Another great subject, Hannah. Oh, the number of times I say to my husband "I'm sick of this phone, I'm getting a nokia". However, for various reasons, having a basic smartphone makes sense for me at this moment in time and I've kind of found a happy way forward. I find pinging notifications distressing! I'm not active on social media, so don't have those to deal with anyway. With substack, I don't have the app, meaning I pretty much only use it on my laptop. My phone is on silent the majority of the time, and I don't always have it with me, so I can respond to things when I'm in a frame of mind to check. I only hold on to apps that actually serve a purpose, that way less clutter and fewer notifications. I must say though, I've really got used to having a camera. And this one sounds really daft, but because my phone is a cheapy effort (I refuse to spend a fortune on a bloody phone!), it's huge - I can barely hold it - so I got a case that means I can hold it like a book. Makes the whole thing much less annoying. I'm not sure it's such a bad thing that workplaces and other organisations have to provide work arounds for people without smartphones - it's really sad to read how uncomfortable that makes people feel. Strange times. Thanks for this conversation starter, really enjoy your blog.
You're so kind :) It sounds like you've found a good balance! I guess the key is to be disciplined enough not to check it all the time and to resist the temptation of installing the 'demanding' apps.
I definitely get the point with the camera - this is one of the few advantages of a smartphone I can see for myself. At the moment, I always carry a separate camera; but as a minimalist I would definitely like to have only a single device, and even though I spent several hundred Euros on my camera, the pictures are worse than those my friends take on their smartphones.
I like the book perspective... I guess if you switch all notifications off, you can read a book and almost convince yourself it's an e-book reader.
I think another thing in my favour is my age - my eyesight is starting to deteriorate a little and I need two pairs of glasses. It's such a faff swapping between the two that I can't look at a small screen for long anyway 😁. Hope you have a lovely Sunday.
I have a smartphone and frequently put it on airplane mode to switch off from it at evenings and weekends. I’ll also deliberately hide it away in a drawer at home to get away from its presence, and leave it behind at home if I’m going somewhere and know I won’t need it, like to the shops or for a local walk.
When I went on a solo hiking week, I had my phone on airplane mode almost constantly, just using it once a day to whatsapp my partner confirming I’d got to my accommodation safely. I like the convenience and feeling of safety of knowing it’s there if I need it and being able to quickly check maps/public transport updates/banking apps as needed. But I was the last of my friends to get a smartphone and if they weren’t ubiquitous now, I wouldn’t have one. (I would happily swap the stress of WhatsApp messages for old-fashioned letter writing!)
I think that will be the way to go if I ever get one!
Yes, I can see the advantages when going on a trip, esp. solo. I have been on some wild camping trips of a few days, and I have to admit that it was sometimes a pain that I couldn't check public transport and especially the weather! I sometimes dream about longer solo hiking trips through Scandinavia, and I honestly think I would get a smartphone for that for safety reasons.
Yes, letters... you remind me I should write one, haven't done it in such a long time! Thanks for your comment :)
This was a fascinating read! I have a smartphone, but have had many idle thoughts over the past years about how it is becoming more and more difficult to exist without one. I can think of at least one app on my phone that I need for work where the non-app workaround has been phased out because the assumption is that everyone has a smartphone.
To give myself some space from the urgency of my phone, I utilize the "Focus" features on my iPhone, which essentially are different variants of "Do Not Disturb" settings. I have a work focus (which only shows me the notifications for my work apps) and a personal focus (which blocks notifications from all those work apps). When I'm hiking, I often put my phone on Airplane Mode so nothing comes through and my phone just turns into a camera and a notepad where I can jot down my thoughts. It's also fairly common for me to leave my phone at home when I take a walk in my neighborhood, just so I can break the habit of constantly reaching for my phone.
It's interesting that you mention the "demanding presence" of your laptop because I also feel that way about my laptop, but don't about my phone. My laptop is where Big Things happen, so I find it harder to ignore the unread emails in my inbox and the tabs of unfinished projects in my browser window.
But once you make the leap to a smartphone, you quickly get used to the ease of having everything at your fingertips and it will be nigh impossible to go back to a basic phone. Might as well hold onto the basic phone for as long as you can!
