Minimising my internet usage felt like dropping a drug addiction. At first you feel empty or that your missing out, you feel twitchy without that dopamine hit. But after a week your mind is so much fresher, you’re mental health better and you feel just so much healthier. Great video.
It's true. You don't necessarily have to stop using internet you just have to leave the toxic side of it. I use internet all the time and for all kind of things but I stopped using social media for quite sometime and trust me I've felt a huge difference and learned a lot about myself. And reality isn't same for everyone. You may feel the refreshing change after being absent from the internet but for a lot of people virtuality could be a reason that's keeping them alive because their reality is hell worse.
There's a huge difference here in what they're actually talking about. What all of these people are getting rid of is social media and other time wasting apps. We don't need to actively move backward technologically we just need to normalize the removal of these depressing and time wasting apps.
1000% agreed. If you look back at the pre-social media internet, everything was pretty much fine. You didn't have so many people becoming depressed and such from using the internet back then because everything was genuine.
It's not about internet connection. The anxiety comes from social media and how it's structured. You can totally learn how to use your smartphone for only smart things. First step is to delete all social media apps and mute all non-important notifications. You'll get used to it, and you can still enjoy your camera, music and educative apps etc.
Exactly, I did this a few years ago and have never looked back. I do still use twitter, but I choose when I use it given I have all notifications turned off. Mostly used for news these days for 10 minutes at most. Amazing how freeing it is, with out your phone pinging notifications through every few minutes.
This 100%. I never had FB or twitter, had an IG for a bit but got rid of that. I'm planning on getting a cheaper smartphone when this one breaks, don't think I'll go full dumbphone as I do like to travel and be on the move. But for those needing a complete break it's great. Glad to see so many young people taking initiative
On my Pixel I long press a notification, click turn off notifications, and Google tells me which type of notification to turn off for that app. I still get messages if I leave them on, or order delivery updates on my door dash, without getting all the ads and other unwanted notifications. Works very well for me!
I kill anything that tries to notify me so my phone only informs me if I get called or receive a message from one of my contacts. Anyone else contacting me will have to send a email stating their business.
@@bluestorm9651 Not really.... all you can do is write text, or respond to someone else's writing. You can't post images, and almost all of the time, it deletes any links posted. (if you are a serious content creator, that however is social media.)
YT is the one platform I've got left to drop. Knowing what to do with attention and how to direct it is a first-world problem for sure. Not enough research or care has gone into understanding how misdirecting attention can damage a person. Social media is making generations socially inept and disconnected, like government corruption will get worse if people are happy to digest social media because it's filled with propaganda. Hopefully, we'll auto-correct soon.
I use my smartphone as a dumb phone. But I find in certain situations having access to email, scanning ability, banking app, and a few other features are very useful when needed. You just need to delete time-wasting apps and minimise notifications and a bit of self control.
And delete social media accounts, because that's really what the problem is. No-one is getting depressed from using maps and online banking. For people who have a problem with this stuff, if you just delete apps and not accounts, the barrier is too low to stop using them, there will always be a moment of weakness so they need to have a bigger obstacle to re-engagement than a couple of taps on a screen. Basically it's like a recovering drug addict walking around with drugs in their pocket the whole time. Deleting the apps is like putting them in an extra baggie, when really they need to toss the drugs in the bin..
I’m 59 and am a mechanical engineer. I have used technology to create other technologies my entire career. I have been using computers since the 70s. My iPhone is a tool. I refuse to let it take over my life. When I get a new phone the first thing I do is delete the Facebook app and other time wasters. I travel a lot for work so the gps function is a huge benefit. Plus having access to monitor email is a great capability. I feel bad for the modern generations that have let this powerful tool take over their lives.
Turning 30 over here. As someone who practice the old ways of Internet Safety, I never use my name except for commerce since shipping requires it and PO Boxes are not always accepted. Most importantly, I never use social media but communicate in discord and forums.
I agree with you, I am 33, I am technology fan since childhood and also making for a living using technology(graphic design, and now shifting to a developer). Having a power of a smartphone can make life easier even can be a lifesaver in some situations (if you get lost for example, you can just grab a phone which can show you your location and navigate you to desired destination and problem solved in a moment, in same situation with a dumb phone you would still be in a problem ), on other hand, nobody's forcing you to use all features of a device, we can use smartphone as a dumb phone with additional features when needed. And i like how you said, my (i)phone is a tool!
Same, I mostly use a smartphone as a dumbphone anyway, AKA I am never addicted to smartphone stuff in the first place even when it first came here in the form of Iphone and Blackberry. I only use the social media sites strictly for registration purposes, I hardly ever interact with them otherwise and if I really have to, I interact with them on my PC instead because I just hate typing on touchscreens. I mostly play my games on PC, even "mobile" games. The main thing I use smartphone features for are for playing music (which most of the time again I do that on PC but I can't do that in the car), opening restaurant menu via QR code, making payment via E-wallet, playing some games when I cannot use my PC or laptop, and of course for navigation when I am going to places I am not familiar with.
