Just a little warning: I deleted my social media about 5 years ago and reduced the amount of time I spent on my phone. I think it's ultimately a good thing, however I am very depressed because no-one has/does reach out to me for a long periods of time. You literally cease to exist in many people's minds.
Yeah i've been trough the same thing without deleting anything, they only reach out to you if they see you post something they can benefit from, if not you're on your own. Even thoug i think is good to find out who cares about you and who not, of course it'll be sad but it's worst to share a life with people who doesn't give a f about you
I had a 10k plus follower count Instagram and deleted it. My social and dating life has not recovered in 8 years. In this world, your online presence is more important than you.
I've also found this, but trust me, it's better to have a couple of good friends than 100 'friends', try to make plans in person at your school or workplace and make sure to start conversations with people too, just like 'hey it's been a while how are you?' they were probably also waiting for you to text them feeling the exact same thing
The thing you said about getting better in a mental clinic requires NOT having a smartphone makes total sense. Very well said. Smartphones for young people are anxiety machines.
I really wouldn't be surprised if some of the people in mental institutions are there because of excessive smartphone use that basically took over their life. The apps are designed to be addictive and draw on par with using crack or cocaine.
It makes me hopeful that kids are better at using these. While I grew up the phones were getting exponentially better every year, which made them very interesting. Too interesting, in fact.
@@rejectconvenience smartphones had never been a source of anxiety for me, in fact, there's been a decade, even more, since I stopped using PCs. that's no surprise that smartphones are helpful in many ways but the users are the ones to blame as they don't know how to control their addiction to social media. I use smartphones mostly because of their endless storage space (micro SD) for music listening, web browsing, I don't install social bloatwares on my phones, remember one thing, either it's iphone or any android phones, they don't come preloaded with PUBG mobile or social media like TikTok, so why not use a smartphone this way?
I love the incredibly healthy take of, "These aren't inherently evil". You make very valid points about how moderation might be enough instead of going all in on removing the smartphone from your life
Somehow, this feels like the best, most logical, and “unjudgy” video I’ve ever seen on RUclips lol. No crazy intros, no scene transitions, no hype or chill music… This is so rare. I loved this. Ty.
I've been itching to make another video like this, but on the topic of challenging ones own opinions. Like a step by step walk through on how I take what I'm feeling and break it down and question my own thoughts on it. Same idea though, just talking through it, minimal visuals.
@@rejectconvenience when you do, I’m on board. Good luck out there. You have something most influencers don’t have. Thanks for the content and thought provoking topics 👍✌️
The insane thing is that you are pretty much expected to have a smartphone now. And not just socially, but also at work (in order to accomplish certain obligations, being privy to emails) and in public, for scanning barcodes, using memberships, operating your payments, paying for bills, ect; that if you don't have a smartphone, you basically will not fit in.
I agree. In the case of work, it can be annoying especially when you get calls outside of your shift (which has happened to me numerous times; in that case I spoke to management and said not to contact me outside shift as I need work/life balance for my mental health and now set my phone to do not disturb on weekdays).
My local Fred Meyers got rid of all their bar scanners and love to not price things, they want you to use their stupid app. I just don't shop there no more.
For me just removing all social media apps did the trick, I was very close to closing my iPhone in a closet but it turned out the problem was in Facebook, Instagram and others. Unistaling those apps changed my screen time from 5hours a day to sub 2 hour, and I feel A LOT better
@@mothanyou there are many things. Spend your time on your hobbies, do sports, clean your home, learn new interesting stuff, cook yourself a meal and so on.
@@mothanyou can't you really be patient? How did people survive this prior 20 years? Look around, think about what you want to do later, for example what are you going to cook for dinner and so on.
I've been noticing so many small things (listening to the radio in my car instead of a playlist, collecting records, using a physical camera, writing on paper, etc) that make me feel so much better than using a phone but it wasn't until this video that it finally clicked for me - I'm recharging my old ipod as im writing this and i think i may just join the dumbphone movement! thank you for sharing this, it's definitely helped me and by the looks of it a lot of other commenters as well!
Dude/Dudet, I've been using separate video/photo cameras for quite some time now. Heck, I still prefer to use those over smartphones any day. It's just that going to events unfortunately doesn't allow you to bring those in, so there's that. My smartphone I treat it more like a Zune/MP3 player rather than use the applications on there. And even then I had to use it for telegram just to get my desktop version working (Really sucks telegram has to go there but oh well.)
People look at me askance for listening to the car radio rather than making a playlist, but I like it because I can hear new stuff. Listening to local news, traffic, and weather reports is also useful. The act of writing on paper makes remembering that info so much easier than if I were to type it.
Yeah. DAB radio is especially awesome. You have more specialized stations to choose from rather than ones that new pop/rap crap. All of the FM stations that used to be good here in the UK now play that garbage, which is why I switched to DAB.
Listening to the radio makes me want to rip the stereo out and throw it into the street. You get two songs followed by 5 minutes of advertising. 🤣🤣 To each their own though especially if it makes you happier.
@@jamesdagmond luckily there are a few good national radio stations where i live that have almost no advertising but i agree most stations are unbearable
I actually have been doing this with film cameras and CDs. I was into them two years back but I been feeling the need to go analog again and it makes me appreciate the moment of time in a special kind of way. The feeling of having physical media that feels, looks, and sounds better just hits different for me.
*technically* CDs aren't analogue, but as someone who also loves the funny spinny laser circles, i agree that holding the music is better than having it be an intangible stream of 1s and 0s floating through the air
I've ditched Facebook, Instagram and Twitter back in 2019, when I've received a fraudulent email, and never looked back. It was almost like a drug addict purging the substance from the body, it was hard to do. As someone said, you start having a lot more time to do stuff, but become invisible to most people. Having a family that supported me helped a lot. Great video, thanks for sharing.
I was never old enough to have one but was cognizant when they were big, and dankpods content convinced me to grab one and gotta say I like it a lot. Mans like a gateway to weird hobbies
Many countries unfortunately rely on specific messaging apps to communicate, like Whatsapp and Telegram, so a dumb phone/feature phone will probably not have access to these apps. I know in Japan, where LINE is used by everyone for messaging, is available on feature phones and many people there still use flip phones. That's not the case for many other countries, though... for places where SMS is still used, like North America, downgrading to a dumb phone won't make you totally unreachable.
@@rejectconvenience I was setting VoIP service a while back for myself and had to contend with somehow running an Android app, while not having any working Android devices. What I did, was I ran the app on an emulator with my laptop.
There's also the issue that cellphone carriers are starting to turn off CDMA and GSM digital cellular in favor of all LTE service using Voice over LTE (VoLTE). That means you need a feature phone that supports VoLTE, and they're not exactly cheap.
I’m in NA so I don’t have that problem, but my solution when I was trying to detox was to “make” myself a dumb phone. I was an Android user with the latest flagship phone from LG at the time, the V20. Couple years passed though and I found myself thinking about trying iPhone, and wanting to simplify my usage by force. Everyone else’s solution was buying old flip phones, but for me I still relied on some apps. So instead my answer was to buy myself a 4GB model iPhone 5C, and just use the parental restrictions to block everything that I didn’t want. I put in a random passcode while trying to not look so I couldn’t as easily reset these restrictions as well. Ideally you’ll want someone else to do this for you in case you want to get back on, but I think newer iPhones have solved this a bit more by requiring an email confirmation to reset it. Basically it’s slightly simpler to reset now, but also not completely straightforward. So yeah imo this is easily the best option for anyone feeling like their smartphone has begun to cause them stress, but also still need certain apps to go on about your day. Sadly I’m not sure how feasible it is anymore to use a 5C in 2023, but it was kinda fun actually trying to manage the storage on that thing to suit my daily needs lol. Makes me kinda wish they would start making an official modern minimalistic phone, similar to my previous setup. Sadly I can’t really see this happening though when phones are still getting bigger, and the Mini iPhone was discontinued. People insist on their phones being massive, and for it to do everything imaginable. People just don’t seem to realize though that separating things to it’s own task or category helps to stay organized, and actually can be more efficient. Like heck if I wanted a bigger phone to watch things with, why not just get a tablet like the iPad or iPad Mini?
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One way is to tell people to use the app X or SMS/Call you. Some people that you want to be in contact with might not to this thou.
My room mate is so addicted to her phone she won't let anyone else touch it. I suggested sitting down for dinner with no phones to just talk and she was like "I don't see why, we have nothing to talk about" and while we were all laughing and having a great time she was on her phone, headphones in, ignoring everyone else. I was homeless for years and figured out I didn't need my smartphone to get through it. And I was addicted before I was homeless. I literally only use my smartphone to talk to my girlfriend, work stuff, RUclips and one game. That's it. It isn't a necessity.
Yeah although these days it's often the only Computing device people own. If you own a modern Flagship phone, it probably has more processing power than the laptop you are using a few years ago.
I got the same snap to reality as a teenager when I was so bad I'd have my phone taken for months at a time lol It completely broke me of my dependence and made me very aware of how dependent everyone ELSE is
@@GlorifiedGremlin Just like how everyone is dependend on water taps even though we could just use a bucket to take water from a nearby river. Or how everyone is dependend on farmers growing cattle for us instead of doing it ourselfes. We are depended on it to have that level of convenience. We could do all those things alone, but why bother when we as a human species have found ways to make that process easier.
@@Saroku1000 That is such a terribly false equivalence I dont even know where to start lmao For one, running water doesnt manipulate the neurotransmitters in our brain and cause addiction
On the taking pictures point, I’ve made an effort not to take photos with my phone anymore and I 100% agree there is a huge difference in just “living in the moment”. Honestly, I didn’t ever really find myself looking back at old pictures that often, and very few of them I actually care to see. Some things are just better left for memory.
I mean you can take a couple pictures then put your phone away. I'd rather have a couple special family photos of an occasion (especially if it's unexpectedly the last one for one of them) then none at all.
@@MixedApparitionsDo you really look at those pictures ever again? You were there though, it's in your brain. If you forgot about it then it wasn't important enough to you to begin with.
@@RunawayYeSometimes it's not about you remembering things. It's more about you later want to show to, say, your kids/grandkids for example. If my dad back then decided to just "living in the moment" when I was born, then I'm sure I'll never see a lot of my baby antics or some family members there that had passed away today, or trips I got when I was 2 years old. Taking photos to commemorate a moment is not an issue. The issue is when all you're doing is taking photos instead of having fun in the moment.
@@RunawayYe like he said in the video, it's about knowing what works best for you. To me, photos are important after realising that my memory isn't as good and I really want to relive those occasions with my loved ones. Photos aren't taken to be posted, but to act as memento.
I love that I was able to inspire! Just remember that all things in moderation. Some conveniences are good, and some are bad. Just being mindful about your choices will make a massive difference! :)
@@rejectconvenience It goes much further for me than just smartphones: Food, transportation, entertainment in general,… all these things seem to be better, if effort is needed.
As someone who spent their teen years in the 00's and has never really had a cellphone (I have landline service still), I found this kind of validating.
Spent my teen years in the 2nd half of the 2010's and so far have never had a mobile. I have to get one for work now though, so I'm going to get the cheapest, most basic one I can find and only have it on me when I need it. Telephones in general annoy me, mobile phones more so. I have this crazy idea to make a rotary dial mobile in a linesman test phone style, but I don't have the knowledge to do that, yet.
I was born in 99, never got a smartphone until I was 16, and we had a landline for a long time in my house. I'm glad I didnt get a smartphone really early in my life
When I was in a mental hospital the reason they gave me for not allowing phones was patient privacy. Its very easy to record something someone isnt okay with or knows about you recording in that type of environment with a smartphone, even accidentally, and doing so is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and 1 year in prison. Even if you don't record anything yourself there's a chance anyone you contact could, or anything you say about your experience to someone involving someone else could be considered disclosure of private health information.
Where I live, there are phones that have only SIM cards, no cameras, no recording devices, no memory card slots, made for those in the military or working in science parks to avoid industrial espionage. All you can do is make calls or do text messaging. I suspect even those phones wouldn't be allowed in a hospital.
@@guessundheit6494 Unfortunately you can't really do calling because it interferes with the frequency technology used for patients with heart beat monitors, surgery implanted organs, etc. Hence why they tell you you're not allowed to call there because of signal interference with their equipment. Texting is fine, just not calling or recording.
@@SuperFlashDriver I was thinking more about doctors controlling the patient's focus on wellness, preventing potentially harmful external input. I knew someone who spent a month in a hospital for $u|c|de ideation. The doctors wouldn't even allow me to give her puzzle magazines to alleviate boredom.
@@guessundheit6494 Interesting. This is what I thought of when it comes to no cell phones, but I guess they have a different meaning to it than what I expected.
I did a simmilar thing with a smartwatch, I could still make phone calls, listen to music, respond to text messages and even play games, but I wasn't doing those things as much as without the watch. I basically went from playing games on every class in school, to being myself and actually listening to the teachers, which was a great feeling.
Using a smart watch to look less on the phone or whats the idea? Because when I got my first true SmartWatch I almost instantly deactivated notification because it stressed me out so much
I disabled notifications on my smartwatch. I mainly use it for fitness like the step counter and exercise tracker. Otherwise I regular watch is just as useful!
@@demp11 I have an iPhone and smart watch, I keep the notifications on the watch as strict as I do on the phone, basically only direct communications with me and reminders that I myself set. I also use it to track my movement thorughout the day to encourage me to move more
8:15 thank you so much, I had a 3 year long depression and suicidal streak when I could no longer afford to be a musician, I also lost a friend directly because of it who was a sublime soul, musician and a genuine humanitarian who traveled to provide medical aid as well as hope and joy with music to war ridden countries, when he couldn't afford it anymore due to streaming and people unwilling to support him just by buying his music, he wrote about it, and then left us all. Even back when people mostly stole my music, the few that bought it meant I could get food. Streaming destroyed that. Bandcamp is a truly giving service to us. I don't think people really understand what their actions do to the human behind the work, there's a disconnect there. As a side benefit, the limitations of only having some music, instead of all of it makes you appreciate what you have much more, no longer skimming through but appreciating the flaws of what you have, having more unique experiences because of it.
Great video. After 12 years of smart phones and being an early adopter of the original iPhone the day it came out, I went to a regular flip phone for one year in 2020. It was awesome. I offloaded calendars, tasks and all work apps to a simple notebook that has a handwritten calendar, and bullet journal for tasks and notes/inspiration for writing songs. Moving all my productivity apps to a notebook helped me get out of $40k in debt, make more money in my web design biz, and record an album. I went back to an iPhone a year later but I don’t know why, and hardly use the apps on it other than maps, RUclips and other non-essential things. I’m about to go back to the flip for good this month. I highly recommend this if you feel like you are wasting away your life, or even if you want to put your smart phone in a drawer and try a fun experiment for a few months.
