My life revolves around my phone.
No matter how difficult that is, it is the truth. For actually my whole awake life, I am tied to my smartphone and I hate it.
As a mobile editor of Tech Advisor, the regular use of my phone is a necessity. There is nothing inherent in this – a smartphone offers tons of functions that can improve our lives.
All too often it feels almost impossible to separate these benefits from the well -published disadvantages. I usually do not reach my phone to use one of his many handy tools; I use it as a form of distraction.
Whether it is about postponing or escaping a moment of discomfort, my phone has eliminated boredom from my life. Unfortunately it has had the same effect on any real relaxation.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
I knew something had to change, so I set myself a radical challenge. Can I survive for a whole week without using a smartphone? Switching to a Flip telephone had not had the desired effect, so I knew I had to continue.
There was only one device for: a ‘stupid phone’. In other words, a basic function telephone that offers access to important tools such as calls and texts, but little else. I went for the Nokia 110 that I already had -it has 4G connectivity, which is crucial at a time when many 3G networks are switched off.
In principle, all the other comfort of the being I started to trust. No chrome! No WhatsApp! No Google Maps! A terrible camera! What did I register for?
Despite all these apparent disadvantages, I was strangely excited to make the switch, which probably showed how much I needed it. This is how my smartphone -free week went.
Friday
It is 6.30 pm. I have finished working for the week and have a full week off to look forward to. I also have no plans to leave the city where I live – there will literally never be a better time to do this.
I finally collect the courage to eliminate my Nothing Phone (3A) Pro, take the SIM card out and put it in the Nokia 110.
And that’s how the experiment started. That also applies to my discomfort, so I immediately reach to the next most addictive device that I possess – my laptop – and I quickly chose. Ah, the sweet hit of dopamine!
Except … it’s not as good as you have to mess with a keyboard and mouse instead of just tapping and wiping. My laptop has a touchscreen, but watching YouTube -Shorts and Facebook reels on such a huge display just feels wrong.
It also goes against what my goal is for this experiment: using technology more consciously.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
So, in another radical movement, I block the sites that I know will distract the most. These are the usual suspects: a few news sites and social media apps. The limitations are simple enough to make ends meet, but I hope there will be enough friction to make me think twice.
After dinner I suddenly realize that I was planning to call my grandmother. Will she even hear me on such a cheap, basic telephone?
But this is what stupid phones do best. Call quality during our 30 -minute conversation is excellent, and at all it feels like a downgrade compared to a smartphone. I doubt that my grandmother can see that I use another phone – she certainly did not mention it.
Saturday
Today I visit my parents that I know will not make a smartphone much easier. I rarely use it when I’m with them anyway.
However, I did not take into account the morning walk that we first go, where there are several options for taking great photos. You should have looked at my father’s face when I took the Nokia out of my pocket! Miffed would be an understatement.
While he walks away with the Xiaomi 13 Pro, I can’t help it, but I feel a touch of envy, even if I only copied the shots he made. But I also enjoy being free from the usual pressure to document my life. It is a refreshing feeling.
I really enjoy not having a smartphone for most of the rest of the day. Except when my parents’ printer does not work and I have to borrow one of their phones to get the manual. Ugh.
Before I know it, it is more than 12 hours since I last checked WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. At that time I missed a total of … zero messages.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Sunday
I call a friend in Malaysia this morning. Can confirm: WhatsApp calls work well on a laptop, even when the phone that is connected is switched off. 2.5 hours of flying by nothing more than small problems, which I think are internet -related.
The only real problem I come across today is my shopping list, which usually lives on Google Keep. Switching to a paper version is probably the easiest swap that I make all week, although it is not difficult to dump my virtual loyalty card for the physical.
Before I know it, it is more than 12 hours since I last checked WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. At that time I missed a total of … zero messages
Getting used to looking at just one screen at the same time (I know, I know), however, is a challenge. Sometimes I admit and use my laptop, but try to keep my attention on the football match as much as possible. It is not helped by what is perhaps the most boring Manchester derby ever.
Monday
I booked a massage for my first official day off. This would be somewhat nerve -racking at the best times, but I also have to navigate to an unknown location and have no evidence of my booking. Shivering.
Cue looks about 20 times looking for the 7 -minute walk on Google Maps. In the end it is easy to find, and an hour later I feel a whole new man.
A few minutes after my afternoon of journaling (on my laptop – I am not perfect), I feel a feeling of calmness and focus that I have not had in weeks. It took a few days, but the use of a smartphone gives me a lot more present.
Tuesday
Another scary Google Maps-free navigation has arrived. This time it is a 45 -minute walk to a country park that I have never visited. Am I crazy?
No, no, I am not. The obsessive route control before I left may have helped, but it turns out that these things are called signs that point you in the right direction when you try to find something. Who knew?
In the end it is a breeze to reach the park, and I enjoy reading and walking through the lake before I go to the nearby café.
When I sit alone around many couples and families, I feel a bit uncomfortable, so I turn to my phone instinctively. But let me tell you, if Snake is your only option for distraction, it is better to stay in the real world (don’t come for me, snake fans).
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Wednesday
Today is the easiest day so far. Apart from a short walk in the morning, I stay at home all day, so I clean up the flat with my mother. Before I know it, seven hours flown by and I hardly looked at a screen.
I use my laptop for a few hours in the evening, but it quickly gets boring if you can’t go on social media, you can check the news if YouTube videos can view. There are only so many Reddit messages that a man can read.
Thursday
Without a smartphone are now almost normal. Instead of trusting GPS, I just look at where I want to go on my laptop and I trust that I can find it.
Tracing a local coffee shop is simple, just like the collection restaurant that I had identified before dinner.
I expected more problems in the cinema, which normally uses digital tickets. Although the e-mail clearly says ‘This is your ticket’, I have convinced myself that they will reject my print and send myself.
But it turns out that nobody even checked my ticket! That all that was worrying for nothing. At least the film was pretty good.
In the evening I finally have to recharge the phone for the first time I could get used to this six-day battery life. However, I never want to go back to Micro-USB. Ugh.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Friday
It is the last day of my experiment, and I am not completely looking forward to going back to my smartphone. But I have no choice – the Pixel 9a will not judge itself.
I use my last few smartphone -free hours to perform some of the most everyday tasks that people know: food shopping, cleaning and laundry.
By the time that 6.30 pm comes, I am mentally prepared to go back to the world of nearly constant distractions. As soon as I get back, I am struck by how large and extensive this feels 6.3-inch, 186g device. It is relatively compact according to modern telephone standards, but about twice as large as the Nokia.
I could get used to this six -day battery life. However, I never want to go back to Micro-USB. Ugh
I quickly glide into my old user patterns, but I can’t shake the feeling that it is not right.
What switch to a stupid phone taught me
Exciting my smartphone for a stupid phone has had an in -depth effect on me. During my seven -day experiment I felt calmer, more focused and generally less stressed.
That is of course not exclusively a consequence of not using a smartphone. I had a deliberately quiet week off with work with just a handful of tasks to complete, with priority to rest and recovery. I also did not leave my hometown, which means that all streets were known to me.
But nevertheless it shows the power of reducing distractions and becoming more present, something that I certainly want to continue.
I have no desire to give up my smartphone full -time. It is just too handy in too many scenarios, especially while traveling or at an unknown location.
Instead, my goal is to find a happy midfield where I can get a lot of the benefits without being sucked up in brainless use. After seeing what is possible, I am more motivated than ever to find out.
