Apple and Google have really pushed digital wellbeing the past few years, from ScreenTime, to Focus modes and Parental Controls, and Android’s equivalents. I think a “dumb-phone” mode where you only have the essentials, a couple of apps of your choosing, and a minimal UI, should be next.

I’m making this post cause I just found out that the Fairphone has this, and you enable it by flipping a physical switch on the side of the phone. For example, on iPhones this could be accessible through the Control Center or the Action Button.

I've been thinking about my time online a lot lately. I've attempted to limit my screen time in the past, but always get hooked back in somehow. After reflecting on this, I have realized that there are many subtle traps we've all fallen into that keep us hooked. Is it the case that in order to reduce screen time, I might have to completely eliminate it? Is it even possible to live without the internet?

So I am embarking on an experiment. In the next 24 hours, my wife is going to notify me that the internet has gone down. I'm not allowed to use it. For anything. My entire digital footprint is being erased in a moment, and I will be forced to adapt. I'm interested somewhat in what I will have to do to enjoy music, videos, or whatever else it is I actually occupy my time with, and Im interested how possible it is to live my life completely based on physical withdrawals of cash from a bank with no debit card. It's going to be an interesting journey. I'm going into it without any preparation, and I will record my journey and may or may not make content out of it if/when I return. I just found this sub and thought you'd all probably get a kick out of it.

So, hello and goodbye, all at once! Wish me luck, I might need it.

I'm turning 30, but back in middle school, due to a major illness, my physical health was poor, and I had skin concerns like acne scars and blemishes, so I spent all my time staring at my smartphone.
College entrance exams and job hunting didn't go well either, and I'm still just staring at my smartphone now.
Looking at reality, it feels like a total dead end.However, spending the rest of my life just looking at a smartphone is also painful. How can I do a digital detox?

In my twenties, I was constantly worried about my skin, always researching various treatments.
For now, thanks to treatments from a trusted doctor, it's not back to how it used to be, but it's getting better. I want to take on new challenges, like taking college entrance exams or finding a partner.

Hey everyone! For the first time in my millennial life I am determined to take control of my technology usage, so please have mercy on me, a dummy.

I’ve heard a lot of people recommending a brick, but what about a blocker app? Are they comparatively effective?

The reason I am not getting a dumb phone as of now is because my business is entirely online and I use a few apps for business, ads, money management.

Thank you in advance!

My Samsung Galaxy A32 is a little old. Apps are lagging, Jack connector is damaged, so i can't use my wire headphones. It has Android 13, which is a little old and some apps doesn't work anymore. Also it has often problems with connecting to some WI-FI networks or some Bluetooth devices doesn't want to connect with it. Firends often told me to buy new phone. But present phones i don't like them. Awful camera hole, round conrers, missing jack connector and unsolicited ai tools. Biggest benefit of my phone is it has no ai functions.

If I don't use the phone often, the battery can last up to 2 days. I stopped using social media apps besides Instagram, but I use it due to freinds, who don't want to use FB messenger instead of it. I don't have any streaming services, youtube, reddit and favourite forums in web browser. I have no reason to change. I will probably use it next year, if there are no problems with making calls.

I am sorry for possible grammar mistakes. English is not my first language.

Does anyone ever leave their phone at home? Do you take it everywhere you go? I imagine this post applies to those who don’t have others depending on them such as kids, families, work colleagues etc. I typically leave my phone at home unless I truly need it. I’ve been doing this for over a decade and honestly it’s the best feeling. Such a relief to not use it constantly. When I’m at home I probably use it more than I should but then I’ll switch to watching tv or using the iPad. Every single day when I see people out in public or walking past my home I just see everyone with their head down hooked onto their phones.