Yes totally, I am sure once I get one I will never go back!
Those sound like convenient features - great that there are such flexible options. It's very interesting to me to read how people find a good balance, as I don't even know how a smartphone works and what options there are, ha ha! I think my main worry is that I would constantly need to suppress the urge to manually switch off the restrictions in order to check my emails, or so. Part of the issue is that my work and private life are very entangled and it's very normal for my colleagues and me to work at weekends or in the night and send work emails at any time - so, I really need strong measures to set boundaries.
I love the honesty of this post and I’m so happy to have found your page! I do have a smartphone, I use the excuse that I need to be available should my (older teen) children need me, which is in part true. However my older children don’t need me to have the number of news, shopping app as a social media I also have on my phone! Thank you for inspiring me that, whilst I don’t want to get rid of it completely (that would feel wasteful) I do want to be less of a slave to it
Thank you so much for your kind comment :) Yes, I totally get that it's useful when you have children - I've talked to friends with teenage kids about this as well.
I guess finding the right balance is key, just like with almost everything else...
Wow super interesting! There can't be too many people who don't have a smartphone now.
I have all notifications turned off except for messenger. Phone is always on silent mode.
It's easy to get sucked into wasting time on them, but I no longer use Facebook, Instagram and have never used tiktok. I'm also mindful about the time I spend on substack, which is why I'm always so far behind on reading people's posts 😅
It definitely takes strength to restrain from being glued to the screen all day, but I've found having hobbies and reading physical books has really helped with this.
Great topic and one I am constantly aware of myself. I am extremely emf sensitive so when you speak of presence I can say 'yes' literally and have remained on the back foot and reluctant user. I do own one but it is usually switched off. Often more trouble than it is worth though, I often toyed with going back to my old one which was very basic until I recently decided the best thing for me to do right now was to de-google a phone, know that I have something which works if needed but have it working in the way I choose. I hold out for when any tech we use will truely enhance rather than harm. Still an emf issue so still switched off often or in a faraday bag but it does make it easier for my daughter to stay in touch right now, and I do like the possibility of it allowing me to have a couple of connection apps on the laptop and having a map if needed but stay independent of the big two. I would never use it for email or social media and pretty much keep it pretty 'dumb' (cant stand use of either 'smart' or 'dumb' !) I totally concur that the laptop is enough especially when needed for work (wired connection ) and its all about balance. I find it interesting to hear that sales of the simple types have gone up especially amoung young people. So it will be one of the great levellers of our times I believe - which way people will go - espcecially as more become aware of the high surveillance issues. Thank you for your commitment to stay connected in the real way - it holds a beacon for everyone and the more beacons shine, the stronger the true connections become world wide.
Yeah, I think as a society we are too quick to adopt any "fancy" tech just because it's new and shiny, rather than asking whether it actually enhances our lives!
Sounds like you have found a good way to balance things for the moment though, and I'm happy to find others here who feel a strong need to focus on the real connections! I have to say it hasn't always been easy - a few of my friends seem to be unable to stay in touch if I don't have a messaging app. Of course this just means that the friendship wasn't very meaningful in the first place (otherwise they would surely be able to send an email), but it wasn't easy to learn this. I didn't realise that the sales of simple phones have gone up again though - maybe there is some hope! Thanks for your comment :)
Yes, I can mentally disconnect even with a smartphone. I choose, for the most part, which apps to put on my phone, and I have used the downtime setting to limit even the ones I have. Talk and text are my preferred methods of communication. I like my smartphone for the camera, reminders, and maps, research, and podcasts, ebooks, and audio books, but not so much for social media.
That said, I still think I overuse it and I sometimes toy with the idea of going back to a plain phone. I just know it would be a painful process after this long.
Yes, I can see that going back would be very hard - kudos to anyone who does!
That's great that you can mentally disconnect though. I don't know if this is a natural "talent" or something we can learn - I think I'd find it quite difficult.
Yes, I just commented somewhere else - having phone & camera within a single device is definitely a great advantage that I do find appealing. At some point, I had a simple phone + a separate camera + an mp3 player + a tablet I used mostly as an e-reader. That seems a bit ridiculous given I could choose to have everything in one device!
