How I would sell myself the concept of a smartphone

Integrating my phone back into daily life (carefully)

After three weeks of leaving my phone at home, the novelty has worn off. As the next month approaches, I’m wondering how to integrate my smartphone into my life again. Time to weigh the benefits.

It’s fascinating how fast you can adjust to new circumstances. Less than a month ago, my phone-free challenge seemed daunting. Now, I almost struggle to write about it. I’m still bumping into friends and acquaintances who are not aware of my little experiment. Occasionally, it’s greeted with indifference, but usually, it’s met with awe or shock. I get a lot of “I’d love to hear more about your experiences,” but now that the novelty has worn off, it actually doesn’t seem all that interesting.

My new normal

One of the first things I do when I come home is check my messages. I vaguely remember this from childhood, when parents would come home to friends’ houses that had answering machines. Sitcoms like Friends & Seinfeld also provide nice anthropological time capsules of this phenomenon.

I carry around a few friends’ phone numbers and addresses in case of an emergency. Without the option to scroll through socials or read the news while waiting, I’ve had a lot more time to think. A significant portion of that thinking has gone into the myriad of ways in which I could lose my keys and lock myself out. In the worst case, I could walk into a café and ask if someone could call a friend, or I could go over to their house and ring their doorbell, hoping they open up. Writing down friends’ phone numbers felt novel until I remembered that people used to carry around little books with all their contacts in them.

When meeting friends or doing anything where there’s a risk someone may run late, I bring something to read. That used to be apps on my phone: news websites, my mailbox full of newsletters, Bluesky, etc. Now, I’m accompanied by an older technology called a book.

None of this is novel. We know how to navigate the world without our phones. It gets easy, fast. We’ve figured this out before; it’s just become harder now that the default expectation is for everyone to have a smartphone.

Some of the items I carry around when I’m phone-free: a small notebook, a disposable camera, a pocket book I found, and my trusted LAMY pico pocket pen.

Why I should get a smartphone

As April creeps up, which marks the experiment’s end, I feel some anxiety. I have gained so much by leaving my phone at home for a month. I feel calmer. I feel more focused, more curious, and much more patient. It started as just an experiment, but now I’ve made progress that I did not know I was pursuing. If I just start carrying my phone around as usual, I’d surely slip back into old habits, and all that I’ve gained will be lost.

So, it’s time to ask myself this question: why should I get a smartphone for outside use?

Communication & planning

• messaging friends and making plans on the go

• communicating without needing to go home

• checking my calendar for upcoming appointments

Expression & creativity

• using the camera (especially for videos)

• using Shazam to recognize songs in situations where I can’t just ask

• listening to music or podcasts on the go

Mobility & exploring

• using maps to find cafés or places nearby

• checking directions on the go saves a lot of time in prep-work

• buying and validating tickets for public transport

• renting public bikes

• getting taxis in areas where they can’t be hailed

Access & utility

• checking into fitness studios with QR codes

• scanning QR codes in general

• getting payment notifications from my bank, so I know I’m being charged the correct amount

• being able to take notes if I don’t have a pen with me

• having documents with me without needing to print them (e.g., concert tickets, proofs of payment, etc.)

• using two-factor authentication (I could switch to a dumb phone with SMS, but that is considerably less secure)

• looking stuff up in translation apps (a big one since I’m an immigrant)

Health & wellness

• using a smartwatch for fitness tracking

• being able to learn German on the go

• being able to access & write in my journal on-the-go

Money & rewards

• getting discounts in stores through loyalty apps

Do I need all of them at all times? No. For many of these, it’s about finding a balance. I don’t need to be able to find a nearby café at all times. In most cases, I can anticipate this and do some research beforehand, or just enjoy a wander around the area. Knowing myself, I suspect that this wandering around the area will be a mental fight about whether I should just grab my phone and look something up, or perhaps look around the next corner. The smartphone introduced loads of certainty and tore any sense of adventure out of everyday life. I’m not letting it take that away from me a second time.

Looking at this list, I realise I’ve been using my smartphone in many ways that I don’t particularly care for. I don’t need to have access to all my emails, to video entertainment, social media, or even music all the time. I could ditch Instagram completely by shooting content while out and only editing & posting when back at home, but the messaging feature’s ideal for communicating with people who may not have my number or other contact details yet. I’ve been on and off the app for years (I even wrote a piece about how to deplatform yourself), and it remains a somewhat tricky one to navigate since it’s the default messenger for creative scenes. But I guess if I only use it for anything time-sensitive, e.g., coordinating with friends, then my usage of it while outside should be fairly limited.

Another glaring omission from the above list is reading the news. It was my go-to whenever I’d find myself waiting for anything. Waiting for a train, waiting for a party to get interesting, taking a little break while on a solo hike, etc. I don’t miss that. Life is richer without it, and I’m just as in the loop as I’ve always been.

What does a worst-case relapse look like?

Here’s what I’m trying to avoid:

• check phone every few minutes out of habit

• constant switching between apps out of habit

• scroll socials during downtime instead of staying present

• check email or news compulsively

• look at maps even when not needed

• edit or post content while still outside

• respond to every ping immediately, even if just mentally

• open the phone for one thing, get stuck doing five others

• pull it out while walking, without noticing I’m doing it

• relying on my phone for entertainment (incl. through music & podcasts), instead of just being

• lose the gains in calm, curiosity, and patience

The above doesn’t sound healthy, but it’s normal for many of us, and it was for me.

How I’m thinking about it now

So, am I bringing my smartphone out again next month? Yes. But I want to be very deliberate about how I use it and avoid slipping straight back into that worst-case scenario. I’m not trying to give it up entirely, but I do want to keep my use limited to messaging, maps, music, and maybe the occasional Shazam, and not let it take over again.

I’ve spoken to numerous readers who are struggling with the same thing. Everyone seems to have their own little strategies. I’d love to hear yours. Do you use different home screens for inside and outside? Screen time limits? App blockers? Share them in the comments, not just for me, but so others can learn from them too.

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Wholesome Corner (• ᵔ‿ᵔ •)

• I’ve stumbled upon two women who have made similar lifestyle changes when it comes to ditching the smartphone. I highly recommend reading

  Catherine Shannon
  ’s reflection called “Do you remember how life used to feel?” and
  August Lamm
  ’s pamphlet excerpt “You don’t need a smartphone”.

• Tech columnist Casey Newton writes about the correlation of chatbot usage, loneliness, and reduced socialization, and argues that “chatbot makers will have to acknowledge that their users’ mental health is now partially their responsibility.” (ok not that wholesome. you’ve found the odd one out)

• Ed Pratt previously traveled around the world on a unicycle. More recently, he’s been travelling through the river Thames from source to sea, without leaving the river. It’s a beautiful multi-part watch and shows how friendly the world actually is. What I also find interesting is how the word spreads about him through Instagram and TikTok as we travels down the river. It’s a great illustration of the power of social media in this moment.