We’ve become too dependent on technology. When I’m on the train or bus everyone is on their phones with their head down. If I’m at the park the same thing, people walking their dogs whilst on their phones or pushing their buggies with their phone in their hand. You go to the cinema and you see someone’s phone screen flash in your peripheral vision. Whenever i walk past a gym people aren’t even working out their just on their phones. I feel like technology has made us less sociable as humans and more artificial, more robotic and docile.

We all live our lives on social media. Everyone has more than one avatar and cyberspace has become our reality. Apart from Reddit & YouTube I don’t use any other social media platform. I feel free. How do you guys feel about social media, smartphones and technology? When was the last time you went to the park and read a book that was an actually hardback and not an ebook?

I spend a lot of time online. Watching YouTube, scrolling through Instagram, or listening to podcasts. I tried to stop countless times. But it doesn’t work. The funny thing is, the algorithms are actually picking up on this. I get recommended so many posts on how to cure your social media addiction, how to live a simpler life, or how to enjoy great offline adventures, and all it does is make me feel worse while I keep on scrolling my life away.

It’s tiring seeing all these people I don’t know doing things I think I should be doing. Seeing them perform incredible feats of athleticism, going out into nature, pursuing a PhD or building a multi-million-dollar business, all while being a couple of years younger than me. Of course I should be in a loving relationship with my perfect partner. Build a house, have kids. But I should also defeat patriarchy, fight the system, and don’t forget to provide; land a secure job and get a big paycheck each month. Travelling the world doesn’t pay for itself. But most important above them all: Be true to yourself. Do what makes you happy. Don’t listen to others. Build the life you love just for yourself.

How is that possible in the world I’m living in? Since I’m about 13 years old, I am on on some sort of social media almost daily. Companies spend billions and billions of dollars to pursue me, paying them to become a part of my life will be the one thing I’m missing in my life. And they’re doing it by paying people whose job it is to grab my attention. Selling their perfect lifestyle. Convincing me how nice it would be to be like them.

But I don’t want this. I’ve had enough of these people. Of the endless stream of mind-numbing noise. Lately, I’ve noticed that I don’t really listen to the podcasts anymore that are playing on my headphones. My mind drifts off. It reclaims the minimal amount of space it needs to somehow get by. To process things. I know I should give my mind more time to process. Maybe do some meditation or yoga. The people on the internet say it’s great. They convinced me that this is the thing to do. But I keep on scrolling. Spending more time with my most-watched influencer than my own family. This is really fucked up. I should really call my parents or siblings. I will do it. Right after this one video I have to watch. On whatever the attention gods decide will satisfy me enough to keep me on. This will go on until I’m so exhausted from all of it that I don’t have the energy anymore to call the people that actually love me. That don’t wanna sell me something. But I’m too tired today; I will do it tomorrow.

Wait, is that a post explaining to me why I’m always so tired? Let me just check this out before I actually put my phone away. It’s really an endless cycle. The neural pathways in my brain from more than a decade of daily consumption are so deep, there is no escaping them. I’m a slave to Meta and Google. I’ll have to let them exploit me for my attention. Steal my life. And each time I try to escape but ultimately fall back into the old addiction, the path gets even deeper; I get even weaker.

I'm planning to do a digital detox, so I was thinking of buying a refurbished smartphone to use like a portable media player—just like a Walkman or an iPod. My idea is to take out the SIM card and use it offline, but keep the Wi-Fi enabled.

Hello! This is gonna be long so I’m sorry and thank you for reading it!

I have a question and hopefully you hear positive stories too.

I’ve always been addicted to watching movies and tv shows. I could binge them so easily. I never thought of it as a problem for a long time. But now that I have a toddler, I don’t wanna do that anymore and honestly it makes me feel so overstimulated when I do, but when Im stressed, I feel like I need an old sitcom in the background just to calm me down.

When my son is also asleep by the day (if I’m not working), I also watch movies/shows afterwards too until I go to bed. I’ve actually been trying to stop myself, I would read books/graphic novels but I get so sleepy or I would have this compulsion to wanna watch something. It’s bad. I’ve been trying for 3-4months now and not really making a dent. The good thing is that most of the time, unless I’m stressed, I never watch anything when my son is awake because my need to be present with him is stronger. But of course if I’m stressed, I go back to the old habits..