@@the_mariocrafter I did a generic $50 granny flip phone in 2020 and for the past year I have been using the 'Light Phone 2' which is just a "nicer" flip phone
I LOVE the trend of young people switching to dumbphones. I have various reasons for sticking with a smartphone but I love seeing the youths appreciate the kind of phones I grew up on. I'm in my 40s now and I've noticed a HUGE difference in the way I use smartphones now from the way I used them in my 20s though(back in the glory days of Sidekicks and PalmOS, holy crap I'm old). I used to be on it all day long and once social media became a thing, my smartphone became a funnel to cram as much facebook & instagram into my brain as possible. This was before the addictive algorithms, but I still got heavily addicted. It was bad, I couldn't go more than an hour without checking it and I constantly had chats going. My anxiety was through the roof, if people didn't reply fast enough or my posts didn't get enough "likes" I felt awful. There was also the pressure for ME to keep replying and liking, even if I didn't want to. There are so many more socials now and with all the bullying and algorithms, I can't imagine how much that anxiety must be multiplied in teens & twenty-somethings today. Its no wonder mental illness is at an all time high in young people. I quit social media a few years ago partly because I just got tired of it and partly because I got sick of Zuckerberg making the user experience worse, and that was the key to turning my smartphone from an addiction/source of anxiety to just a tool that plays media and helps organize my life. I no longer feel anxious every time I pick it up b/c I know there won't be a bunch of messages I have to respond to or pressure to get online and put on an act for a bunch of other people.
I never really had social media early on as a kid and as a high schooler. My first social media account (if we aren't counting YT) is Snapchat that I used to chat with high school friends. I did eventually get more accounts like Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, etc; and I used to doom scroll those quite often. I have since deleted those apps from my phone and my screentime has gone down dramatically though I admit that I did too much YT content consumption on the vacations I had last year which made me do less in the places I vacationed to. Next vacation I take I will make sure to not have access to YT videos and doomscrolling so I am more inclined to do things.
I've been considering this for quite a while too. On a side note, I think there might be a correlation between phones becoming more addicting and phones becoming bigger each year, both influencing each other. More addiction leads to consumers wanting bigger and better screens and bigger batteries. Bigger screens and bigger batteries lead to more addiction.
omg I think you might be right. When I was using a relatives old iPhone SE 2016 after the phone I had broke I wasn't using it as much as the other larger phones I've had. Probably a combination of the 4" screen and 2 hour battery life from never having the battery replaced. Perhaps I should get it back out as it would be a good middle ground between a smartphone and dumbphone
I realized how much I rely on my phone for everything sometime around when this video was released. I didn't watch this video until today, funnily enough. I didn't get a feature phone but I did uninstall social media and started leaving my phone at home whenever I could. I would completely agree that I experienced the same positive effects such as "being more in the moment" and "embracing boredom." The novelty has worn off, but the effects still remain. I do carry my phone around me more often nowadays, however I'm not on it constantly binging social media; it's more of a tool. No, nobody needs a smartphone. Everything a smartphone does, there is already a tool that does it (and is most likely better at it). Own a GPS for travel, mp3 player for music, desktop for internet usage, cash/card for purchases, and a feature phone for calls and texts. Each thing has one purpose. There is merit to sacrificing convenience for intentionality.
For GPS and getting around town, I can recommend getting a dedicated GPS handheld and having it in the car. They're relatively cheap these days (especially compared to smartphones), have some nice bells and whistles, and only really need map updates to function properly, which most still regularly get.
My utilitarian approach to social media: people move, numbers change, and friendships are priceless to me. I only spend a couple of minutes responding to messages about plans for getting together to catch up or to quickly scroll if there is trending news I might miss elsewhere, or maybe something humorous brightens my day. That dosage has felt just right and I would encourage people to not suck hours into social media. If there is one thing I might need to do less of, it might be the need to shut myself off of current events, because the world can be depressing sometimes. I'm glad you found something good for yourself. I appreciate you doing this video to raise awareness on the impact of smart devices on mental and social health. Too much of just about anything tends to become a bad thing. Excess is a threat.
I have thought of switching to a dumb phone. I was a young adult in the 90s and many things were different. I could argue with someone and not feel insulted/betrayed, I could just stare into space for minutes, and so on. Thank you for your input and insight into this, I am giving serious thought to switching!
I was born in 99 and I have entertained the thought of going to a feature phone as a daily, though I chat with my closest friends on Discord so Id like to use that if possible
I grew up in the 90s without a cell phone. Makes me sad that I can't go to concerts anymore without people being on their phones, not enjoying the moment. I have no social media, professionally its such a bad idea. My last phone i bought was 4 years ago. I have no interest in getting the latest. It's a bit juvenile. 😂 great video! Thought provoking. I'm concerned about the radiation overall though.
I went to two metal concerts in the past 2 years and I admit I did take some videos of the shows. The first one I have a bunch of videos of (none of which I actually rewatch) and the second one I have fewer recordings of (none of which I actually rewatch), and nor do I really even think about these recordings in my day to day life. Next concert I would probably just take a few photos of the stage and set, maybe a few of the performers and just live in the moment.
I’ve never been particularly attached to my phone-to the point that my friends and family joke that I move around invisibly because I don’t have social media and am terrible at catching calls or returning missed ones. Over the years, I’ve noticed just how glued people have become to their phones. I can’t tell you how many combined hours I’ve spent staring at the back of someone else’s phone, especially during idle moments or lulls in conversation. I sit there, waiting for that person to remember I’m still there or to re-engage with their surroundings. At first, it made me insecure. I wondered if I just wasn’t interesting enough to hold their attention. But eventually, I accepted that this is simply the new normal.
It's hard to unsee it, and I'm shocked I didn't ever notice it before. But 2 years into not using all that junk.. it's plain as day. It's a little depressing, to be honest. I don't know that I've fully come to the acceptance stage that you eventually came to.
I feel like this issue may hit harder for people who were well off enough to afford new technology. Freshman year I bought my first Alcatel smartphone, but could only use apps connected to Wi-Fi. We were ripping RUclips Mp3 files to have something to listen to on the bus. 😭
I love the concept of disconnecting, and I love that you're out there making people think about it. I rarely look at my phone these days unless it's for music or texting, and it's been wonderful to shut all that noise down. Personally for me, I think deleting apps and working on self-discipline was better than just sending myself back to 2005. Imo it's a really good life lesson to know you can but still refuse to do it because it's not enriching to your soul. It's a skill we all need to work on these days, I think. It took me quite a while to learn how to stop going back to that sweet, sweet dopamine.
It’s really good to become mindful of why you’re doing things and what all of your options really are. The past few years I’ve followed this similar path but by dumbing down my smart phone and always re evaluating the foundational mindset of what consistently supports me and serves me positively.
Since my child was 3-4 years old (6 now) I have done everything to try and model the concept of my phone being unimportant and not essential. I noticed that many young kids believe and act as if the phone is more important than water, likely modeled by their parents. I did not want my child growing up like that. I bought a GPS for my car (doubles as a dash cam and works without internet), bought a watch, bought a real camera, and changed all my habits. I’ve maintained an average of 1-2h screen time since then, mostly calls. I always have the phone away from me when we’re together, and use it to call and take the occasional picture. Recently my child asked me what time it is and where my watch was, and I know my efforts have paid off. It’s been challenging, but it’s had an amazing effect on both of our lives. The absolute best thing I implemented that had a massive snowball effect was implementing a rule that I would not look up random thoughts or questions that popped into my mind. If I was still curious about whatever it was, I would wait until after bedtime in the evening, and go look it up on my laptop (like we used to do not that long ago). This was inspired by research about wonder and curiosity leading to better creativity, and how many of us don’t allow our minds to wonder anymore. The main motivation however was not modeling the “google everything” thing to my child. 99% of the time, when I’d open my laptop in the evening to check my emails (another one of my rules, no email on phone, check it once a day), I’d remember wanting to look something up earlier and could almost never remember what it was because it just wasn’t important at all. This one thing had a massive effect on both of our lives. Not only does it drastically cut down on your screen time (think of how much screen time starts with picking up your phone to google something random), you realize how unimportant most of it is and how much time we waste. It totally transformed my habits (along with a few other small changes) and now 2-3 years later, I usually just sit quietly when waiting somewhere and have zero desire to take my phone out. I can sit for hours without doing anything. My mental and spiritual health has transformed. My likes/dislikes, everything. I really only use it as a tool for communication, actually important pictures, and the occasional googling of something that is actually important (need to look up an address or phone number of a business, etc).
I picked up the light phone 2 a couple of months ago. Great phone. I learned the importance of separation and now use things with more intention. It has definitely helped me worry less and focus on the essentials.
I got a dumb phone. A Nokia E72. It does all the things I need a basic phone to do. Calls, Texts and if I can get it working, emails. And I basically turned my iPhone to a black and white iPod for music. Honestly, it’s been great. I can concentrate on tasks more, I can get to sleep better because I used to be on my phone till 11 to 1AM. I don’t get lost on my phone, getting those quick dopamine hits on TikTok. I don’t do that anymore. This has changed my life forever. I don’t want to switch to my smartphone anymore.
that phone still works? i wanted a qwerty phone for detoxing my life but couldnt find any. i used a blackberry q10 which had 4g for a year before the buttons and sim slot broke so i had to switch to my brother's hand me down iphone se. my end goal is settling with a dumbphone with a qwerty keyboard, which i hope someone will make soon with something like kaios. because in my country, these old nokias just dont work with modern networks. 3g has been retired in most countries anyway.
This is honestly something I've been considering. Ultimately you gave me good alternatives to my biggest concerns; namely music, navigation, and 2FA. I feel I'm already at a good spot with my screen addiction but it wouldn't hurt to go further! The bits about "experiencing the moment" really interested me.
I liked that you made it clear that smartphones are not bad things and that they are useful for some people. In my case I don't consider it a problem, but I stopped using social networks a few years ago and more recently I don't follow news, I don't even open news aggregators like Google News anymore. These two changes did me a lot of good. I have tried to focus on the trade off of things, because nothing is 100% good or 100% bad. If the benefits outweigh the harms, it might be a good idea.
Well-considered and just totally right. I appreciate your immense respect for your audience as well as sharing your thoughts. I've long felt similarly about smartphones, especially since only two major companies make all the smartphone operating systems, making personal choice in things like how to organize, present, or block notifications rather limited, not to mention user interfaces being unintuitive for users like me who like having maximum control on open source PCs haha!
Hey Anthony! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and inspiring! I have been struggling with my focus and productivity levels and my phone was the ultimate sadness source by being the biggest enemy in terms of time management. I was planning to switch but I had no idea how to begin. Now I am proud to say that I also follow your footsteps and I cannot be happier. Again, thanks for making this video!
I get you man. Where I come from, there is no such thing as dealing with mental health issues or any service that helps people having such things. So I had to figure it out myself. I found that I was wasting away my life and productivity with staring at social media. It always made me angry or depressed. So I decided to delete my social media accounts as an experiment back in 2021. It was a such a breath of fresh air. I was no longer depressed and had ample time to put into work. It made me not look at my phone 90% of the time. Eventually I finished my bachelors and got a software engineering job. Bought a macbook and iphone as I always had an interest in apple products, but I was too broke to buy one before. As a mobile app developer, I found the excuse to buy them, and found that I don't even like them that much. I miss my old headphone jack that I had with my Android phones. I feel like I just wasted 2 grand for nothing. I still go back to my cheap ass Android phone when I'm home to listen to some good music. I wish I could go back to those Nokia XpressMusic days. Some of you may think I'm a loner. I'm not. As I'm growing older, I'm just investing more time to myself.
I rediscovered my old MP3 player a while back and I've gotta say, having to go and tag my songs with MP3Tag manually makes me appreciate the art a lot more.
A fellow MP3tag user! But I personally prefer flacs wherever possible since today's storage has the luxury of space that MP3 players didn't have. I also extract files as wav, which is also lossless (and I convert those to flac)
@@iPlayOnSpica Sorry if this reply gets very long, but I'm pretty sure there are, thankfully, "MP3 players" that can also play WAV/FLAC/whatever lossless format you choose. Which is a good thing. Unfortunately my specific music player (I rather call it that instead of just "MP3 player") only accepts up to 32 GB SD cards which really isn't enough for having a really large amount of WAV/FLAC/whatever lossless format. Yeah, you could say this player is a little "outdated" in that way, which I would agree with. It's important to note, though, that the specific player I use is pretty unique from anything else, in that it is specifically designed for people who are blind/visually impaired, and I fit into that category. What I mean is, when you navigate your songs or the built in settings/menues/whatever, it uses built-in speech to tell you what's going on. And all you have to do is press buttons and then simply listen to the speech output that's presented to you. So there's no screen in sight, at all. So because it's specifically built in this way from the very beginning, there's no need to install the speech synthesizer or anything of that nature. So... it is *built* for the blind. There's no issue of a screen reader having trouble reading graphics, like there could be with any screen reader like the one that comes with IPhones. That's because there are no graphics on this device, and as such, no screen whatsoever. Would eventually love to see something newer that's like this, a more 'modern' version that keeps up with the newer tech in digital audio recording/playback (allowance for much larger SD cards, the ability to play FLAC/WAV/whatever uncompressed audio without worry of not having enough space), because this device is certainly 'outdated' by todays audio standards. I mean, mp3 files can certainly sound quite good (so long as you set the bitrate correctly upon recording/downloading/whatever), but uncompressed audio has the advantage of insuring that you get the proper sound quality (because there is no compression to speak of, hence the term 'uncompressed'). So with that in mind, it would be still nice to see a newer product, a standalone music player specifically designed for blind people (or just anyone else who doesn't want to stare at a screen), that you would operate by simply pressing buttons and simply listening to the speech output that's presented to you, and which supports all kinds of audio (both compressed and uncompressed), and which has plenty of storage space for storing very large amounts of files in even the most uncompressed audio file formats. I do believe there exists a need for something like this. Not everyone should have to do all this music listening and stuff strictly with their smartphone... a standalone player still has very valid reasons to even just exist. Oh, and did I forget to mention that this music player device I have can also be used to make your own audio recordings? :))) That's very fun to do. I sometimes record the audio from movies. Or music as well. So if a newer version of this device could just be instructed to record in WAV/FLAC/whatever, you'd get pretty great results I'm sure. Anyways, I'm done writing this extremely lengthy comment :))))) and if you'd like to know what this specific device is (what it's called, the company behind it and so on), let me know and I'll post a link or write another comment or something.