I have managed to delete most non-essential apps from my smartphone, and I try to avoid using it as much as possible. The fact that it's a really small size also helps. Yet, as you said, knowing that it's there makes me take it out sometimes.
I do want to try out a few weeks without a smartphone, but I have yet to give it a go.
We also resist getting a smartphone, not only because of their superpower time wasting apps, but also because from an energetic standpoint, it's far from the healthiest thing to hold in your hand, or by your head.
Has it made our simple lives more difficult?
Yes it has.
We had to give up internet banking when they no longer supported it on the laptop - smartphones only. When we travel we need to download maps onto the desktop, or print them like folks of the past, we can't view them in real time. And forget about emojis and texts. Just send us an email and we'll get back to you in 24 hours. Besides, the push to get them in everyone's hands is one step closer to a digital identification, which is something we are strongly against. The more people who resist the urge/temptation/convenience to get a smartphone, the better off society will be. Nature would benefit greatly from it too. I can't tell you how many young kids walk through a park with a phone in their hands, never looking up at the trees at all. And on the bus, never looking out of the window. Sometimes I do wonder if they even know where they are.
Wow, that is a pain with the bank - that's quite a limitation! They should really offer desktop access.
"Just send us an email and we'll get back to you in 24 hours." - I like that! Who says we need to be available to everyone all the time? It seems quite unhealthy. 24 hours is actually still quite fast, given that not so long ago people sent letters that would take days... I am in a work environment where people work a lot & send messages at any time of day and night, and getting distance is important for me. Luckily, my colleagues at least do not necessarily expect a quick response - it's totally fine if I respond two days later. I hear that this is different in many workplaces and private contexts. It would make me so mad if people expected an immediate response.
Yeah totally agree about the kids. I have noticed in many of my students in their 20s that they have a reduced attention span and are not easily fascinated by / interested in small things, and I think the constant flood of entertainment on their phones may be a reason.
Another great subject, Hannah. Oh, the number of times I say to my husband "I'm sick of this phone, I'm getting a nokia". However, for various reasons, having a basic smartphone makes sense for me at this moment in time and I've kind of found a happy way forward. I find pinging notifications distressing! I'm not active on social media, so don't have those to deal with anyway. With substack, I don't have the app, meaning I pretty much only use it on my laptop. My phone is on silent the majority of the time, and I don't always have it with me, so I can respond to things when I'm in a frame of mind to check. I only hold on to apps that actually serve a purpose, that way less clutter and fewer notifications. I must say though, I've really got used to having a camera. And this one sounds really daft, but because my phone is a cheapy effort (I refuse to spend a fortune on a bloody phone!), it's huge - I can barely hold it - so I got a case that means I can hold it like a book. Makes the whole thing much less annoying. I'm not sure it's such a bad thing that workplaces and other organisations have to provide work arounds for people without smartphones - it's really sad to read how uncomfortable that makes people feel. Strange times. Thanks for this conversation starter, really enjoy your blog.
You're so kind :) It sounds like you've found a good balance! I guess the key is to be disciplined enough not to check it all the time and to resist the temptation of installing the 'demanding' apps.
I definitely get the point with the camera - this is one of the few advantages of a smartphone I can see for myself. At the moment, I always carry a separate camera; but as a minimalist I would definitely like to have only a single device, and even though I spent several hundred Euros on my camera, the pictures are worse than those my friends take on their smartphones.
I like the book perspective... I guess if you switch all notifications off, you can read a book and almost convince yourself it's an e-book reader.
I think another thing in my favour is my age - my eyesight is starting to deteriorate a little and I need two pairs of glasses. It's such a faff swapping between the two that I can't look at a small screen for long anyway 😁. Hope you have a lovely Sunday.
I have a smartphone and frequently put it on airplane mode to switch off from it at evenings and weekends. I’ll also deliberately hide it away in a drawer at home to get away from its presence, and leave it behind at home if I’m going somewhere and know I won’t need it, like to the shops or for a local walk.