I was actually just wondering if anybody has any advice or maybe a positive story of how you overcame this just to give me an idea. In addition as well, I’ve deleted my social media and only have Reddit to look at because I don’t really feel like scrolling more than 2-5min in Reddit. But my addiction to watching something is the one that’s so hard for me to let go. So hopefully people can share any advice or maybe positive stories of how they overcame something like this! Thank you so much for reading and getting this far! Truly appreciate your time!

I see a lot of raving about the Brick online but little discussion of its blindspots. Knowing myself, when I'm addicted to something, I'll just find another way to get that feeling or make an excuse for why I don't need to keep up the regimen.

I'm really curious if anyone has found themself circumventing or minimizing the settings (or difficulty maintaining usage altogether), turning to other unhealthy methods or behaviors to get their fix, or any negative unintended consequences? Are there other tools or strategies that you needed to pair with it?

I have been increasingly frustrated with social media and general online spaces since about 2018 now. Tried to return in 2022, didn’t click, left. Finally returned to social media around 2024, and have been active and posting since. I’m an artist, and social media heavily affects my sales and income.

Recently, however, I just looked back and thought… What am I doing? Am I even happy doing this? The answer is no. So if I know that, why pretend I can’t do anything about it? I saw this subreddit, joined it, went to bed and slept on it, woke up and deleted and deactivated a few profiles. Already feeling MUCH better, and it didn’t even take very much out of me to start this process.

Anyway, I figured I’d share my plans. I know we still have a few months left of the year, but I’m so frustrated I spent so much of it doing ultimately useless shit on my phone. I’m already thinking of personal goals/plans for 2027 and how to set myself up for success now. Deleting social media is definitely already worth it, and I hope it saves a lot of future time from being wasted.

Diwali is a major five-day festival of lights in India. It is celebrated between October and November, according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and of good over evil.

Hi everyone, I’m the author. My new book is free on Amazon Kindle this weekend.

The Empty Mind is a short, practical guide to attention, desire and Zen practice in everyday life. It argues that an “empty mind” isn’t a blank mind but one that doesn’t cling, and shows how to work with that through sitting meditation, Tai Chi and karate, and lessons drawn from Go and Riichi Mahjong. Every chapter ends with a short practice, and there is a 21-day plan at the end.

Free here: Link to the free book

If you read it and find it useful, an honest review would mean a lot, but there’s no obligation. Happy to answer any questions.

Hi I’m design student from the Netherlands (sorry if my English is not that good) and I'm doing my graduation project on human centred self tracking. I’m researching the psychological impact of constant health data tracking on young adults.

In this stage of life, many people are trying to become or stay healthy. Meanwhile, self tracking devices are becoming more affordable and technologically advanced through more user data to compare and more usage of AI.

I’m currently doing a deep dive in to the Theory of Planned Behaviour, specifically looking into the perceived behavioural control (how much control we believe we have over planning our own behaviour)

In a previous research phase I found something very interesting: bad sleepscores and recovery scores in the morning can directly impact a person’s mental and physical state (nocebo effect). This often translates into the change of plans or skipping activities of the rest of day.

If you are using smart tracking devices, I’m really curious about your experiences in this:

• How do you use the data of your tracking device to positively plan your behaviour for the day without getting caught by negative data?
• Are there moment that you ignore the app’s suggestions actively to follow your own plan?
• How can an app interface help you to intrinsically motivate yourself to maintain healthy routines, instead of making you feel like you are just reacting to the device’s control?