@@justinnaramor6050your comment was a treat to read. Thanks for taking the time to write it. Since you're blind / visually impaired and I'm assuming have used smartphones at some point, I'll take this opportunity to ask a question I've wondered about for some time: In your experience with iPhone and Android, how helpful are their accessibility functions? I'm thinking specifically of text to speech, and things like reading out of menus & on screen prompts. What do the manufacturers do well? And in your opinion, what are some areas needing improvement? I ask as I USE many accessibility features purely for convenience' sake but have been amazed at how poorly implemented some are: for example, swipe down with two fingers on iPhone reads an entire page of text, however you need to SEE a tiny pop up menu to adjust the read-back speed up or down. To make matters worse, the phone only gives 1/2 speed, 1.5x and 2x speed as alternatives to default read-back (which to my ears anyway, tends to be a little too fast.) What's more, if you want to change the phone's default read-back speed you have to go to settings andmanually drill down into a multi step menu. What's more, the new default speed you finally managed to set, well.... it automatically goes away the first time you click that tiny intermittent pop up menu to switch to 1/2x or 1.5x or 2x (these three speeds are ONLY ever relative to the system's original default playback rate, not your manually systems-selected playback rate. ie 50% readback is always 1/2 the speed of the default readback rate, it is not 50% of your 1x readback speed preference.) "well, then leave it be. Don't ever click on that tiny pop up menu. Simple enough," someone will say. Which might seem reasonable were it not for two other realities: 1. sometimes you might want to alter the readback rate AND 2. When the phone powers down, it automatically reverts to the phone's original default readback rate. Yes, you heard that right: after power down, you must manually go into the settings again to change the preferred readback rate. Proving that your smartphone is actually pretty damn dumb. That was long winded but it's stuff like this that has me wondering, are some of these smartphones' "accessibility tools" even much help to those who need the help? p.s. I've also noticed that many of these tools have only gotten WORSE in implementation over time. Thoughts??
I used to download a lot of MP3s off of RUclips growing up, and I kinda still do since coming across Dank Pods and getting a collection of iPods and using some as a daily music player. My first MP3 player was a Trio Clip, sadly the battery is pretty flat these days so I cant use it if I wanted to asdly
IV been hospitalized twice and remember feeling so st ease now that my phone wasn’t chained to me. I remember reading articles in magazines and laying in bed as they watched me using the cameras in my room lol. Very peaceful moment tbh. Loved hearing you talk about that!
Really good video. I love the presenting style. That your not selling us a magical solution buy just telling your story and what worked. Its a breath of fresh air with all the typical YT content.
A simple thing I started doing that helps is, if you carry a bag, never put your phone in your pocket. If I'm out and about with friends I won't take out my phone without a reason because it's less convenient to do so. Works even better if you have a backpack. Also means I dont have to take my phone out of my back pocket in order to sit down, thus leaving it off the table at restaurants (ah, girl jeans). I also love my iPod and I have IEM headphones with a bluetooth receiver. The case is so big I keep a wire in it as well so I can use them with my iPod or when the battery dies.
Hey! I recently made this switch myself last month, I'd probably have done it sooner, but was waiting for my old smartphone to kick the bucket (It was 7 years old and I wanted to see how long it truly lasted). I had a really bad addiction to social media a few years ago, so I purged all my social media apps from my phone, not having them on me all the time and being confined to only check them when I'm using my computer helped my mental health a lot. And I found that I liked being able to compartmentalize my things, I liked having my music be separate from my phone, and my computer separate from that. A smaller bonus I also found is that I don't have to worry about the battery life of my phone as much now. My flip phone will last a good few days on one full charge, even my parents fancy new smart phones only last a day with decent use.
I deleted social media apps from my phone end of last year and I have seen myself picking it up much less. I also disabled iOS's raise to wake and tap to wake so I have to be very intentional when I turn it on. I also have my notifications settings very strict, like texts from friends and family, discord DMs (cuz that's how I chat with my closest friends), and reminders that I have set because if I don't have a set routine then I sometimes forget to do certain tasks so I have reminders to remind me to do certain things at a certain time of day.
I have a close friend (22) who has a smartphone, but has not used any app outside of the basic apps (phone, messenger, clock, mail), Strava, and Spotify. He doesn't know any celebrities, he cuts his own hair, he doesn't listen to people (including me!) if he's not interested, he does not drive. He's a bit different to most people, but I understand it. If he has free time, he is biking or climbing with a friend, or, he' at home being creative by sewing a bag, bootlegging a cassette, or building a bike. To be clear, he didn't covert to a simple life. He's always been this way. Its important to have boredom. We humans will do what is convenient. So, engineering your surroundings to make an activity more convenient than scrolling is important to prevent scrolling.
Had similar mental health experiences - believe they called it "adjustment disorder" in the hospital. Yeah - adjusting to awful things happening will do that to you. Vividly remember not having my phone - and looking back you are totally right about it messing with your head :) Great video
I’ve been considering not giving up my smartphone completely, but buying a dumb phone to swap my SIM card in for places where I don’t want to use my phone all that much (ie work). I figure making my phone a fun little treat for the weekends will help out a lot.
Personally, I couldn't see myself cutting my smartphone out of my life. It's a great media consumption and utility device for me, and I regularly tinker with root and custom roms to improve the experience and cut out advertisements. Maybe it's just the way I use technology, but I've never really had a problem with my devices like this. It's still cool to see older tech making a niche sort of comeback though. One thing I will say is that you probably could have just bought a used, unlocked flip phone and just kept your current service by transferring the sim card.
@@nobodynoone2500 Well I don't always have time to sit down in front of the tv and watch a movie, so it's kind of necessary for me lol. I even invested in a blu ray drive for my laptop so I could have a portable way to watch my HD movies.
In Europe, the service doesn't force you to their devices that they offer on the store. If you want just their service, they give you a SIM card, and that's it. You could buy your phone by yourself, just whatetever brick is it. I can't imagine that this free choice was gone here, I really like Sony's phones.
Great video! I haven’t used Instagram or Facebook in about 4 years but over the last year I downloaded tiktok and became ADDICTED. it was bad. My solution: delete a majority of the dumb apps on my phone including any lingering social media. I will keep my iPhone for tracking reasons. I am a female and go many places alone, so knowing my friends and family can actively see where I am makes me feel safe. This was the solution that worked from me! Any shift towards less phone time is great.
I think I'm addicted to RUclips. The recommended videos page feels like a slot machine. Pull down... the Goog algo tumblers spit out a fresh batch of 'suggestion' & 'just for you' videos. "Did I win anything awesome?! What's my prize?" Then comes the endless scrolling to find out. "Nothing this time. Hmm... Let's pull that lever one more time." Which is why this digital addict 🙋♂️ has NEVER once gone on TikTok. If my attention span were any shorter, it would be counted not in minutes or seconds but in frames.
I've felt like this for a long time but never got into it hard enough to do research or even take it seriously. Thanks for making such an inspiring video
I just bought a Unihertz Titan Pocket to mainly use as a travel/business phone. I currently have a Samsung Galaxy Flip5 as my daily driver. The moment I hit checkout on the Titan, it got me thinking. I’m on my phone way too much and I feel like the Titan would be the perfect blend between a smartphone and a dumb phone. I can still access my Spotify and navigation, and occasionally check social media. The Titan pocket in particular has a small-ish screen meaning it’s almost impossible to read one instagram or Facebook post, which is PERFECT for what I want in a phone. It will reduce my urge to scroll through my phone even though I still have that smartphone experience. Plus it has a physical QWERTY keyboard which is pretty cool as well! The phone arrives in 5-10 days. Cannot wait any longer!!
BRO, NO WAY. The fact of the matter is I've been already applying most of these healthy habits before you mentioned them in this video, makes me feel that I'm not alone. Thank you SO INCREDIBLY MUCH for making this video I can relate so much to! RUclips has been taking down a lot of tracks in my music playlist for no reason, so I've started the effort of either downloading them individually with the intent of supporting the artist later on in Beatport/Bandcamp. I'm also trying to get a dumb phone myself even though I'd rather keep my smartphone for bare essential things (since I already do have two phone numbers after all). I'm highly considering the Sunbeam Daisy flip phone as it's super basic like any basic flip phone with voice to text capabilities. I stopped using social media anymore, so I'll only ever go on it once in a blue moon if someone wants to show me something on my desktop. This video is incredible!
Also I know my way around not going to foreign places too often, so in case I ever get lost I pay attention to the nearest interstate/highway junction number and direction and go there instead.
A QR code to look at a restaurant menu? I've never heard of something so ridiculous. I've never seen that either, so it doesn't sound common yet. But, either way, that's WAY less convenient than just being handed a brochure menu, or, even more commonly, those laminated booklets.
Several restaurants I frequent do this. You scan the code, order, receive your food, and pay any time you leave. It's quick and convenient, and there's no social pressure to tip from a person looking over you with a card reader. The staff aren't constantly running around asking tables if "they're doing okay," and instead just serve dishes and answer questions as they're asked. The restaurants feel much more calm, less frantic and chaotic, and I still get facetime with the staff. It's really not a bad system.
I think rejecting comfort is way more effective to live a happier life than rejecting convenience. Going out to run while its raining outside, doing things regardless if they are outside your comfort zone will in the long term make you live a happier life.
I was in a similar situation to you a couple years ago and I switched to a dumb phone for a while. I ended up going back to it once my smartphone got stolen and since I'm on a family plan it's not too expensive for me to keep service on an ipad along with my flip phone, and having access to everything on my phone, but needing to grab a big fragile thing out of my disorganized laptop bag to do it has made a pretty good balance for me. It can find a stationary place in whatever room I plan to spend time in, and I can be connected and stuff, but the price is enough to make me wanna do something else.
This video is criminally underrated. It's also the first video I've ever seen from you. That makes me believe you are a criminally underrated content creator.
I generally love being away from the smartphone. For the longest time I would leave my phone in my car during work (most times unintentionally, but it never bothered me). MFA however changed that and forces me to be chained to it just for that. One thing you mentioned in passing was "stay away from news". This is by far one of the best things you can do to immediately improve your wellbeing. This includes RUclips/TikTok/Social Media creators/outlets/groups/pages. It's all hyper sensational carefully crafted to evoke emotions, and that is extremely taxing on the mind. You'll end up happier with more headspace for things that matter. A discipline I like to practice in public is avoid bringing out the phone. Waiting in a boring line is tough, so I read a sign a million times, people watch, and eventually daydream. Keeping a journal for those occasions sounds fun!
I don't have a dumb phone, but what I did do that I noticed made a big difference was deleting social media and deleting web browsers from my phone. If you have an iPhone you can use screen time to block the use of Safari, since you can't delete that from your iPhone. I deleted all apps except for navigation, music and messaging. When I want to use the internet, I only allow myself to use it on my computer. These minor changes have made a huge impact in my life. can't recommend it enough.
I think this is a great strategy. I had similar emotions but didn't want to lose a lot of other conveniences in my life and deleting reddit, Twitter etc. From my phone definitely helped me be less anxious and live in the moment more. Ultimately whatever works for you but it doesn't have to be one or the other, even small steps like removing social media from your bookmarks can help.
I've been watching many videos on that subject but you, you my friend made the most complete and useful video out of them all. I'm personally going to turn my current iPhone into a dumb/lite phone because lately, social medias have been taking way to much space in my life. I also find myself being a lot more anxious when I spend too much time doomscrolling. Thanks for you video, it helped me, and will probably help a lot of other people!
I am happy to hear it was helpful :) I saw a lot of those "I tried it for 30 days" but those always felt like... a challenge and not a lifestyle change. Nothing wrong with those videos, but they didn't vibe with what I wanted. So I'm glad to know others found this valuable!
This is an exclellent video! It definitely shows that you are thoughtful about this subject and not just trying to sell or convince people into something, you just make a well rounded and honest case for something we should all be aware of in this day and age, even if we continue using our smart phones. Thanks for the insight!
This video is wholesome. The Idea given at the end, it's the cherry on top, makes it clear that we chose what's best. Lot of youtubers should learn from this.
Back in highschool I was very not addicted to my smartphone (I graduated in 2017 so it's not like smartphones weren't around then either) and in the past few years I have become very attached to my phone. I was slow at purchasing phones and I'm only on my 5 phone since my first one in 2011, but currently with the z flip 3 the screen has gone bad and I'm fed up with it. I could pay no less than $100 to get it fixed but honestly it's time to go back to the simpler times.
As a Gen Z'er, this video genuinely got me sitting back thinking, "Huh. Why do I need a smartphone?" Things like "dumbphones", iPods, computers, and physical maps have everything you need to maneuver the modern world without the negative side effects, like the constant anxiety, loneliness, and addiction, that comes with smartphones. This is a prime example to why convenience is not always the best way to go. For $9 a month (at the cheapest) for cell data, I might tag along on this dumbphone journey. Great video!
Thanks for the comment, it’s awesome to see that I got the youths thinking about the options that are out there! I hope your journey will bring you less anxiety and stronger social connections.
I had a similar realization recently. Verizon canceled my service because they incorrectly thought that my LG V20 didn't support VoLTE. I was very angry for the first 24 hours. After waiting 4 days for my T-Mobile SIM card to arrive. I started to reassess how I felt about the smart phone. During my down time I had the same thought, if I had my book with me this would be great. I'm a die-hard LG V20 fanatic. It's my first and last smartphone. If I'm going to invest $500 in something I intend to keep it for life! As an audiophile the headphone out sounds unbelievable for computer audio on some V20 variants. Granted the software is properly modified. I'd love to get the chance to compare it to all your iPods. All modern phones are a downgrade. They are removing the headphone jack, IR blaster, Removable battery, even the SD card.
Yep distancing from your SMRT phone is therapeutic, you don`t need to bin it completly just start small like turning on a plane mode when you go for a walk, use your social media only on your lap top, keep your phone far away from were you sleep, sell your smart watch and buy some classic analog time peace.
good video. i had a mobile phone for one year back in 2004 and it wasnt for me. a large part is the extremely high monthly cost where i live, but its also nice to have your walking and driving time to yourself and not worry about being in communications contact constantly. i tried fbook for a couple of weeks in 2006 and decided that wasnt for me either. the world doesnt end, its actually quite relaxing. i loved insta when it first came out but then the fbook culture took over and i stopped that too. i usually have an ipad mini or ipod touch and just check free wifi, its as close as the next fast food or coffee shop or mall. do people think im eccentric? yep. do i feel more at peace? yep.