When I went on a solo hiking week, I had my phone on airplane mode almost constantly, just using it once a day to whatsapp my partner confirming I’d got to my accommodation safely. I like the convenience and feeling of safety of knowing it’s there if I need it and being able to quickly check maps/public transport updates/banking apps as needed. But I was the last of my friends to get a smartphone and if they weren’t ubiquitous now, I wouldn’t have one. (I would happily swap the stress of WhatsApp messages for old-fashioned letter writing!)
I think that will be the way to go if I ever get one!
Yes, I can see the advantages when going on a trip, esp. solo. I have been on some wild camping trips of a few days, and I have to admit that it was sometimes a pain that I couldn't check public transport and especially the weather! I sometimes dream about longer solo hiking trips through Scandinavia, and I honestly think I would get a smartphone for that for safety reasons.
Yes, letters... you remind me I should write one, haven't done it in such a long time! Thanks for your comment :)
This was a fascinating read! I have a smartphone, but have had many idle thoughts over the past years about how it is becoming more and more difficult to exist without one. I can think of at least one app on my phone that I need for work where the non-app workaround has been phased out because the assumption is that everyone has a smartphone.
To give myself some space from the urgency of my phone, I utilize the "Focus" features on my iPhone, which essentially are different variants of "Do Not Disturb" settings. I have a work focus (which only shows me the notifications for my work apps) and a personal focus (which blocks notifications from all those work apps). When I'm hiking, I often put my phone on Airplane Mode so nothing comes through and my phone just turns into a camera and a notepad where I can jot down my thoughts. It's also fairly common for me to leave my phone at home when I take a walk in my neighborhood, just so I can break the habit of constantly reaching for my phone.
It's interesting that you mention the "demanding presence" of your laptop because I also feel that way about my laptop, but don't about my phone. My laptop is where Big Things happen, so I find it harder to ignore the unread emails in my inbox and the tabs of unfinished projects in my browser window.
But once you make the leap to a smartphone, you quickly get used to the ease of having everything at your fingertips and it will be nigh impossible to go back to a basic phone. Might as well hold onto the basic phone for as long as you can!
Yes totally, I am sure once I get one I will never go back!
Those sound like convenient features - great that there are such flexible options. It's very interesting to me to read how people find a good balance, as I don't even know how a smartphone works and what options there are, ha ha! I think my main worry is that I would constantly need to suppress the urge to manually switch off the restrictions in order to check my emails, or so. Part of the issue is that my work and private life are very entangled and it's very normal for my colleagues and me to work at weekends or in the night and send work emails at any time - so, I really need strong measures to set boundaries.
I love the honesty of this post and I’m so happy to have found your page! I do have a smartphone, I use the excuse that I need to be available should my (older teen) children need me, which is in part true. However my older children don’t need me to have the number of news, shopping app as a social media I also have on my phone! Thank you for inspiring me that, whilst I don’t want to get rid of it completely (that would feel wasteful) I do want to be less of a slave to it
Thank you so much for your kind comment :) Yes, I totally get that it's useful when you have children - I've talked to friends with teenage kids about this as well.
I guess finding the right balance is key, just like with almost everything else...
Wow super interesting! There can't be too many people who don't have a smartphone now.
I have all notifications turned off except for messenger. Phone is always on silent mode.
It's easy to get sucked into wasting time on them, but I no longer use Facebook, Instagram and have never used tiktok. I'm also mindful about the time I spend on substack, which is why I'm always so far behind on reading people's posts 😅
It definitely takes strength to restrain from being glued to the screen all day, but I've found having hobbies and reading physical books has really helped with this.
Ha, being behind on reading posts sounds familiar…
Great that you’ve figured out a good way to manage the smartphone! I always wonder whether I’d just switch notifications back on in weak moments!
