Goodbye, Smart Phone

Hello, freedom.

Young Mother Sewing by Mary Cassat

Last week, I did my first grocery pickup without a smartphone. Before I left home with all 5 kids in tow, I looked up the grocery store's number on my laptop and tapped it into my little Sunbeam flip-phone. When I arrived in the designated area, I called the number and was patched through to the pick-up folks, who told me they'd be out soon. When the bearded adolescent (do three spindly hairs count as a beard?) brought out our order, the first thing he did was hand me a little card with instructions on how to tap "I'm Here!" on my device. I smiled and told him, "Thanks, I actually just got a flip-phone, so I don't have the app anymore. Is it a problem if I just call the number?" I had to fake confidence a little, because who uses a flip phone these days?! The young fellow stared at me blankly for a full 5 seconds before replying, "Yeah, I mean that's fine, but it might take longer." I wanted to explain to him why I am more willing than I used to be to wait a few extra minutes, that there is a lot I’m gaining in the way of peace and freedom, but I didn't want to scare the boy. Got the groceries, and all was well.

The new flip-phone sat in a box in the closet for almost two months after I bought it. I was, frankly, anxious about taking the plunge, which felt silly. Sure, this flip-phone can handle group texts and has navigation, my two non-negotiables, but still… no podcasts app? No browser? No Instacart app? No decent camera always at the ready? Was this just really naïve and stupid? But in the end, I decided to rip off the band-aid and give it a try, at least as an experiment, a way to observe how my habits and mental processes might change with the removal of the tiny, deliciously alluring little computer in my pocket. So far, I'm thinking it may be the smartest thing I have ever done. This move has been a few years in the making, a natural progression of the intellectual journey I have made regarding modern man’s relationship with technology, especially in the past 20 years. I have become convinced that we are far too willing to accept new technologies without much question, with very little internal resistance or interrogation, for the sake of convenience or the dopamine hit of novelty. We don't often ask ourselves if there is any cost (besides a monetary one) to a useful new app or an updated device.

And yet, I know that it is not at all obvious to most people that ditching one's smartphone is really necessary, or even wise, given how integrated these devices have become with our modern mode of daily living, and how truly helpful that can be. I have certainly benefited from the use of my smart phone, and I would be lying if I did not acknowledge that there are things I miss about having the internet available at all times. It still serves an occasional purpose when I decide to pull it out of the cabinet and power it on, but ultimately I've concluded that the price I am paying in giving up the smart phone is mere pennies compared to what I wasted in the years I used it daily.

When friends ask me, "What? Why on earth did you get a dumb phone?" I find it difficult to answer succinctly because there is not one single reason. In pondering this, I've identified 5 categories of reasons. Of course, they are interrelated, but for the sake of analysis and discussion, it has been helpful to identify specific categories. I have felt increasingly compelled to write about these, both to clarify my own thinking on these matters, and to offer some food for thought for the dumb-phone-curious among us, however few they may be. For the next few posts, I plan to address one at a time in hopes that readers may feel encouraged, if not to give up their phones, at least to regard their device habits with a more critical eye-- even the habits that don't present themselves as anything but incredibly helpful, convenient, and necessary.

These sections will be along the lines of: 1) Societal/ Ethical; 2) Practical; 3) Psychological; 4) Spiritual; and 5) Philosophical ( i.e. Questions Regarding Technology), though truth be told, my thoughts are continually solidifying and shifting, so these sections could change. But you get the idea, eh? Subscribe if you'd like to follow along with the whirling twirling intellectual journey that led me to very confidently make a decision that I absolutely would not have made even one year ago.

While I don't necessarily think everyone should ditch their smartphones, I do think there is enough growing interest in the freedom that can come with that choice that it warrants some spilled ink. I had some REALLY good reasons not to give it up, but now that I have done so, I don't see myself going back. Hearing from others who made the switch did give me some of the courage I needed to finally cut that cord, and since I have benefited so much on a mind-body-soul-level, I would love for others who are so inclined to be feel encouraged to give it a try. Peace be the journey. I'd love to hear your thoughts and pushback!