I don't think it is a coincidence that the moment you give up your smartphone for a flip phone that you feel better. Not having technology constantly at your fingertips gives your brain time to REST. I bought a flip phone last night and I am very excited for it to get here. It is freedom and disconnection from the matrix
I was practically forced to buy a smart phone after my family ditched Verizon (where we all had dumb phones) about a year ago and my brother recommended I switch to Mint. I adjusted to using my smart phone faster than I expected, thankfully, which was probably helped by the fact that the one I got (an iPhone 6s) has a physical main button; plus, I'm able to customize settings and delete apps to make things less overwhelming. I still feel lost when someone else hands me their smart phone to do some quick thing. For the most part, I still use my laptop for the fancier stuff. All I use my smart phone for are calls, texting, alarms, photos, keeping a small number of notes, reading QR codes, paying for laundry, keeping track of the weather, and doing certain church-related things. Oh, and I had to use it to set up my new router. It's a bit more than I used my dumb phone for (which I couldn't get to connect to the internet despite it supposedly having the ability), but it's still not much, and I am perfectly happy to keep it that way.
Dude thankyou so much for sharing your hospitalization experiences because I literally had the same exact thought process after some of my own experiences and it’s cool to to know I’m not the only one lol TT
As an additional tip, you can get IEMs that have replaceable cables and have much cleaner audio quality than what a pair of Apple's earpods can offer at the same price. Something like the Salnotes 7hz Zero or the CCA CRA or the Truthear Holas are all great IEMs (all around $20 USD), with some coming with different ear tips that can fit into your ears correctly and can last you a long time if you take care of it.
To add to this, I’ve been using the same AudioTechnica IEMs for the past 6 years and they still sound great - just a good cleaning once in a while and maybe some replacement tips sometimes and everything is set!
For comfort I use the Sony folding headphones (wired), the actual phones are angled slightly so they don't crush your ears like just about every other set I have tried. I have a 10 year old set in my briefcase, the coating on the ear pads is starting to degrade but my sister is making me a set of covers from a linen handkerchief, so with any luck they will last another 10, at a total cost of 50c/year.
Thanks for telling your experience without a smartphone! I've been considering it for a while.... as for me, this past year what I've done is I stopped using social media and blocked all notifications except for calls. just that and it helps TREMENDOUSLY in my everyday life. less anxiety, feels more grounded to life, etc. my average screen-on time went down from >6 hours/day to around 1.5 hours/day now.
Not planning on follow your same path but enjoyed a lot the video. Glad you are feeling better now. And thx for sharing your experience with others who might need or want help on this subject.
I think I just use my phone in a healthier way than I used to and thats good enough for me. if its making me angry or upset there are ways to get rid of it, ad blockers and the block button are great on everything. API free social media clients are great if you find yourself tempted to argue with people about things because it takes away that option. I bought a kindle paperwhite to read manga before bed instead of scrolling tiktok and thats great.
First time seeing your content and i can totally agree with your point. I tried detaching from my phone as much as possible and now i only use it for calling people, texting and listening to music and i can approve, anxiety went away magically. I used to struggle a lot with anxiety but now i learned to enjoy real stuff such as reading, enjoying walks, pretty much simple stuff and everything is way better than before. I feel more connected to reality and i really think everybody should try this, if you can’t detach entirely it’s fine, but you can clearly cut some functionality from your phone and use it as a dumb phone and it is going to make a big difference. Well done!
when i did that years ago, i felt a weight on my chest was removed, the air feels different. in my opinion, it feels awesome to let your mind drift without those kind of distractions. As for me, i'm gonna start looking for some music players to go back to the old days of me actively looking for songs
Anthony, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude for you sharing this video! Even though I'm currently in College, I'm a remote student. However, I'm driving more and will be on campus in a few months. Because of this, I've been facing the fact that I will need some communications device shortly (I've never owned a phone thus far). I dreaded the idea of a smartphone but thought I had no other option. Also, being an avid hiker, I've been considering getting a satellite phone, but having two expensive devices seems wrong. Anyway, all that being said, your video made me reconsider many things. I'm still unsure what to do, but in either case, you inspired me and opened my mind. This video was remarkable in more ways than I can count! Keep being awesome! A couple side notes... I didn't know you were also a Dankpods fan!!!! And do you seriously have Meze headphones? They seem amazing. Oh, and I strongly relate to everything you said about wired headphones! They are incredibly underrated, and I have no intention of ever switching to wireless.
@@rejectconvenience all these videos are hilarious at best. People created their own addiction and blame it on their smartphones. I've been using smartphones without social media and I couldn't be more happier. Sometimes being an anti social person who don't give a rat ass about others validation really does help I don't need all these fancy shenanigans like 4k video, telephoto lens, amoled screen, NFC, wireless charging.......as long as the phone has Bluetooth A2DP, a 6.5 inch IPS display, a memory card slot, a web browser, WiFi, that's enough for me
I’ve been doing something similar to this for a long time. Still have a new iPhone, which I use when I need to communicate w/ people for work or if I’m in the city. I use my iPod for music at home. It’s permanently connected to my hi-fi audio system. I have everything shut off on my iPhone (ie. Location services, etc.) and use it for music on the go sometimes. It all really starts w/ getting off social media. Not being tied down to a phone all the time is great. Like stated in the video, I read even more than I did before. I engage w/ things on a even more personal level. I go online to independent sources that aren’t funded by special / private interests to get any news I may need. Make the change while you can. You’ll thank yourself everyday. Sometimes rejecting convenience is good.
A smart phone is just a mini-computer in your pocket. It is a multitool that you can customize however much you want. Those chatgroup apps typically have "Do Not Disturb" settings or privacy options to get rid of unwanted notifications. My Discord is mostly on mute, except for a few key channels, where I get a notification maybe once or twice per week. I can't wrap my head around why one would exchange one small box for three fat boxes, when the functionality is exactly the same. Unless there is a feeling of compulsion to use every single feature a device has to offer. Was the issue self-control the entire time? A bit of a damning observation to make, while procrastinating on RUclips for the third day in a row, instead of focusing on the things I was planning on working on...
I’ve not done it for a while but I used to go to a feature phone for a month and the main issues I faced was 1. Not being able to find something out quickly which can turn into a positive as you become forced to know or learn how to find out. 2. music, I had a small MP3 player so I had to select a few albums. 3. Camera, seeing something I wanted to take a photo off but only having a bad quality camera was a little sad. The positives was only having social media at home or if I was on my break at work meant I felt more present, like people could contact me still via text or calling me but I doom scrolled less. Ultimately I now just have a iPhone SE and I turned off notifications for a number of apps and I just try to be mindful. I’m not the most social of people so I don’t know how much this would work for others.
You and I went on a very similar journey with phones (selection and all). I've been struggling with anxiety and stress for several years, and your frustrations with group chats sounds all too familiar. I've been thinking about "dumbing down" my life quite a bit and this video has helped push me toward that. Needless to say, great video!
I do use much more than the default apps on my iPhone. In conjunction with the iPhone I keep a paper monthly planner and journal. I don’t like to be dependent on tech so I maintain analog/off line methods, tools and skills. I’ve trained young people who’ve never used a paper map. On the flip side, I’ve trained older people who have near zero skills using smart phones. Some never upgraded from a flip phone. Knowing how to function with and without smart phones and technology are good skills to have and practice.
Let's not trivialize flip/keyboard phones with phrases like "dumb phones". They've only just became "novel" a few years ago and a few more beyond that the world relied on them. The world can still easily use them as primary phones. They should not be considered novel or sensationalized any further than they've already been.
Do you remember the flip phones with little built in lights on the screen you could design into different patterns for different contacts? I had a bubblegum pink phone for a year before touch screens were a thing, and I really enjoyed the matte pink face on the phone instead of a display. I'm not sure how I would feel about trying to switch to a 'dumb phone' today. I used to prefer the idea of it though, back when smart phones were a pretty recent concept. I got on the trend more out of the desire to not seem poor among my high school friends 😅 pretty lame.
This convinced me to delete RUclips + Discord from my phone and set up Screen Time for the umpteenth time (we'll see how well that lasts). Would love to have my phone be a utility-only thing.
@@rejectconvenience Yeah, I unfortunately just can't imagine giving up the convenience that the utilities on my smartphone gives, but I know for a fact I'd be happier if I gave up the entertainment it gives. I love having GPS, web search, music streaming, and a fantastic camera in my pocket too much lol. (*especially* the camera, modern iPhone cameras still absolutely blow my mind and it makes me happy every time I get to take another sunset photo with mine) but deleting Twitter recently went pretty well so this video was the nudge I needed to go the rest of the way and delete YT and Discord. Social media shall be relegated to laptop only now.
damn guess you really like ignoring your online friends because of some trend? there’s still people behind the screen. if you’re that invested in this anti-social media trend, im worried
@@Sadakorka This feels like an oddly antagonistic interpretation of my comment? I didn't say I quit using social media entirely, just that I relegated it to my laptop where I use it more intentionally. But even if I had quit social media, I don't owe anyone online my social interactions? Like, I use Discord because I have friends there. The creator of this video is one such friend that I met on Discord. But I'm not sure how me hypothetically deciding to stop using Discord would be a crime against my friends-if they are really my friends, they would understand that mental health comes first. Additionally, I am not anti social media as a part of some trend. I am not even anti social media. I believe in reducing my social media usage because of the glut of scientific evidence that doing so is good for my health, as well as my own anecdotal experience confirming the science.
Seeing this movement grow over the last year or so has renewed my hope for our future. It felt like we were heading towards cyberpunk with no brakes. Maybe theres a better way
Oh the right video at the right time. My phone speaker had died a couple of weeks back and the phone cost me a lot. I was heart broken and didn't wanna spend big on fixing it or getting a newer costly phone. I was looking to make my life simple again without have to let go off 2 factor authentication. But you have given me hope. I am gonna get a feature phone and use this broken phone as my stay at home device. Thank you.
For me I have always and will continue to be a desktop/laptop person rather than a smartphone person. Ever since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, I was against the idea of a smartphone having apps rather than just simply a call/text/walkie talkie device. And yeah, this was 2007 and I sure hated when smartphones came to the market. I didn't even want to use one. So I stick with a flip phone and never bothered to change to a smartphone (unlike my family does). And even though they've given me one, I've treated it more like an MP3 AAC player rather than to use their apps and such.
I'm a desktop person too, and haven't ever owned a cellphone at all, but I'm still not against smartphones. I'd-just/I-just (currently using my dad's device as he's homebound) use them for the basic useful stuff, not things that would take over my life. Like not bad/predatory mobile games (which have actually caught me a couple of times on PC, but only with my time, not my money), nor Instagram, nor using the device at bad times.
I agree, that will make a big difference for most people. Also, yeah, they take an obscene amount of data from their users, and it's wild that folks are just... okay with that.
I uninstalled social media years back and, a few days ago, the youtube app. Dropping a smartphone fully wouldnt be right for me but I do get into habits that negatively impact my productivity. YT addiction being the biggest one right now.
If anyone has a low budget and already has an Android phone: you can turn your Android into a "feature" phone! You can literally install a new home screen & disable all notifications but texts and calls. There's loads of free home screens that make your phone just have a call, maps, texts, and music app listed pretty much. No need to buy new hardware if you don't have the budget for it!
For a while I used an Android flip phone from Japan (Not a feature phone, I could sideload any app that supported Android 5, and the keypad could also function as a trackpad) and it was my favorite phone experience, but I couldn't use it because not long after I got it the last of the 2G networks was shut down and that phone only supported Japanese 4G bands that in the US were owned by Sprint before their merge with T-Mobile It sucks as well because it was basically the best of both worlds: Standard Android phone convenience but just cumbersome enough to use that you won't mindlessly scroll. Unfortunately, it seems like most Android-based feature phones in the US have both worse hardware than Japanese Android feature phones and a complete inability to use ADB, which sucks because my family nowadays requires me to have Life360 in case of an emergency Needless to say the CAT flip phone is the only phone that fits my needs right now and it sucks
Just a little warning: I deleted my social media about 5 years ago and reduced the amount of time I spent on my phone. I think it's ultimately a good thing, however I am very depressed because no-one has/does reach out to me for a long periods of time. You literally cease to exist in many people's minds.
You need closer friends, or start online gaming and make friends that way.
Get Better friends :v
But yeah gaming could help, dou play something?
Yeah i've been trough the same thing without deleting anything, they only reach out to you if they see you post something they can benefit from, if not you're on your own. Even thoug i think is good to find out who cares about you and who not, of course it'll be sad but it's worst to share a life with people who doesn't give a f about you
I had a 10k plus follower count Instagram and deleted it. My social and dating life has not recovered in 8 years. In this world, your online presence is more important than you.
I've also found this, but trust me, it's better to have a couple of good friends than 100 'friends', try to make plans in person at your school or workplace and make sure to start conversations with people too, just like 'hey it's been a while how are you?' they were probably also waiting for you to text them feeling the exact same thing
The thing you said about getting better in a mental clinic requires NOT having a smartphone makes total sense. Very well said. Smartphones for young people are anxiety machines.
I really wouldn't be surprised if some of the people in mental institutions are there because of excessive smartphone use that basically took over their life. The apps are designed to be addictive and draw on par with using crack or cocaine.
It makes me hopeful that kids are better at using these. While I grew up the phones were getting exponentially better every year, which made them very interesting. Too interesting, in fact.
We’ll yeah we ARE slaves!
@@rejectconvenience smartphones had never been a source of anxiety for me, in fact, there's been a decade, even more, since I stopped using PCs. that's no surprise that smartphones are helpful in many ways but the users are the ones to blame as they don't know how to control their addiction to social media. I use smartphones mostly because of their endless storage space (micro SD) for music listening, web browsing, I don't install social bloatwares on my phones, remember one thing, either it's iphone or any android phones, they don't come preloaded with PUBG mobile or social media like TikTok, so why not use a smartphone this way?
Not smartphones itself. The apps you have installed on it. Just uninstall and mute.
I love the incredibly healthy take of, "These aren't inherently evil". You make very valid points about how moderation might be enough instead of going all in on removing the smartphone from your life
Somehow, this feels like the best, most logical, and “unjudgy” video I’ve ever seen on RUclips lol.