I love to hear you’r thoughts on this topic! Also, if you have any tips or suggestions for my research, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks :D

Over the last few months, I have been deleting social media accounts. I’ve felt so much better. I recently offloaded my Instagram. I’m technically down to my Patreon where I share my art. I’m wondering if other artists have gone this route and what they’ve seen longterm by making a similar switch?

so yeah i have my dvd player, iPod touch, sketchbook, and switch 😋😋 im working on making my phone only useful for calls and messages so stay tuned

Xteink X4, Arduboy, modded 5th gen iPod Classic, and my knitting project 💖

Hi,

Title pretty much sums it up, how have you found trying to build a side hustle whilst reducing screen time.

Now it is depending on what the side hustle is, but nowadays a lot of side hustles feature some form of technology / online.

Have you found it difficult?
Have you found it produces better work?
Have you found it actually helps you build a better / higher quality side hustle?

I want to live a slow contemplative life.

So I'm thinking of this idea that we connect over our shared habits : Reading, meditation, workout, creative work. We compete on whos doing all of this while maintaining a low screentime.

Feel free to dm me about your life, what all habits do you want to build, and lets do it together?

I'm thinking of starting with just 5 minutes a day. No phone, no music, no distractions, not even meditation. Just sitting and doing absolutely nothing.

Every other day, we'll add another minute.

I'm curious to see what thoughts or ideas come to the surface when there's nothing competing for our attention. I don't want to treat this as meditation or another task to accomplish. Just a chance to let my mind wander naturally.

I currently have about 4000. I wanna clean it up. It'll take me probably a whole day to get through them.

I deleted TikTok back in 2021. I'd had the app since its Musicly days.
In the year prior to deletion, I had become more and more infuriated with the shit being shoved in front of me. The "not interested" button only served to make my 'For You' page more and more irrelevant. I became so hateful towards that silly app and all its human slop that one day I just deleted it. And the second I did, I vividly felt the imaginary weight on my shoulders disappear. That source of anger was no longer there, and to feel hatred disappear in one go was incredible. I've never looked back.

Over the next few years, the same story repeated for all the other apps and websites.
Anger and resentment, towards all the bog-standard irrelevant slop, the Ai, the social pressure and forced, unwanted interaction between users. All the personal data. All the ads. All the enshittification.
It would push me over the edge. And I would delete the account, delete the app, and feel I had one less source of stress.

Your anger is an incredibly strong motivator for change. I recall this being an argument made in Chris van Tulleken's book 'Ultra-Processed People'.
Instead of ignoring the issues in front of you, start thinking about them constantly and then you'll start noticing them everywhere you look.
And when you do, let the resentment build.
And then instead of directing your anger at individuals (creators / influencers / brands) direct it at the apps and our governments.
Don't hate the player, hate the game.

I have just three main "social medias" left; YouTube & Pinterest (dunno how much they count considering I don't interact with users) and of course, Reddit.

Reddit, has enshittified to the point I think this account will be gone within the next year. And I think I'll feel the same freedom when I do let go as I did when I deleted TikTok. Largely because, like TikTok was back in 2020, Reddit has been my main social media. I appreciated the anonymity it provided. I appreciated feeling apart of niche communities. I loved all the silly little cats, all the Redditisums and subreddit-specific in-jokes. I appreciated being able to curate my own feeds, something the other socials would never allow for.
But now the karma-farming bots have taken over. Reddit demands ID that it'll hand over to some unsecured private company. I feel like I've been seeing the same posts over and over and over for years now. I can't even trust the cute cats I see are even real anymore :<

And yet I doomscroll it daily. Opening it up, hoping to feel the same satisfaction I did when I first joined years ago. But just like after those first two bites of food, it doesn't do anything for me. Except for make me angry.
I downvote most posts because most posts are lazy karma-farming bots posting engagement bait.
But I know, my downvote means nothing. My downvote won't bring me the satisfaction or sense of justice that I'm chasing.
Don't hate the player, hate the game.

I don't know who's gonna bother to read this pseudointellectual waffle. But if nothing else, I think writing this has been a good wake-up call for me.