think there was a giant negative impact. Reddit can be a very negative and cynical place; I think it can really influence your thoughts in ways you don't realize. I also saw that there are other ways to keep up with current (I now read the New York Times instead). * Regarding Hacker News, take advantage of the noprocrast features. Also, I use hckr news [0] so that it only shows me the top 10 articles each day. This means I spend less time on here, but I still get the majority of the benefit of reading Hacker News. Of course, you don't have to apply all of the above at once! According to iOS Screen Time, over the course of maybe ~2 years I went from using my phone 2.5-3 hours per day, to ~15 minutes per day now. Hope that you find something that works for you! You (or anyone else!) feel free to email me if you need any advice. I'm certainly not an expert, but I'm so happy that I no longer reflexively pull out my phone. * [0]: https://hckrnews.com/ https://hckrnews.com/

mixmastamyk 4y ago

Our internet shuts off at 11pm at the router so no way to modify that for hours.

colinflane 4y ago

Exact same thing happened to me when we traveled to Costa Rica for a wedding and I unwittingly waded into the Pacific with my waterproof-but-cracked Galaxy in the pocket of my swimming trunks. Came out in death throes, scanning pink lines and emitting horrible noises. Bliss! Returned to the States and decided to upgrade to an iPhone, but the wait times for the 14 was a couple weeks. Exceptionally lovely time. Go for a walk after wrapping up work -- and that's all it is!

AussieWog93 4y ago

>And I’m still not sure what do do about it. Start by disabling the browser. If you have to make a conscious decision every time you check Reddit, you'll find that you stop doing it so much.