No crazy intros, no scene transitions, no hype or chill music… This is so rare. I loved this. Ty.
I've been itching to make another video like this, but on the topic of challenging ones own opinions. Like a step by step walk through on how I take what I'm feeling and break it down and question my own thoughts on it. Same idea though, just talking through it, minimal visuals.
@@rejectconvenience when you do, I’m on board. Good luck out there. You have something most influencers don’t have. Thanks for the content and thought provoking topics 👍✌️
The insane thing is that you are pretty much expected to have a smartphone now. And not just socially, but also at work (in order to accomplish certain obligations, being privy to emails) and in public, for scanning barcodes, using memberships, operating your payments, paying for bills, ect; that if you don't have a smartphone, you basically will not fit in.
I agree. In the case of work, it can be annoying especially when you get calls outside of your shift (which has happened to me numerous times; in that case I spoke to management and said not to contact me outside shift as I need work/life balance for my mental health and now set my phone to do not disturb on weekdays).
that's why there are special communities out there.
My local Fred Meyers got rid of all their bar scanners and love to not price things, they want you to use their stupid app. I just don't shop there no more.
YES without a proper phone mean no job for you... (navigating the map, reply the message, scanning, buy the ticket so you won't get late...)
@@TaigiTWeseFormosanDiplomat that type of job is pretty lame, phone losers can have em
For me just removing all social media apps did the trick, I was very close to closing my iPhone in a closet but it turned out the problem was in Facebook, Instagram and others. Unistaling those apps changed my screen time from 5hours a day to sub 2 hour, and I feel A LOT better
What to do with all this free time?
@@mothanyou there are many things. Spend your time on your hobbies, do sports, clean your home, learn new interesting stuff, cook yourself a meal and so on.
@@BeamDeam what about time wasting? Like you are sitting in the queue, what to do with stupid phone?
@@mothanyou can't you really be patient? How did people survive this prior 20 years?
Look around, think about what you want to do later, for example what are you going to cook for dinner and so on.
@@BeamDeam how am i gonna find receipt or interesting cooking idea?
I've been noticing so many small things (listening to the radio in my car instead of a playlist, collecting records, using a physical camera, writing on paper, etc) that make me feel so much better than using a phone but it wasn't until this video that it finally clicked for me - I'm recharging my old ipod as im writing this and i think i may just join the dumbphone movement! thank you for sharing this, it's definitely helped me and by the looks of it a lot of other commenters as well!
Dude/Dudet, I've been using separate video/photo cameras for quite some time now. Heck, I still prefer to use those over smartphones any day. It's just that going to events unfortunately doesn't allow you to bring those in, so there's that. My smartphone I treat it more like a Zune/MP3 player rather than use the applications on there. And even then I had to use it for telegram just to get my desktop version working (Really sucks telegram has to go there but oh well.)
People look at me askance for listening to the car radio rather than making a playlist, but I like it because I can hear new stuff. Listening to local news, traffic, and weather reports is also useful. The act of writing on paper makes remembering that info so much easier than if I were to type it.
Yeah. DAB radio is especially awesome. You have more specialized stations to choose from rather than ones that new pop/rap crap. All of the FM stations that used to be good here in the UK now play that garbage, which is why I switched to DAB.
Listening to the radio makes me want to rip the stereo out and throw it into the street. You get two songs followed by 5 minutes of advertising. 🤣🤣 To each their own though especially if it makes you happier.
@@jamesdagmond luckily there are a few good national radio stations where i live that have almost no advertising but i agree most stations are unbearable
I actually have been doing this with film cameras and CDs. I was into them two years back but I been feeling the need to go analog again and it makes me appreciate the moment of time in a special kind of way. The feeling of having physical media that feels, looks, and sounds better just hits different for me.
*technically* CDs aren't analogue, but as someone who also loves the funny spinny laser circles, i agree that holding the music is better than having it be an intangible stream of 1s and 0s floating through the air
@@saltedmutton7269How are CDs not digital? Is it because most CD players only have an analog audio output?
@@S-Video oops, i meant to put analogue instead of digital
pretend i did
You can buy a CD for $2 and then the music is yours FOREVER. In lossless format
@@gitnjur you should go check your sources on the format of sound on a CD
I've ditched Facebook, Instagram and Twitter back in 2019, when I've received a fraudulent email, and never looked back. It was almost like a drug addict purging the substance from the body, it was hard to do. As someone said, you start having a lot more time to do stuff, but become invisible to most people. Having a family that supported me helped a lot. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Don't worry, man. You're not the only one who got into the Dankpods rabbit hole. Guy's content is a gem.
Same here. Wade is the reason behind my CD and iPod collection lmao
He's the reason I have my iPod Classic 7th Gen
I was never old enough to have one but was cognizant when they were big, and dankpods content convinced me to grab one and gotta say I like it a lot. Mans like a gateway to weird hobbies
Many countries unfortunately rely on specific messaging apps to communicate, like Whatsapp and Telegram, so a dumb phone/feature phone will probably not have access to these apps. I know in Japan, where LINE is used by everyone for messaging, is available on feature phones and many people there still use flip phones. That's not the case for many other countries, though... for places where SMS is still used, like North America, downgrading to a dumb phone won't make you totally unreachable.
@@rejectconvenience I was setting VoIP service a while back for myself and had to contend with somehow running an Android app, while not having any working Android devices. What I did, was I ran the app on an emulator with my laptop.
something you could do is get a smaller smartphone and delete all of the destructing stuff while still having access to everything necessary
There's also the issue that cellphone carriers are starting to turn off CDMA and GSM digital cellular in favor of all LTE service using Voice over LTE (VoLTE). That means you need a feature phone that supports VoLTE, and they're not exactly cheap.
I’m in NA so I don’t have that problem, but my solution when I was trying to detox was to “make” myself a dumb phone. I was an Android user with the latest flagship phone from LG at the time, the V20. Couple years passed though and I found myself thinking about trying iPhone, and wanting to simplify my usage by force. Everyone else’s solution was buying old flip phones, but for me I still relied on some apps. So instead my answer was to buy myself a 4GB model iPhone 5C, and just use the parental restrictions to block everything that I didn’t want. I put in a random passcode while trying to not look so I couldn’t as easily reset these restrictions as well. Ideally you’ll want someone else to do this for you in case you want to get back on, but I think newer iPhones have solved this a bit more by requiring an email confirmation to reset it. Basically it’s slightly simpler to reset now, but also not completely straightforward. So yeah imo this is easily the best option for anyone feeling like their smartphone has begun to cause them stress, but also still need certain apps to go on about your day. Sadly I’m not sure how feasible it is anymore to use a 5C in 2023, but it was kinda fun actually trying to manage the storage on that thing to suit my daily needs lol. Makes me kinda wish they would start making an official modern minimalistic phone, similar to my previous setup. Sadly I can’t really see this happening though when phones are still getting bigger, and the Mini iPhone was discontinued. People insist on their phones being massive, and for it to do everything imaginable. People just don’t seem to realize though that separating things to it’s own task or category helps to stay organized, and actually can be more efficient. Like heck if I wanted a bigger phone to watch things with, why not just get a tablet like the iPad or iPad Mini?
One way is to tell people to use the app X or SMS/Call you. Some people that you want to be in contact with might not to this thou.
My room mate is so addicted to her phone she won't let anyone else touch it. I suggested sitting down for dinner with no phones to just talk and she was like "I don't see why, we have nothing to talk about" and while we were all laughing and having a great time she was on her phone, headphones in, ignoring everyone else. I was homeless for years and figured out I didn't need my smartphone to get through it. And I was addicted before I was homeless. I literally only use my smartphone to talk to my girlfriend, work stuff, RUclips and one game. That's it. It isn't a necessity.
And then everyone clapped 💀
Yeah although these days it's often the only Computing device people own. If you own a modern Flagship phone, it probably has more processing power than the laptop you are using a few years ago.
I got the same snap to reality as a teenager when I was so bad I'd have my phone taken for months at a time lol It completely broke me of my dependence and made me very aware of how dependent everyone ELSE is
@@GlorifiedGremlin Just like how everyone is dependend on water taps even though we could just use a bucket to take water from a nearby river. Or how everyone is dependend on farmers growing cattle for us instead of doing it ourselfes. We are depended on it to have that level of convenience. We could do all those things alone, but why bother when we as a human species have found ways to make that process easier.
@@Saroku1000 That is such a terribly false equivalence I dont even know where to start lmao For one, running water doesnt manipulate the neurotransmitters in our brain and cause addiction
On the taking pictures point, I’ve made an effort not to take photos with my phone anymore and I 100% agree there is a huge difference in just “living in the moment”. Honestly, I didn’t ever really find myself looking back at old pictures that often, and very few of them I actually care to see. Some things are just better left for memory.
I mean you can take a couple pictures then put your phone away. I'd rather have a couple special family photos of an occasion (especially if it's unexpectedly the last one for one of them) then none at all.
@@MixedApparitionsDo you really look at those pictures ever again? You were there though, it's in your brain. If you forgot about it then it wasn't important enough to you to begin with.
@@RunawayYeSometimes it's not about you remembering things. It's more about you later want to show to, say, your kids/grandkids for example.
If my dad back then decided to just "living in the moment" when I was born, then I'm sure I'll never see a lot of my baby antics or some family members there that had passed away today, or trips I got when I was 2 years old.
Taking photos to commemorate a moment is not an issue. The issue is when all you're doing is taking photos instead of having fun in the moment.
@@ZX3000GT1That’s true!!!
@@RunawayYe like he said in the video, it's about knowing what works best for you. To me, photos are important after realising that my memory isn't as good and I really want to relive those occasions with my loved ones. Photos aren't taken to be posted, but to act as memento.
*Reject Convenience*
These words just keep ringing in my head (in a positive way). Might become the mantra for the year.
I love that I was able to inspire! Just remember that all things in moderation. Some conveniences are good, and some are bad. Just being mindful about your choices will make a massive difference! :)
@@rejectconvenience It goes much further for me than just smartphones: Food, transportation, entertainment in general,… all these things seem to be better, if effort is needed.
I agree, I've been doing a TON of gardening lately for this reason
As someone who spent their teen years in the 00's and has never really had a cellphone (I have landline service still), I found this kind of validating.
Same here
Spent my teen years in the 2nd half of the 2010's and so far have never had a mobile. I have to get one for work now though, so I'm going to get the cheapest, most basic one I can find and only have it on me when I need it. Telephones in general annoy me, mobile phones more so. I have this crazy idea to make a rotary dial mobile in a linesman test phone style, but I don't have the knowledge to do that, yet.
same. hell i didnt even get a cell phone until i was 28
It's funny, I got a phone for work because they said I 'needed' one, but now I can't even remember the last time I used it. So much for 'needing' it.
I was born in 99, never got a smartphone until I was 16, and we had a landline for a long time in my house. I'm glad I didnt get a smartphone really early in my life
When I was in a mental hospital the reason they gave me for not allowing phones was patient privacy. Its very easy to record something someone isnt okay with or knows about you recording in that type of environment with a smartphone, even accidentally, and doing so is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and 1 year in prison. Even if you don't record anything yourself there's a chance anyone you contact could, or anything you say about your experience to someone involving someone else could be considered disclosure of private health information.
Where I live, there are phones that have only SIM cards, no cameras, no recording devices, no memory card slots, made for those in the military or working in science parks to avoid industrial espionage. All you can do is make calls or do text messaging. I suspect even those phones wouldn't be allowed in a hospital.
@@guessundheit6494 Unfortunately you can't really do calling because it interferes with the frequency technology used for patients with heart beat monitors, surgery implanted organs, etc. Hence why they tell you you're not allowed to call there because of signal interference with their equipment. Texting is fine, just not calling or recording.
@@SuperFlashDriver I was thinking more about doctors controlling the patient's focus on wellness, preventing potentially harmful external input. I knew someone who spent a month in a hospital for $u|c|de ideation. The doctors wouldn't even allow me to give her puzzle magazines to alleviate boredom.
@@guessundheit6494 Interesting. This is what I thought of when it comes to no cell phones, but I guess they have a different meaning to it than what I expected.
I did a simmilar thing with a smartwatch, I could still make phone calls, listen to music, respond to text messages and even play games, but I wasn't doing those things as much as without the watch. I basically went from playing games on every class in school, to being myself and actually listening to the teachers, which was a great feeling.
Using a smart watch to look less on the phone or whats the idea? Because when I got my first true SmartWatch I almost instantly deactivated notification because it stressed me out so much
What’s your phone screen time?
I disabled notifications on my smartwatch. I mainly use it for fitness like the step counter and exercise tracker. Otherwise I regular watch is just as useful!
@@demp11 I have an iPhone and smart watch, I keep the notifications on the watch as strict as I do on the phone, basically only direct communications with me and reminders that I myself set. I also use it to track my movement thorughout the day to encourage me to move more
8:15 thank you so much, I had a 3 year long depression and suicidal streak when I could no longer afford to be a musician, I also lost a friend directly because of it who was a sublime soul, musician and a genuine humanitarian who traveled to provide medical aid as well as hope and joy with music to war ridden countries, when he couldn't afford it anymore due to streaming and people unwilling to support him just by buying his music, he wrote about it, and then left us all.
Even back when people mostly stole my music, the few that bought it meant I could get food. Streaming destroyed that. Bandcamp is a truly giving service to us. I don't think people really understand what their actions do to the human behind the work, there's a disconnect there.
As a side benefit, the limitations of only having some music, instead of all of it makes you appreciate what you have much more, no longer skimming through but appreciating the flaws of what you have, having more unique experiences because of it.
Great video. After 12 years of smart phones and being an early adopter of the original iPhone the day it came out, I went to a regular flip phone for one year in 2020. It was awesome. I offloaded calendars, tasks and all work apps to a simple notebook that has a handwritten calendar, and bullet journal for tasks and notes/inspiration for writing songs.
Moving all my productivity apps to a notebook helped me get out of $40k in debt, make more money in my web design biz, and record an album. I went back to an iPhone a year later but I don’t know why, and hardly use the apps on it other than maps, RUclips and other non-essential things. I’m about to go back to the flip for good this month.
I highly recommend this if you feel like you are wasting away your life, or even if you want to put your smart phone in a drawer and try a fun experiment for a few months.
Which flip phone?
@@the_mariocrafter I did a generic $50 granny flip phone in 2020 and for the past year I have been using the 'Light Phone 2' which is just a "nicer" flip phone
I can't pretend to understand how you feel. But I'm very glad that you were able work your way to happiness through this lifestyle. All the best!
