What
Over the last few months, I've been replacing the small, very-functional, computer in my pocket with other, larger, less-functional computers. Starting with music streaming, I've been replacing as many uses of my smartphone (a 5-year-old iPhone SE 2020 edition) with non-smartphone alternatives. This has been an interesting and fun endeavour.
But why?
You might think I don't like smartphones, or that I don't think children/teenagers/pople should have them. This is incorrect. If you think some group of people should automatically not have smartphones, then you are wrong and I will argue with you about it.
I find it difficult to articulate why I don't like my smartphone. Like with a lot of things I decide to do, I'm not sure there's one good/rational reason. I don't think it makes me more miserable, and in fact using my phone can be a really valuble respite when I'm having a terrible time. It's more that I don't want to use it so much.
I guess it's mostly aesthetic. I just don't like it! I feel better about my days/time spent when I'm not on it; I don't like the politics and ideology associated with even the nice parts of tech; I don't like the relationship we are forced to have with our smartphones (locked-down, unmaintainable luxury commodities) and I'd like to lead a life where I don't have one. I prefer the alternatives!
It is already apparent that the new video technology is not used by people as the crucial aid that finally allows them to develop into the historians, critics, musicians, sculptors, or athletes that they have always wanted to be.
From Devine Lu Linvega of 100 rabbits. I agree, and I think this is a problem I want to solve in my own life. One through conscious effort, and the other through modifying the technology.
So let's put it in the bin!
But how?
The basic idea is to replace features of my smartphone with other things, and then to disable those features on the phone (inspired by the classic vim technique of disabling your arrow keys). It's usually the second part that's difficult...
TODO: insert a photo of my hipster pda (lol) and also my mp3 player
If the thing you're replacing is associated with an app, you can delete the app. If it's a core feature of the phone, then you might have a harder time, but you should still be able to remove the feature from easy access on the home screen. I have an iPhone, and they don't really like you having control over your browser, so to control that I'm thinking of setting up DNS level domain blocking on my server and using a VPN to forward my phone's DNS traffic to it. This is tricky, and I don't know how to do it. If you do, please let me know!
How it's going
I still use my smartphone a lot. I get as distracted with a phone (social media, news) as I do without (reading, looking out the window, daydreaming). I get easily distracted. But the 'anologue' distractions make me feel happier/more alive? Putting the charger in another room so it sleeps in a different room to me has been really helpful. That was a good change. mp3 players and buying music are, likewise, very good changes.
This experiment, and this post, are ongoing...