felt the same way, was sick of it. got a flip phone i could slip my sim card into, activated it. first two weeks i was kind of itching for the smartphone and the little dopamine hits. after a while things started changing. i started reading for fun again, my attention span improved significantly, i carried a little journal everywhere to jot down my thoughts. in every room where everyone was on their phones, i felt like i was the only person actually present, paying attention. i found so many beautiful ways to fill the time. strangers praised me for my bravery lol. when i had to drive or go somewhere i didnāt know how to get to i would write down the directions on a post it note and carry it or stick it to the dashboard. you will literally feel smarter for relying on your brain to figure things like this out instead of being on autopilot all the time. you can carry your smartphone around to use as an ipod/pocket camera and in an emergency it will still work on wifi. i asked friends to look things up for me (business hours, weather, traffic, phone numbers) when i was out and about. if people texted me id tell them to call me if they wanted to talk. it was a great decision that only ended bc i did an extended trip abroad where i needed my phone to get by, but i am going to go back to the flip again soon. i highly recommend! nothing compares to flipping a phone shut to hang up a call. it taught me how to enjoy true solitude again. do it!!!
Feb 27, 2024
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any particular models you recommend?? that experience sounds just fantastic
applesapples22 all i know is that it doesnāt work if you buy a pay-as-you-go phone. i tried that first but it didnāt work. i just bought the cheapest flip phone i could find from my service provider and confirmed with them that i would be able to use my iphone sim in there and keep my same number etc.
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I made the decision to "downgrade" to a flip phone and I genuinely think it is the best decision I've made in a long time. It's weirdly connected me to my inner-child. Which, in retrospect, I reckon I should have expected. The camera quality sucks in the best way, but I carry my Canon camera around too in case I need to capture something more important. I've been calling my friends more because T9 texting is a drag. Haha, I've been texting like "do u wanna c a movie l8er?"
I talk to strangers more when I'm waiting in line, when I can't look something up. I've been writing questions in my journal because I can't look it up in the moment, I have to get onto the computer later in the day and satiate my ever-flighty mind. Don't get me wrong, it sucked at first, but the intrigue absolutely helped. It has just been a fun way to spend the summer I guess. Screen time is down, my boredom has breed creativity, and I feel far more present in the world.
If you've been thinking about trading your smart phone in for a dumb phone, take this as a sign. I recommend it immensely.
Jul 15, 2024
I've been rocking the flip phone since March - went through a few different models till I landed on this utilitarian workhorse; the Sonim XP3800. This thing feels like it can stop a bullet. The battery lasts for 3 days. Service is 5 bucks a month.
remixed my brain:
-got lost a few times (feels amazing + found my way back)
-bought an iPod mini (eBay, refurb 256gb)Ā
-forgot about 1 million people that I didn't need to remember
-missed brat summer entirely (found out in late September, loved the album)
-learned how to wait and do nothing
-minimized unnecessary / instantaneous communication
-started taking photos with real cameras again
-started reading again
-stopped impulsively buying instagram shirts
-phone can be turned off during the charging cycle (not possible with iPhone)
-regained control over the flow of information into my brain
-restored my relationship with the computer as an appliance bound to one physical location
Am I a better person for this? Probably not. Is this all of this a bit loaded and pretentious and boomer esque? Definitely. But it feels good to know that I have the freedom to say no to smart phone tech that has been foisted on us as an essential to living for the sake of convenience - convenience which has a cost. I could go on and on and on about this but I would highly recommend that everyone gives this a shot for while even if it's just an experiment. You will be surprised by how you feel after a few weeks. Ā
Dec 11, 2024
Iāve converted to a flip phone and itās honestly so fun lol. I think the way we have access to everything, and everyone, in milliseconds is rotting our brains and making us such an entitled society; entitled to other peopleās time and energy on demand, their lives, business, etc. but I also think the way we get sucked in with links from app to app, ads, videos, and doomscrolling, everything is designed to be addictive and it leads (at least for me) to less productivity and more procrastination. I think having to work just a little harder, even to do something as simple as research something, can be good for us.
So what Iāve done is essentially converted my iPhone to a wifi connected iPod touch like from the old days. Iāve left on certain apps like FaceTime, banking apps, Spotify, kindle app, I kept this one to use occasionally and all my saved recipes on my phone of course, etc. but I leave it in my room and just use it in the morning or before bed for reading or checking emails, music for working out, stuff like that, and leave it at home for everything else.
Screen time of course is way down which is nice, itās also really nice to not feel like I constantly need to be checking something, opening a message on an app, etc. I also have found so far and think it will continue to help me not spend so much money impulsively on things I donāt actually need.
Aside from all of the benefits, I think in general I just find it funny and all of my friends think itās hilarious lol. Iāll have to figure out what Iāll do for airports, maybe bring the old iPhone with me, connect to airport wifi, scan boarding passes with it. Iāll figure that out when I get there.
Feb 26, 2025
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after being raised in a context where you were taught to be hard on yourself, leaning into self-compassion as a way of life in adulthood is truly powerful. hold yourself accountable and give yourself grace when you flounder, both are needed.
Mar 3, 2024
āwow i am in so much pain, i feel so ALIVEā
āi am grateful to know that i have loved, truly lovedā
āmay i never grow too guarded to feel into the depths of my soulā
āall my favorite artists have felt this feeling, i am bound by heartbreak to my fellow humansā
āthis grief is a process of me returning to myselfā
if all else fails, watch the clip from call me by your name where the dad talks to his son about heartbreak (linked)
keep a journal, be patient, show yourself as much compassion as you possibly can
Mar 16, 2024
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my last ābreak upā was from a situationship with a guy who i would regularly stay up all night with, chain smoking and talking about every damn thing under the sun. i would often wake up the next day feeling swollen and raspy and like i was doing way too much of a āgoodā thing. i could never resist him or those damn cigs. when he broke things off unceremoniously, i decided to sever the attachment to my other unhealthy habit at the same time. i havenāt touched a cigarette since.
Mar 6, 2024