I LOVE the trend of young people switching to dumbphones. I have various reasons for sticking with a smartphone but I love seeing the youths appreciate the kind of phones I grew up on. I'm in my 40s now and I've noticed a HUGE difference in the way I use smartphones now from the way I used them in my 20s though(back in the glory days of Sidekicks and PalmOS, holy crap I'm old). I used to be on it all day long and once social media became a thing, my smartphone became a funnel to cram as much facebook & instagram into my brain as possible. This was before the addictive algorithms, but I still got heavily addicted. It was bad, I couldn't go more than an hour without checking it and I constantly had chats going. My anxiety was through the roof, if people didn't reply fast enough or my posts didn't get enough "likes" I felt awful. There was also the pressure for ME to keep replying and liking, even if I didn't want to. There are so many more socials now and with all the bullying and algorithms, I can't imagine how much that anxiety must be multiplied in teens & twenty-somethings today. Its no wonder mental illness is at an all time high in young people.
I quit social media a few years ago partly because I just got tired of it and partly because I got sick of Zuckerberg making the user experience worse, and that was the key to turning my smartphone from an addiction/source of anxiety to just a tool that plays media and helps organize my life. I no longer feel anxious every time I pick it up b/c I know there won't be a bunch of messages I have to respond to or pressure to get online and put on an act for a bunch of other people.
I had the same thoughts and anxiety as yours, but i Can't explain so clearly. Thanks for sharing.❤
I never really had social media early on as a kid and as a high schooler. My first social media account (if we aren't counting YT) is Snapchat that I used to chat with high school friends. I did eventually get more accounts like Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, etc; and I used to doom scroll those quite often. I have since deleted those apps from my phone and my screentime has gone down dramatically though I admit that I did too much YT content consumption on the vacations I had last year which made me do less in the places I vacationed to. Next vacation I take I will make sure to not have access to YT videos and doomscrolling so I am more inclined to do things.
I've been considering this for quite a while too.
On a side note, I think there might be a correlation between phones becoming more addicting and phones becoming bigger each year, both influencing each other. More addiction leads to consumers wanting bigger and better screens and bigger batteries. Bigger screens and bigger batteries lead to more addiction.
not only that, algorithms in various social media apps are only getting worse as AI is coming in and making super addicting algorithms for them
omg I think you might be right. When I was using a relatives old iPhone SE 2016 after the phone I had broke I wasn't using it as much as the other larger phones I've had. Probably a combination of the 4" screen and 2 hour battery life from never having the battery replaced. Perhaps I should get it back out as it would be a good middle ground between a smartphone and dumbphone
I've missed very chill, creative and informative videos like this, you should do more!
I realized how much I rely on my phone for everything sometime around when this video was released. I didn't watch this video until today, funnily enough. I didn't get a feature phone but I did uninstall social media and started leaving my phone at home whenever I could. I would completely agree that I experienced the same positive effects such as "being more in the moment" and "embracing boredom." The novelty has worn off, but the effects still remain. I do carry my phone around me more often nowadays, however I'm not on it constantly binging social media; it's more of a tool.
No, nobody needs a smartphone. Everything a smartphone does, there is already a tool that does it (and is most likely better at it). Own a GPS for travel, mp3 player for music, desktop for internet usage, cash/card for purchases, and a feature phone for calls and texts. Each thing has one purpose. There is merit to sacrificing convenience for intentionality.
For GPS and getting around town, I can recommend getting a dedicated GPS handheld and having it in the car. They're relatively cheap these days (especially compared to smartphones), have some nice bells and whistles, and only really need map updates to function properly, which most still regularly get.
My utilitarian approach to social media: people move, numbers change, and friendships are priceless to me. I only spend a couple of minutes responding to messages about plans for getting together to catch up or to quickly scroll if there is trending news I might miss elsewhere, or maybe something humorous brightens my day. That dosage has felt just right and I would encourage people to not suck hours into social media. If there is one thing I might need to do less of, it might be the need to shut myself off of current events, because the world can be depressing sometimes.
I'm glad you found something good for yourself.
I appreciate you doing this video to raise awareness on the impact of smart devices on mental and social health. Too much of just about anything tends to become a bad thing. Excess is a threat.
I have thought of switching to a dumb phone. I was a young adult in the 90s and many things were different. I could argue with someone and not feel insulted/betrayed, I could just stare into space for minutes, and so on. Thank you for your input and insight into this, I am giving serious thought to switching!
I was born in 99 and I have entertained the thought of going to a feature phone as a daily, though I chat with my closest friends on Discord so Id like to use that if possible
I grew up in the 90s without a cell phone. Makes me sad that I can't go to concerts anymore without people being on their phones, not enjoying the moment. I have no social media, professionally its such a bad idea. My last phone i bought was 4 years ago. I have no interest in getting the latest. It's a bit juvenile. 😂 great video! Thought provoking. I'm concerned about the radiation overall though.
Btw, the channel Darko audio has gotten me obsessed with Cds again. I love it!
Every young people is constantly radiating their gonads with phones in their pockets. It will be amazing if anyone can bear children in 20 years
Though it has been helpful to see recordings of the events that otherwise wouldn't have been recorded.
I went to two metal concerts in the past 2 years and I admit I did take some videos of the shows. The first one I have a bunch of videos of (none of which I actually rewatch) and the second one I have fewer recordings of (none of which I actually rewatch), and nor do I really even think about these recordings in my day to day life. Next concert I would probably just take a few photos of the stage and set, maybe a few of the performers and just live in the moment.
Thank you for sharing about your mental health recovery journey, this hits home for me.
Hope your journey is going well
I’ve never been particularly attached to my phone-to the point that my friends and family joke that I move around invisibly because I don’t have social media and am terrible at catching calls or returning missed ones. Over the years, I’ve noticed just how glued people have become to their phones. I can’t tell you how many combined hours I’ve spent staring at the back of someone else’s phone, especially during idle moments or lulls in conversation. I sit there, waiting for that person to remember I’m still there or to re-engage with their surroundings. At first, it made me insecure. I wondered if I just wasn’t interesting enough to hold their attention. But eventually, I accepted that this is simply the new normal.
It's hard to unsee it, and I'm shocked I didn't ever notice it before. But 2 years into not using all that junk.. it's plain as day. It's a little depressing, to be honest. I don't know that I've fully come to the acceptance stage that you eventually came to.
I feel like this issue may hit harder for people who were well off enough to afford new technology. Freshman year I bought my first Alcatel smartphone, but could only use apps connected to Wi-Fi. We were ripping RUclips Mp3 files to have something to listen to on the bus. 😭
How do you rip RUclips mp3 files and put them in an iPod?
I love the concept of disconnecting, and I love that you're out there making people think about it. I rarely look at my phone these days unless it's for music or texting, and it's been wonderful to shut all that noise down. Personally for me, I think deleting apps and working on self-discipline was better than just sending myself back to 2005. Imo it's a really good life lesson to know you can but still refuse to do it because it's not enriching to your soul. It's a skill we all need to work on these days, I think. It took me quite a while to learn how to stop going back to that sweet, sweet dopamine.
It’s really good to become mindful of why you’re doing things and what all of your options really are. The past few years I’ve followed this similar path but by dumbing down my smart phone and always re evaluating the foundational mindset of what consistently supports me and serves me positively.
Since my child was 3-4 years old (6 now) I have done everything to try and model the concept of my phone being unimportant and not essential. I noticed that many young kids believe and act as if the phone is more important than water, likely modeled by their parents. I did not want my child growing up like that. I bought a GPS for my car (doubles as a dash cam and works without internet), bought a watch, bought a real camera, and changed all my habits. I’ve maintained an average of 1-2h screen time since then, mostly calls. I always have the phone away from me when we’re together, and use it to call and take the occasional picture. Recently my child asked me what time it is and where my watch was, and I know my efforts have paid off. It’s been challenging, but it’s had an amazing effect on both of our lives. The absolute best thing I implemented that had a massive snowball effect was implementing a rule that I would not look up random thoughts or questions that popped into my mind. If I was still curious about whatever it was, I would wait until after bedtime in the evening, and go look it up on my laptop (like we used to do not that long ago). This was inspired by research about wonder and curiosity leading to better creativity, and how many of us don’t allow our minds to wonder anymore. The main motivation however was not modeling the “google everything” thing to my child. 99% of the time, when I’d open my laptop in the evening to check my emails (another one of my rules, no email on phone, check it once a day), I’d remember wanting to look something up earlier and could almost never remember what it was because it just wasn’t important at all. This one thing had a massive effect on both of our lives. Not only does it drastically cut down on your screen time (think of how much screen time starts with picking up your phone to google something random), you realize how unimportant most of it is and how much time we waste. It totally transformed my habits (along with a few other small changes) and now 2-3 years later, I usually just sit quietly when waiting somewhere and have zero desire to take my phone out. I can sit for hours without doing anything. My mental and spiritual health has transformed. My likes/dislikes, everything. I really only use it as a tool for communication, actually important pictures, and the occasional googling of something that is actually important (need to look up an address or phone number of a business, etc).
I picked up the light phone 2 a couple of months ago. Great phone. I learned the importance of separation and now use things with more intention. It has definitely helped me worry less and focus on the essentials.
I have a Light Phone II and a ipod Classic. Never have owned a smartphone. Good to see there are more of us out there!
I got a dumb phone. A Nokia E72. It does all the things I need a basic phone to do. Calls, Texts and if I can get it working, emails. And I basically turned my iPhone to a black and white iPod for music. Honestly, it’s been great. I can concentrate on tasks more, I can get to sleep better because I used to be on my phone till 11 to 1AM. I don’t get lost on my phone, getting those quick dopamine hits on TikTok. I don’t do that anymore.
This has changed my life forever. I don’t want to switch to my smartphone anymore.
@@mexodroid1848 i had a Nokia E72 and it was great. But you're right, it's a smarphone.
that phone still works? i wanted a qwerty phone for detoxing my life but couldnt find any. i used a blackberry q10 which had 4g for a year before the buttons and sim slot broke so i had to switch to my brother's hand me down iphone se.
my end goal is settling with a dumbphone with a qwerty keyboard, which i hope someone will make soon with something like kaios. because in my country, these old nokias just dont work with modern networks. 3g has been retired in most countries anyway.
@@mexodroid1848 I don't bother with installing the symbian apps from the web. Too much hassle, even then I really don't care about the apps anyway.
@@jackieburkhart3268 the company Unihertz make phones with keyboards.
This is honestly something I've been considering. Ultimately you gave me good alternatives to my biggest concerns; namely music, navigation, and 2FA. I feel I'm already at a good spot with my screen addiction but it wouldn't hurt to go further! The bits about "experiencing the moment" really interested me.
I liked that you made it clear that smartphones are not bad things and that they are useful for some people. In my case I don't consider it a problem, but I stopped using social networks a few years ago and more recently I don't follow news, I don't even open news aggregators like Google News anymore. These two changes did me a lot of good. I have tried to focus on the trade off of things, because nothing is 100% good or 100% bad. If the benefits outweigh the harms, it might be a good idea.
Well-considered and just totally right. I appreciate your immense respect for your audience as well as sharing your thoughts. I've long felt similarly about smartphones, especially since only two major companies make all the smartphone operating systems, making personal choice in things like how to organize, present, or block notifications rather limited, not to mention user interfaces being unintuitive for users like me who like having maximum control on open source PCs haha!
I got a Light II a couple weeks ago, and I love it. I feel more free and creative. It works.
I have a light phone too. Love it
Hey Anthony! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and inspiring! I have been struggling with my focus and productivity levels and my phone was the ultimate sadness source by being the biggest enemy in terms of time management. I was planning to switch but I had no idea how to begin. Now I am proud to say that I also follow your footsteps and I cannot be happier. Again, thanks for making this video!
I get you man. Where I come from, there is no such thing as dealing with mental health issues or any service that helps people having such things. So I had to figure it out myself.
I found that I was wasting away my life and productivity with staring at social media. It always made me angry or depressed. So I decided to delete my social media accounts as an experiment back in 2021. It was a such a breath of fresh air. I was no longer depressed and had ample time to put into work. It made me not look at my phone 90% of the time.
Eventually I finished my bachelors and got a software engineering job. Bought a macbook and iphone as I always had an interest in apple products, but I was too broke to buy one before. As a mobile app developer, I found the excuse to buy them, and found that I don't even like them that much. I miss my old headphone jack that I had with my Android phones. I feel like I just wasted 2 grand for nothing. I still go back to my cheap ass Android phone when I'm home to listen to some good music. I wish I could go back to those Nokia XpressMusic days.
Some of you may think I'm a loner. I'm not. As I'm growing older, I'm just investing more time to myself.
I rediscovered my old MP3 player a while back and I've gotta say, having to go and tag my songs with MP3Tag manually makes me appreciate the art a lot more.
Absolutely. It made me even go look for the artists and more of their works!
A fellow MP3tag user!
But I personally prefer flacs wherever possible since today's storage has the luxury of space that MP3 players didn't have. I also extract files as wav, which is also lossless (and I convert those to flac)
@@iPlayOnSpica Sorry if this reply gets very long, but I'm pretty sure there are, thankfully, "MP3 players" that can also play WAV/FLAC/whatever lossless format you choose. Which is a good thing. Unfortunately my specific music player (I rather call it that instead of just "MP3 player") only accepts up to 32 GB SD cards which really isn't enough for having a really large amount of WAV/FLAC/whatever lossless format. Yeah, you could say this player is a little "outdated" in that way, which I would agree with.
It's important to note, though, that the specific player I use is pretty unique from anything else, in that it is specifically designed for people who are blind/visually impaired, and I fit into that category. What I mean is, when you navigate your songs or the built in settings/menues/whatever, it uses built-in speech to tell you what's going on. And all you have to do is press buttons and then simply listen to the speech output that's presented to you. So there's no screen in sight, at all. So because it's specifically built in this way from the very beginning, there's no need to install the speech synthesizer or anything of that nature. So... it is *built* for the blind. There's no issue of a screen reader having trouble reading graphics, like there could be with any screen reader like the one that comes with IPhones. That's because there are no graphics on this device, and as such, no screen whatsoever.