Great topic and one I am constantly aware of myself. I am extremely emf sensitive so when you speak of presence I can say 'yes' literally and have remained on the back foot and reluctant user. I do own one but it is usually switched off. Often more trouble than it is worth though, I often toyed with going back to my old one which was very basic until I recently decided the best thing for me to do right now was to de-google a phone, know that I have something which works if needed but have it working in the way I choose. I hold out for when any tech we use will truely enhance rather than harm. Still an emf issue so still switched off often or in a faraday bag but it does make it easier for my daughter to stay in touch right now, and I do like the possibility of it allowing me to have a couple of connection apps on the laptop and having a map if needed but stay independent of the big two. I would never use it for email or social media and pretty much keep it pretty 'dumb' (cant stand use of either 'smart' or 'dumb' !) I totally concur that the laptop is enough especially when needed for work (wired connection ) and its all about balance. I find it interesting to hear that sales of the simple types have gone up especially amoung young people. So it will be one of the great levellers of our times I believe - which way people will go - espcecially as more become aware of the high surveillance issues. Thank you for your commitment to stay connected in the real way - it holds a beacon for everyone and the more beacons shine, the stronger the true connections become world wide.
Yeah, I think as a society we are too quick to adopt any "fancy" tech just because it's new and shiny, rather than asking whether it actually enhances our lives!
Sounds like you have found a good way to balance things for the moment though, and I'm happy to find others here who feel a strong need to focus on the real connections! I have to say it hasn't always been easy - a few of my friends seem to be unable to stay in touch if I don't have a messaging app. Of course this just means that the friendship wasn't very meaningful in the first place (otherwise they would surely be able to send an email), but it wasn't easy to learn this. I didn't realise that the sales of simple phones have gone up again though - maybe there is some hope! Thanks for your comment :)
Yes, I can mentally disconnect even with a smartphone. I choose, for the most part, which apps to put on my phone, and I have used the downtime setting to limit even the ones I have. Talk and text are my preferred methods of communication. I like my smartphone for the camera, reminders, and maps, research, and podcasts, ebooks, and audio books, but not so much for social media.
That said, I still think I overuse it and I sometimes toy with the idea of going back to a plain phone. I just know it would be a painful process after this long.
Yes, I can see that going back would be very hard - kudos to anyone who does!
That's great that you can mentally disconnect though. I don't know if this is a natural "talent" or something we can learn - I think I'd find it quite difficult.
Yes, I just commented somewhere else - having phone & camera within a single device is definitely a great advantage that I do find appealing. At some point, I had a simple phone + a separate camera + an mp3 player + a tablet I used mostly as an e-reader. That seems a bit ridiculous given I could choose to have everything in one device!
I have managed to delete most non-essential apps from my smartphone, and I try to avoid using it as much as possible. The fact that it's a really small size also helps. Yet, as you said, knowing that it's there makes me take it out sometimes.
I do want to try out a few weeks without a smartphone, but I have yet to give it a go.
Deleting apps makes a lot of sense... Really interesting to read about people's measures to get away from their phones!
Sounds like a nice experiment - let me know how it goes ;)
We also resist getting a smartphone, not only because of their superpower time wasting apps, but also because from an energetic standpoint, it's far from the healthiest thing to hold in your hand, or by your head.
Has it made our simple lives more difficult?
Yes it has.
We had to give up internet banking when they no longer supported it on the laptop - smartphones only. When we travel we need to download maps onto the desktop, or print them like folks of the past, we can't view them in real time. And forget about emojis and texts. Just send us an email and we'll get back to you in 24 hours. Besides, the push to get them in everyone's hands is one step closer to a digital identification, which is something we are strongly against. The more people who resist the urge/temptation/convenience to get a smartphone, the better off society will be. Nature would benefit greatly from it too. I can't tell you how many young kids walk through a park with a phone in their hands, never looking up at the trees at all. And on the bus, never looking out of the window. Sometimes I do wonder if they even know where they are.
Wow, that is a pain with the bank - that's quite a limitation! They should really offer desktop access.
"Just send us an email and we'll get back to you in 24 hours." - I like that! Who says we need to be available to everyone all the time? It seems quite unhealthy. 24 hours is actually still quite fast, given that not so long ago people sent letters that would take days... I am in a work environment where people work a lot & send messages at any time of day and night, and getting distance is important for me. Luckily, my colleagues at least do not necessarily expect a quick response - it's totally fine if I respond two days later. I hear that this is different in many workplaces and private contexts. It would make me so mad if people expected an immediate response.
Yeah totally agree about the kids. I have noticed in many of my students in their 20s that they have a reduced attention span and are not easily fascinated by / interested in small things, and I think the constant flood of entertainment on their phones may be a reason.