6 ms·

I picked up one of these and have been having a number of issues, but have somehow managed to stick with it and my life is much improved as a result. Device usa

I picked up one of these and have been having a number of issues, but have somehow managed to stick with it and my life is much improved as a result. Device usage has been much, much more intentional. I wouldn't say I'm cured of my scrolling addiction, but the time I spend scrolling has been relegated to just the latest hours of the night, and even then, significantly less. The trick about this phone is that because it is full fat Android, everything is possible. But because it is low refresh rate black and white screen with a physical keyboard, everything is also a pain in the ass. Rather than hear a chat message notification and immediately get the urge to pull out my phone and engage, I actually now get slightly annoyed because typing out a proper response with proper grammar is going to be a pain in the ass. The company is pretty lousy and doesn't communicate well. They have missed every single deadline they've ever set for themselves. The software is glitchy but usable (I have all the same issues mentioned in the article with the autocorrect, refresh settings, fingerprint, etc). All those things are fixable and hopefully do. The phone itself is very weak hardware and the screen protector and case still haven't shipped. I had my phone in my back pocket and it did not survive that, I got two cracks along the edge and a slight bend. Still works though, but I have switched it to my front pocket. Android Auto works great in both my vehicles, so maps/navigation are not an issue. Bitwarden works. Duo auth works. Banking apps work. Roon works. Podcasts work. Things that I need, that other dumb phones can't provide. But the critical thing is, I am trying to avoid using the phone because it is just a pain in the ass to do things on. For this, honestly, I'd pay 10x the list price because it has given me so much of my life back. I actually had a mini crisis when I realized I was bored, with nothing to do in the evenings after work, because I had so much time back. (Don't worry, channeling that time into productive hobbies now). I would highly highly highly recommend this if you want to spend less time on your phone but need certain functions a smartphone provides.

grim_io 1y ago
This self-sabotage of self-sabotage is not something I can do. My brain has too much agency for its own good. It would not let itself be constrained in its pursuit of scrolling bliss.
smusamashah 1y ago
Can you browse HN on it? If you do, would you do it with a client or with plain old browser?
- colingauvin 1y ago
  It's doable in the web browser. Clicking small links is annoying and makes it much more self limiting after a number of mis-clicks.
jama211 1y ago
We live in a strange world when people are intentionally making their devices worse to use to try and discourage themselves from using them
- colingauvin 1y ago
  It started when I had my first kid and he wouldn't sleep and I would lay there awake all night just thinking of all the stressors in my life. I'd use the phone to distract myself. Then that gradually just turned into a crutch for all stress. That was pretty hard to stop. I've tried a number of different things but nothing stuck. I've had this phone for a few months now and it has really done the trick.
  - rpdillon 1y ago
    This is a a microcosm of so much addiction, at least in my experience. Friction really matters in giving your mind a moment to pause and consider. I think adding friction by getting a less capable phone is a great technique, similarly to how I'd hide the candy/alcohol/TV remotes if folks in the house are addicted. It doesn't remove the opportunity, but it makes it tougher.
  - solaire_oa 1y ago
    This happened for me as well. It adds insult to injury that lying awake, unable to sleep properly for months straight, doomscrolling (or just being online too much) further saps your mental health in an already drained and depressed state. It's a pretty messed up negative feedback loop. If you find yourself in this state, audiobooks are a good alternative.
- LeifCarrotson 1y ago
  It's like candy - so tasty that you can't stop eating it until you're diabetic and obese. People will absolutely structure their diets to make them "worse" (less tasty) because they want, at a higher level than their taste buds want sugar, to stay healthy. A trillion dollar industry exists to profit off of gluing eyeballs to screens. Making the device other than what this industry designed it to be is not self-sabotage, it's self-interested! Read "Supernormal Stimuli" by Barrett for some other examples of this phenomenon.
metaphor 1y ago
> The company is pretty lousy and doesn't communicate well. They have missed every single deadline they've ever set for themselves. THIS...BUYER BEWARE! Raise your hand if you're one of the first thousand Indiegogo campaign backers and still haven't received your order.

grim_io 1y ago

This self-sabotage of self-sabotage is not something I can do. My brain has too much agency for its own good. It would not let itself be constrained in its pursuit of scrolling bliss.

smusamashah 1y ago

Can you browse HN on it? If you do, would you do it with a client or with plain old browser?

colingauvin 1y ago
It's doable in the web browser. Clicking small links is annoying and makes it much more self limiting after a number of mis-clicks.

jama211 1y ago

We live in a strange world when people are intentionally making their devices worse to use to try and discourage themselves from using them

colingauvin 1y ago
It started when I had my first kid and he wouldn't sleep and I would lay there awake all night just thinking of all the stressors in my life. I'd use the phone to distract myself. Then that gradually just turned into a crutch for all stress. That was pretty hard to stop. I've tried a number of different things but nothing stuck. I've had this phone for a few months now and it has really done the trick.
- rpdillon 1y ago
  This is a a microcosm of so much addiction, at least in my experience. Friction really matters in giving your mind a moment to pause and consider. I think adding friction by getting a less capable phone is a great technique, similarly to how I'd hide the candy/alcohol/TV remotes if folks in the house are addicted. It doesn't remove the opportunity, but it makes it tougher.
- solaire_oa 1y ago
  This happened for me as well. It adds insult to injury that lying awake, unable to sleep properly for months straight, doomscrolling (or just being online too much) further saps your mental health in an already drained and depressed state. It's a pretty messed up negative feedback loop. If you find yourself in this state, audiobooks are a good alternative.
LeifCarrotson 1y ago
It's like candy - so tasty that you can't stop eating it until you're diabetic and obese. People will absolutely structure their diets to make them "worse" (less tasty) because they want, at a higher level than their taste buds want sugar, to stay healthy. A trillion dollar industry exists to profit off of gluing eyeballs to screens. Making the device other than what this industry designed it to be is not self-sabotage, it's self-interested! Read "Supernormal Stimuli" by Barrett for some other examples of this phenomenon.

metaphor 1y ago

> The company is pretty lousy and doesn't communicate well. They have missed every single deadline they've ever set for themselves. THIS...BUYER BEWARE! Raise your hand if you're one of the first thousand Indiegogo campaign backers and still haven't received your order.