Would eventually love to see something newer that's like this, a more 'modern' version that keeps up with the newer tech in digital audio recording/playback (allowance for much larger SD cards, the ability to play FLAC/WAV/whatever uncompressed audio without worry of not having enough space), because this device is certainly 'outdated' by todays audio standards. I mean, mp3 files can certainly sound quite good (so long as you set the bitrate correctly upon recording/downloading/whatever), but uncompressed audio has the advantage of insuring that you get the proper sound quality (because there is no compression to speak of, hence the term 'uncompressed'). So with that in mind, it would be still nice to see a newer product, a standalone music player specifically designed for blind people (or just anyone else who doesn't want to stare at a screen), that you would operate by simply pressing buttons and simply listening to the speech output that's presented to you, and which supports all kinds of audio (both compressed and uncompressed), and which has plenty of storage space for storing very large amounts of files in even the most uncompressed audio file formats. I do believe there exists a need for something like this. Not everyone should have to do all this music listening and stuff strictly with their smartphone... a standalone player still has very valid reasons to even just exist.
Oh, and did I forget to mention that this music player device I have can also be used to make your own audio recordings? :))) That's very fun to do. I sometimes record the audio from movies. Or music as well. So if a newer version of this device could just be instructed to record in WAV/FLAC/whatever, you'd get pretty great results I'm sure.
Anyways, I'm done writing this extremely lengthy comment :))))) and if you'd like to know what this specific device is (what it's called, the company behind it and so on), let me know and I'll post a link or write another comment or something.
@@justinnaramor6050your comment was a treat to read. Thanks for taking the time to write it. Since you're blind / visually impaired and I'm assuming have used smartphones at some point, I'll take this opportunity to ask a question I've wondered about for some time:
In your experience with iPhone and Android, how helpful are their accessibility functions? I'm thinking specifically of text to speech, and things like reading out of menus & on screen prompts. What do the manufacturers do well? And in your opinion, what are some areas needing improvement? I ask as I USE many accessibility features purely for convenience' sake but have been amazed at how poorly implemented some are:
for example, swipe down with two fingers on iPhone reads an entire page of text, however you need to SEE a tiny pop up menu to adjust the read-back speed up or down. To make matters worse, the phone only gives 1/2 speed, 1.5x and 2x speed as alternatives to default read-back (which to my ears anyway, tends to be a little too fast.) What's more, if you want to change the phone's default read-back speed you have to go to settings andmanually drill down into a multi step menu. What's more, the new default speed you finally managed to set, well.... it automatically goes away the first time you click that tiny intermittent pop up menu to switch to 1/2x or 1.5x or 2x (these three speeds are ONLY ever relative to the system's original default playback rate, not your manually systems-selected playback rate. ie 50% readback is always 1/2 the speed of the default readback rate, it is not 50% of your 1x readback speed preference.) "well, then leave it be. Don't ever click on that tiny pop up menu. Simple enough," someone will say. Which might seem reasonable were it not for two other realities:
1. sometimes you might want to alter the readback rate AND
2. When the phone powers down, it automatically reverts to the phone's original default readback rate. Yes, you heard that right: after power down, you must manually go into the settings again to change the preferred readback rate. Proving that your smartphone is actually pretty damn dumb.
That was long winded but it's stuff like this that has me wondering, are some of these smartphones' "accessibility tools" even much help to those who need the help?
p.s. I've also noticed that many of these tools have only gotten WORSE in implementation over time.
Thoughts??
I used to download a lot of MP3s off of RUclips growing up, and I kinda still do since coming across Dank Pods and getting a collection of iPods and using some as a daily music player. My first MP3 player was a Trio Clip, sadly the battery is pretty flat these days so I cant use it if I wanted to asdly
IV been hospitalized twice and remember feeling so st ease now that my phone wasn’t chained to me. I remember reading articles in magazines and laying in bed as they watched me using the cameras in my room lol. Very peaceful moment tbh. Loved hearing you talk about that!
Really good video. I love the presenting style. That your not selling us a magical solution buy just telling your story and what worked. Its a breath of fresh air with all the typical YT content.
A simple thing I started doing that helps is, if you carry a bag, never put your phone in your pocket. If I'm out and about with friends I won't take out my phone without a reason because it's less convenient to do so. Works even better if you have a backpack. Also means I dont have to take my phone out of my back pocket in order to sit down, thus leaving it off the table at restaurants (ah, girl jeans).
I also love my iPod and I have IEM headphones with a bluetooth receiver. The case is so big I keep a wire in it as well so I can use them with my iPod or when the battery dies.
Hey! I recently made this switch myself last month, I'd probably have done it sooner, but was waiting for my old smartphone to kick the bucket (It was 7 years old and I wanted to see how long it truly lasted). I had a really bad addiction to social media a few years ago, so I purged all my social media apps from my phone, not having them on me all the time and being confined to only check them when I'm using my computer helped my mental health a lot. And I found that I liked being able to compartmentalize my things, I liked having my music be separate from my phone, and my computer separate from that.
A smaller bonus I also found is that I don't have to worry about the battery life of my phone as much now. My flip phone will last a good few days on one full charge, even my parents fancy new smart phones only last a day with decent use.
I deleted social media apps from my phone end of last year and I have seen myself picking it up much less. I also disabled iOS's raise to wake and tap to wake so I have to be very intentional when I turn it on. I also have my notifications settings very strict, like texts from friends and family, discord DMs (cuz that's how I chat with my closest friends), and reminders that I have set because if I don't have a set routine then I sometimes forget to do certain tasks so I have reminders to remind me to do certain things at a certain time of day.
I have a close friend (22) who has a smartphone, but has not used any app outside of the basic apps (phone, messenger, clock, mail), Strava, and Spotify. He doesn't know any celebrities, he cuts his own hair, he doesn't listen to people (including me!) if he's not interested, he does not drive. He's a bit different to most people, but I understand it. If he has free time, he is biking or climbing with a friend, or, he' at home being creative by sewing a bag, bootlegging a cassette, or building a bike.
To be clear, he didn't covert to a simple life. He's always been this way.
Its important to have boredom. We humans will do what is convenient. So, engineering your surroundings to make an activity more convenient than scrolling is important to prevent scrolling.
Had similar mental health experiences - believe they called it "adjustment disorder" in the hospital. Yeah - adjusting to awful things happening will do that to you. Vividly remember not having my phone - and looking back you are totally right about it messing with your head :) Great video
I’ve been considering not giving up my smartphone completely, but buying a dumb phone to swap my SIM card in for places where I don’t want to use my phone all that much (ie work). I figure making my phone a fun little treat for the weekends will help out a lot.
Personally, I couldn't see myself cutting my smartphone out of my life. It's a great media consumption and utility device for me, and I regularly tinker with root and custom roms to improve the experience and cut out advertisements. Maybe it's just the way I use technology, but I've never really had a problem with my devices like this. It's still cool to see older tech making a niche sort of comeback though. One thing I will say is that you probably could have just bought a used, unlocked flip phone and just kept your current service by transferring the sim card.
If you consider "media consumption" a needed feature it's already too late.
@@nobodynoone2500 Well I don't always have time to sit down in front of the tv and watch a movie, so it's kind of necessary for me lol. I even invested in a blu ray drive for my laptop so I could have a portable way to watch my HD movies.
In Europe, the service doesn't force you to their devices that they offer on the store. If you want just their service, they give you a SIM card, and that's it. You could buy your phone by yourself, just whatetever brick is it. I can't imagine that this free choice was gone here, I really like Sony's phones.
Great video! I haven’t used Instagram or Facebook in about 4 years but over the last year I downloaded tiktok and became ADDICTED. it was bad. My solution: delete a majority of the dumb apps on my phone including any lingering social media. I will keep my iPhone for tracking reasons. I am a female and go many places alone, so knowing my friends and family can actively see where I am makes me feel safe. This was the solution that worked from me! Any shift towards less phone time is great.
I think I'm addicted to RUclips. The recommended videos page feels like a slot machine. Pull down... the Goog algo tumblers spit out a fresh batch of 'suggestion' & 'just for you' videos. "Did I win anything awesome?! What's my prize?" Then comes the endless scrolling to find out. "Nothing this time. Hmm... Let's pull that lever one more time."
Which is why this digital addict 🙋♂️ has NEVER once gone on TikTok. If my attention span were any shorter, it would be counted not in minutes or seconds but in frames.
I've felt like this for a long time but never got into it hard enough to do research or even take it seriously. Thanks for making such an inspiring video
I just bought a Unihertz Titan Pocket to mainly use as a travel/business phone. I currently have a Samsung Galaxy Flip5 as my daily driver. The moment I hit checkout on the Titan, it got me thinking. I’m on my phone way too much and I feel like the Titan would be the perfect blend between a smartphone and a dumb phone. I can still access my Spotify and navigation, and occasionally check social media. The Titan pocket in particular has a small-ish screen meaning it’s almost impossible to read one instagram or Facebook post, which is PERFECT for what I want in a phone. It will reduce my urge to scroll through my phone even though I still have that smartphone experience. Plus it has a physical QWERTY keyboard which is pretty cool as well! The phone arrives in 5-10 days. Cannot wait any longer!!
BRO, NO WAY. The fact of the matter is I've been already applying most of these healthy habits before you mentioned them in this video, makes me feel that I'm not alone. Thank you SO INCREDIBLY MUCH for making this video I can relate so much to! RUclips has been taking down a lot of tracks in my music playlist for no reason, so I've started the effort of either downloading them individually with the intent of supporting the artist later on in Beatport/Bandcamp. I'm also trying to get a dumb phone myself even though I'd rather keep my smartphone for bare essential things (since I already do have two phone numbers after all). I'm highly considering the Sunbeam Daisy flip phone as it's super basic like any basic flip phone with voice to text capabilities. I stopped using social media anymore, so I'll only ever go on it once in a blue moon if someone wants to show me something on my desktop. This video is incredible!
Also I know my way around not going to foreign places too often, so in case I ever get lost I pay attention to the nearest interstate/highway junction number and direction and go there instead.
A QR code to look at a restaurant menu? I've never heard of something so ridiculous. I've never seen that either, so it doesn't sound common yet. But, either way, that's WAY less convenient than just being handed a brochure menu, or, even more commonly, those laminated booklets.
Several restaurants I frequent do this. You scan the code, order, receive your food, and pay any time you leave. It's quick and convenient, and there's no social pressure to tip from a person looking over you with a card reader. The staff aren't constantly running around asking tables if "they're doing okay," and instead just serve dishes and answer questions as they're asked. The restaurants feel much more calm, less frantic and chaotic, and I still get facetime with the staff. It's really not a bad system.
I think rejecting comfort is way more effective to live a happier life than rejecting convenience. Going out to run while its raining outside, doing things regardless if they are outside your comfort zone will in the long term make you live a happier life.
I was in a similar situation to you a couple years ago and I switched to a dumb phone for a while. I ended up going back to it once my smartphone got stolen and since I'm on a family plan it's not too expensive for me to keep service on an ipad along with my flip phone, and having access to everything on my phone, but needing to grab a big fragile thing out of my disorganized laptop bag to do it has made a pretty good balance for me. It can find a stationary place in whatever room I plan to spend time in, and I can be connected and stuff, but the price is enough to make me wanna do something else.
This video is criminally underrated. It's also the first video I've ever seen from you. That makes me believe you are a criminally underrated content creator.
I generally love being away from the smartphone. For the longest time I would leave my phone in my car during work (most times unintentionally, but it never bothered me). MFA however changed that and forces me to be chained to it just for that.
One thing you mentioned in passing was "stay away from news". This is by far one of the best things you can do to immediately improve your wellbeing. This includes RUclips/TikTok/Social Media creators/outlets/groups/pages. It's all hyper sensational carefully crafted to evoke emotions, and that is extremely taxing on the mind. You'll end up happier with more headspace for things that matter.
A discipline I like to practice in public is avoid bringing out the phone. Waiting in a boring line is tough, so I read a sign a million times, people watch, and eventually daydream. Keeping a journal for those occasions sounds fun!
I don't have a dumb phone, but what I did do that I noticed made a big difference was deleting social media and deleting web browsers from my phone. If you have an iPhone you can use screen time to block the use of Safari, since you can't delete that from your iPhone. I deleted all apps except for navigation, music and messaging. When I want to use the internet, I only allow myself to use it on my computer.
These minor changes have made a huge impact in my life. can't recommend it enough.
I think this is a great strategy. I had similar emotions but didn't want to lose a lot of other conveniences in my life and deleting reddit, Twitter etc. From my phone definitely helped me be less anxious and live in the moment more. Ultimately whatever works for you but it doesn't have to be one or the other, even small steps like removing social media from your bookmarks can help.
I've been watching many videos on that subject but you, you my friend made the most complete and useful video out of them all. I'm personally going to turn my current iPhone into a dumb/lite phone because lately, social medias have been taking way to much space in my life. I also find myself being a lot more anxious when I spend too much time doomscrolling. Thanks for you video, it helped me, and will probably help a lot of other people!
I am happy to hear it was helpful :) I saw a lot of those "I tried it for 30 days" but those always felt like... a challenge and not a lifestyle change. Nothing wrong with those videos, but they didn't vibe with what I wanted. So I'm glad to know others found this valuable!
This is an exclellent video! It definitely shows that you are thoughtful about this subject and not just trying to sell or convince people into something, you just make a well rounded and honest case for something we should all be aware of in this day and age, even if we continue using our smart phones. Thanks for the insight!
This video is wholesome. The Idea given at the end, it's the cherry on top, makes it clear that we chose what's best. Lot of youtubers should learn from this.
Back in highschool I was very not addicted to my smartphone (I graduated in 2017 so it's not like smartphones weren't around then either) and in the past few years I have become very attached to my phone. I was slow at purchasing phones and I'm only on my 5 phone since my first one in 2011, but currently with the z flip 3 the screen has gone bad and I'm fed up with it. I could pay no less than $100 to get it fixed but honestly it's time to go back to the simpler times.
Oh I LOOSE it when my phone is gone
As a Gen Z'er, this video genuinely got me sitting back thinking, "Huh. Why do I need a smartphone?" Things like "dumbphones", iPods, computers, and physical maps have everything you need to maneuver the modern world without the negative side effects, like the constant anxiety, loneliness, and addiction, that comes with smartphones.
This is a prime example to why convenience is not always the best way to go.
For $9 a month (at the cheapest) for cell data, I might tag along on this dumbphone journey. Great video!
Thanks for the comment, it’s awesome to see that I got the youths thinking about the options that are out there! I hope your journey will bring you less anxiety and stronger social connections.
I had a similar realization recently. Verizon canceled my service because they incorrectly thought that my LG V20 didn't support VoLTE. I was very angry for the first 24 hours. After waiting 4 days for my T-Mobile SIM card to arrive. I started to reassess how I felt about the smart phone. During my down time I had the same thought, if I had my book with me this would be great.
I'm a die-hard LG V20 fanatic. It's my first and last smartphone. If I'm going to invest $500 in something I intend to keep it for life!
As an audiophile the headphone out sounds unbelievable for computer audio on some V20 variants. Granted the software is properly modified. I'd love to get the chance to compare it to all your iPods.
All modern phones are a downgrade. They are removing the headphone jack, IR blaster, Removable battery, even the SD card.
Yep distancing from your SMRT phone is therapeutic, you don`t need to bin it completly just start small like turning on a plane mode when you go for a walk, use your social media only on your lap top, keep your phone far away from were you sleep, sell your smart watch and buy some classic analog time peace.
Thank you for the thoughtful and kind words. Much appreciated
good video. i had a mobile phone for one year back in 2004 and it wasnt for me. a large part is the extremely high monthly cost where i live, but its also nice to have your walking and driving time to yourself and not worry about being in communications contact constantly. i tried fbook for a couple of weeks in 2006 and decided that wasnt for me either. the world doesnt end, its actually quite relaxing. i loved insta when it first came out but then the fbook culture took over and i stopped that too. i usually have an ipad mini or ipod touch and just check free wifi, its as close as the next fast food or coffee shop or mall. do people think im eccentric? yep. do i feel more at peace? yep.
I don't think it is a coincidence that the moment you give up your smartphone for a flip phone that you feel better. Not having technology constantly at your fingertips gives your brain time to REST. I bought a flip phone last night and I am very excited for it to get here. It is freedom and disconnection from the matrix
I was practically forced to buy a smart phone after my family ditched Verizon (where we all had dumb phones) about a year ago and my brother recommended I switch to Mint. I adjusted to using my smart phone faster than I expected, thankfully, which was probably helped by the fact that the one I got (an iPhone 6s) has a physical main button; plus, I'm able to customize settings and delete apps to make things less overwhelming. I still feel lost when someone else hands me their smart phone to do some quick thing.
For the most part, I still use my laptop for the fancier stuff. All I use my smart phone for are calls, texting, alarms, photos, keeping a small number of notes, reading QR codes, paying for laundry, keeping track of the weather, and doing certain church-related things. Oh, and I had to use it to set up my new router. It's a bit more than I used my dumb phone for (which I couldn't get to connect to the internet despite it supposedly having the ability), but it's still not much, and I am perfectly happy to keep it that way.
Dude thankyou so much for sharing your hospitalization experiences because I literally had the same exact thought process after some of my own experiences and it’s cool to to know I’m not the only one lol TT
I think it's so relieving to realize you're not the only one - I hope your journey has gone well!
My job requires me to have an smart phone to get connected to my VPN you have to authorize that through the app
As an additional tip, you can get IEMs that have replaceable cables and have much cleaner audio quality than what a pair of Apple's earpods can offer at the same price. Something like the Salnotes 7hz Zero or the CCA CRA or the Truthear Holas are all great IEMs (all around $20 USD), with some coming with different ear tips that can fit into your ears correctly and can last you a long time if you take care of it.
To add to this, I’ve been using the same AudioTechnica IEMs for the past 6 years and they still sound great - just a good cleaning once in a while and maybe some replacement tips sometimes and everything is set!
For comfort I use the Sony folding headphones (wired), the actual phones are angled slightly so they don't crush your ears like just about every other set I have tried. I have a 10 year old set in my briefcase, the coating on the ear pads is starting to degrade but my sister is making me a set of covers from a linen handkerchief, so with any luck they will last another 10, at a total cost of 50c/year.
PS they also have a mic and the 3mm jack fits my dect home phone, so I can cook a meal whilst chatting on that with the phone in my breast pocket.
I use KBear KS2's, I love them
Holy, those prices are high. Here in Italy a 10GB plan plus unlimited minutes costs around 5 to 8 euros
America!
Similar thing in Germany. Phone/Data plans can be very cheap (under 10€ for unlimited minutes/SMS and enough Data for normal usage).
Thanks for telling your experience without a smartphone! I've been considering it for a while....
as for me, this past year what I've done is I stopped using social media and blocked all notifications except for calls. just that and it helps TREMENDOUSLY in my everyday life. less anxiety, feels more grounded to life, etc. my average screen-on time went down from >6 hours/day to around 1.5 hours/day now.
Not planning on follow your same path but enjoyed a lot the video. Glad you are feeling better now. And thx for sharing your experience with others who might need or want help on this subject.
I think I just use my phone in a healthier way than I used to and thats good enough for me. if its making me angry or upset there are ways to get rid of it, ad blockers and the block button are great on everything. API free social media clients are great if you find yourself tempted to argue with people about things because it takes away that option. I bought a kindle paperwhite to read manga before bed instead of scrolling tiktok and thats great.
First time seeing your content and i can totally agree with your point. I tried detaching from my phone as much as possible and now i only use it for calling people, texting and listening to music and i can approve, anxiety went away magically. I used to struggle a lot with anxiety but now i learned to enjoy real stuff such as reading, enjoying walks, pretty much simple stuff and everything is way better than before. I feel more connected to reality and i really think everybody should try this, if you can’t detach entirely it’s fine, but you can clearly cut some functionality from your phone and use it as a dumb phone and it is going to make a big difference. Well done!
when i did that years ago, i felt a weight on my chest was removed, the air feels different. in my opinion, it feels awesome to let your mind drift without those kind of distractions.
As for me, i'm gonna start looking for some music players to go back to the old days of me actively looking for songs
@@itsdokko2990 True! I can relate!
Anthony, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude for you sharing this video!
Even though I'm currently in College, I'm a remote student. However, I'm driving more and will be on campus in a few months. Because of this, I've been facing the fact that I will need some communications device shortly (I've never owned a phone thus far). I dreaded the idea of a smartphone but thought I had no other option. Also, being an avid hiker, I've been considering getting a satellite phone, but having two expensive devices seems wrong.
Anyway, all that being said, your video made me reconsider many things. I'm still unsure what to do, but in either case, you inspired me and opened my mind. This video was remarkable in more ways than I can count! Keep being awesome!
A couple side notes... I didn't know you were also a Dankpods fan!!!! And do you seriously have Meze headphones? They seem amazing. Oh, and I strongly relate to everything you said about wired headphones! They are incredibly underrated, and I have no intention of ever switching to wireless.
@@rejectconvenience all these videos are hilarious at best. People created their own addiction and blame it on their smartphones.
I've been using smartphones without social media and I couldn't be more happier. Sometimes being an anti social person who don't give a rat ass about others validation really does help
I don't need all these fancy shenanigans like 4k video, telephoto lens, amoled screen, NFC, wireless charging.......as long as the phone has Bluetooth A2DP, a 6.5 inch IPS display, a memory card slot, a web browser, WiFi, that's enough for me
I’ve been doing something similar to this for a long time. Still have a new iPhone, which I use when I need to communicate w/ people for work or if I’m in the city.
I use my iPod for music at home. It’s permanently connected to my hi-fi audio system. I have everything shut off on my iPhone (ie. Location services, etc.) and use it for music on the go sometimes.
It all really starts w/ getting off social media.
Not being tied down to a phone all the time is great. Like stated in the video, I read even more than I did before. I engage w/ things on a even more personal level. I go online to independent sources that aren’t funded by special / private interests to get any news I may need.
Make the change while you can. You’ll thank yourself everyday. Sometimes rejecting convenience is good.
A smart phone is just a mini-computer in your pocket. It is a multitool that you can customize however much you want. Those chatgroup apps typically have "Do Not Disturb" settings or privacy options to get rid of unwanted notifications. My Discord is mostly on mute, except for a few key channels, where I get a notification maybe once or twice per week.
I can't wrap my head around why one would exchange one small box for three fat boxes, when the functionality is exactly the same. Unless there is a feeling of compulsion to use every single feature a device has to offer.
Was the issue self-control the entire time? A bit of a damning observation to make, while procrastinating on RUclips for the third day in a row, instead of focusing on the things I was planning on working on...
a lot of the problems with modern smartphones can be fixed with adblock and piracy, as well as distancing from social media.
Fr💀💀
I’ve not done it for a while but I used to go to a feature phone for a month and the main issues I faced was
1. Not being able to find something out quickly which can turn into a positive as you become forced to know or learn how to find out.
2. music, I had a small MP3 player so I had to select a few albums.
3. Camera, seeing something I wanted to take a photo off but only having a bad quality camera was a little sad.
The positives was only having social media at home or if I was on my break at work meant I felt more present, like people could contact me still via text or calling me but I doom scrolled less.
Ultimately I now just have a iPhone SE and I turned off notifications for a number of apps and I just try to be mindful.
I’m not the most social of people so I don’t know how much this would work for others.
the step no 1 is get rid of fb honsetly
Real
You and I went on a very similar journey with phones (selection and all). I've been struggling with anxiety and stress for several years, and your frustrations with group chats sounds all too familiar. I've been thinking about "dumbing down" my life quite a bit and this video has helped push me toward that. Needless to say, great video!
I do use much more than the default apps on my iPhone. In conjunction with the iPhone I keep a paper monthly planner and journal. I don’t like to be dependent on tech so I maintain analog/off line methods, tools and skills. I’ve trained young people who’ve never used a paper map. On the flip side, I’ve trained older people who have near zero skills using smart phones. Some never upgraded from a flip phone. Knowing how to function with and without smart phones and technology are good skills to have and practice.
Let's not trivialize flip/keyboard phones with phrases like "dumb phones". They've only just became "novel" a few years ago and a few more beyond that the world relied on them. The world can still easily use them as primary phones. They should not be considered novel or sensationalized any further than they've already been.
Do you remember the flip phones with little built in lights on the screen you could design into different patterns for different contacts? I had a bubblegum pink phone for a year before touch screens were a thing, and I really enjoyed the matte pink face on the phone instead of a display.
I'm not sure how I would feel about trying to switch to a 'dumb phone' today. I used to prefer the idea of it though, back when smart phones were a pretty recent concept. I got on the trend more out of the desire to not seem poor among my high school friends 😅 pretty lame.
This convinced me to delete RUclips + Discord from my phone and set up Screen Time for the umpteenth time (we'll see how well that lasts). Would love to have my phone be a utility-only thing.
@@rejectconvenience Yeah, I unfortunately just can't imagine giving up the convenience that the utilities on my smartphone gives, but I know for a fact I'd be happier if I gave up the entertainment it gives. I love having GPS, web search, music streaming, and a fantastic camera in my pocket too much lol. (*especially* the camera, modern iPhone cameras still absolutely blow my mind and it makes me happy every time I get to take another sunset photo with mine)
but deleting Twitter recently went pretty well so this video was the nudge I needed to go the rest of the way and delete YT and Discord. Social media shall be relegated to laptop only now.
damn guess you really like ignoring your online friends because of some trend? there’s still people behind the screen. if you’re that invested in this anti-social media trend, im worried
@@Sadakorka This feels like an oddly antagonistic interpretation of my comment? I didn't say I quit using social media entirely, just that I relegated it to my laptop where I use it more intentionally. But even if I had quit social media, I don't owe anyone online my social interactions?
Like, I use Discord because I have friends there. The creator of this video is one such friend that I met on Discord. But I'm not sure how me hypothetically deciding to stop using Discord would be a crime against my friends-if they are really my friends, they would understand that mental health comes first.
Additionally, I am not anti social media as a part of some trend. I am not even anti social media. I believe in reducing my social media usage because of the glut of scientific evidence that doing so is good for my health, as well as my own anecdotal experience confirming the science.
Seeing this movement grow over the last year or so has renewed my hope for our future. It felt like we were heading towards cyberpunk with no brakes. Maybe theres a better way
Oh the right video at the right time. My phone speaker had died a couple of weeks back and the phone cost me a lot. I was heart broken and didn't wanna spend big on fixing it or getting a newer costly phone. I was looking to make my life simple again without have to let go off 2 factor authentication. But you have given me hope. I am gonna get a feature phone and use this broken phone as my stay at home device. Thank you.
For me I have always and will continue to be a desktop/laptop person rather than a smartphone person. Ever since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, I was against the idea of a smartphone having apps rather than just simply a call/text/walkie talkie device. And yeah, this was 2007 and I sure hated when smartphones came to the market. I didn't even want to use one. So I stick with a flip phone and never bothered to change to a smartphone (unlike my family does). And even though they've given me one, I've treated it more like an MP3 AAC player rather than to use their apps and such.
I'm a desktop person too, and haven't ever owned a cellphone at all, but I'm still not against smartphones. I'd-just/I-just (currently using my dad's device as he's homebound) use them for the basic useful stuff, not things that would take over my life. Like not bad/predatory mobile games (which have actually caught me a couple of times on PC, but only with my time, not my money), nor Instagram, nor using the device at bad times.
@@MsHojat Hmm, for me I just use it as an MP3 player. Rarely do I ever use one in my day-to-day life.
Reject Modernity.
Embrace tradition.
Honestly, just delete your social apps… they are a waste of time, and they data mine… best thing I’ve done
I agree, that will make a big difference for most people. Also, yeah, they take an obscene amount of data from their users, and it's wild that folks are just... okay with that.
I uninstalled social media years back and, a few days ago, the youtube app. Dropping a smartphone fully wouldnt be right for me but I do get into habits that negatively impact my productivity. YT addiction being the biggest one right now.
If anyone has a low budget and already has an Android phone: you can turn your Android into a "feature" phone! You can literally install a new home screen & disable all notifications but texts and calls. There's loads of free home screens that make your phone just have a call, maps, texts, and music app listed pretty much. No need to buy new hardware if you don't have the budget for it!
For a while I used an Android flip phone from Japan (Not a feature phone, I could sideload any app that supported Android 5, and the keypad could also function as a trackpad) and it was my favorite phone experience, but I couldn't use it because not long after I got it the last of the 2G networks was shut down and that phone only supported Japanese 4G bands that in the US were owned by Sprint before their merge with T-Mobile
It sucks as well because it was basically the best of both worlds: Standard Android phone convenience but just cumbersome enough to use that you won't mindlessly scroll. Unfortunately, it seems like most Android-based feature phones in the US have both worse hardware than Japanese Android feature phones and a complete inability to use ADB, which sucks because my family nowadays requires me to have Life360 in case of an emergency
Needless to say the CAT flip phone is the only phone that fits my needs right now and it sucks