I really hate what smart phones and social media have done to my family relationships. I get ignored so often by several family members bc they keep picking up their phones while I'm trying to talk to them. When I ask them to stop using their phones while we're talking they get mad at me. Even my mom does this to me. She's one of the worst. I hate it so much. It's a constant anxiety for me whenever I'm trying to talk to them. I miss the old days when my mom and my siblings had regular phones and actually cared to talk to me properly.
My parents watch movies using their phones while eating.. with earplugs... each one of them watching something different while eating... boomers... yeah.. boomers doing that. The exact same people that accused me in the 90 for play way too much in my computer behaves like zombified people.
This has caused so much friction between me and my wife. She seems welded to her phone and she even keeps fiddling with it when we are having a 'wine and movie' night. She often ignores what I say because she's entirely focussed on the bloomin' thing, and I have to repeat everything. I love her dearly but I'm annoyed at her so often it is making me wonder.
@@holymegadave I feel your pain. It really makes me feel bitter that my parents talked bad about such things when I was a kid just to see them acting even worse now. :/
I was born in a place and time where barely anyone had even a landline. I love the mind blowing possibilities my smartphone gives me. Searching, navigation, education and communicating with others in much better, quicker and easier ways, to name just a few. I don't have any social media apps and most notifications from other ones are muted. Never felt like my phone makes my life worse in any way. It's that simple. Keep the good stuff, get rid of bad. I knew people addicted to texting, before the smartphones were a thing. Downgrading the tech is not going to change much for them. Smartphones are just a tool. It's how you use them makes it good or bad. You can build a home with a hammer or kill people with it. Peoples' lack of self control and wrong intentions are the problem, not the tool itself.
Amen. My work requires me to interact with people spread over half of Earth. I learned to severely manage notifications, and to set boundaries for my responses. Don't be a co-dependent to stress addicts. I was inspired years ago by a global manger whose auto replies for all devices told people the range of hours when he would review what he received, and then only respond if needed. He got a ton of work done.
Never overestimate people's ability to resist temptation. People like you who used smartphone for the good stuff is of course quite a lot. But majority of users used smartphone as a dopamine injector.
I am exactly the same, you only get addicted to these smart phones and the social media platforms because they allow it to happen. If you can successfully lie to yourself then you have a problem and it is not the phone!! The phone and platforms have only become addictive because people have "needed" to have their presence seen almost like a race or a competition. The phones and platforms can still be used but just for connecting not for a thumbs up or popularity, because it is sad to think that the world is craving acceptance or likeability factor but that is a truth if people are really honest. I have never belonged to any of the platforms, never needed to or felt obliged to and my smart phone has always been pay as you go and I most often forget to bring it with me when I go out LOL I was born in the 60's so I grew up when black and white TV was still around. I love the dumb phone idea!
Personal method that works for me: “The phone zone”. Whenever I’m trying to focus, I place my phone in a separate part of my apartment. It slightly raises the cost of checking it (energy to get up and the feeling I’m breaking a rule), so checking it happens a lot less often.
@@Mutual_Information yes iPhones has it Same as android phones with a recent version. You can also get health report and for example at night let your phone turn black and white.. that also helpt with *winding down* that is litterly the name of the function.
I'd imagine Selena Gomez can do without the Internet as she has people running after her using it for shopping/ banking and making appointments in the modern World. As others have commented too, lowering your downtime on social media apps is the real benefit. Interesting video all the same. It's good to see society, and younger members of it at that, making a positive change.
Exactly this. She has people who go on internet to get her things done or say she has assistants and workers for doing stuff what a normal person would use an smartphone for. Need to buy something , instead of using amazon app she just orders her assistant. Need to book tickets, again order her assistant. Order food, check schedule of transport. Smartphone and internet has actually made our lives much simples and uncomplicated. People sitting on high horses always pretend they are superior.
I haven't even thought of that. I mean it's obvious that it's just privileged people doing their usual virtue signaling but I forget that these hypocrites don't even manage most of their daily life. Shame it would be a good movement if smartphones weren't dropped entirely.
I find it impossible to believe she gave up the internet entirely. What about Netflix, given her industry I guarantee she watches the latest shows. What about finding answers to questions on google.. She probably just gave up social media, facebook, instragram, tik tok etc.
@@anshuman2089 The thing is that people, ordinary and celebrity alike, did all the things you talked about before smartphones and even the Internet. Point by point: Need to buy something? Go to the store. Need to book tickets? Call the box office, airline, etc., or get them in person if possible. Order food? Call the restaurant for delivery, or even go out to pick it up if eating at home or sit down to eat at the restaurant itself. Check schedule of transport? Call the transit agency or pick up schedule pamphlets at the train station/bus stop/on the bus. I'm not saying that the Internet hasn't made doing all this easier, just that there are plenty of ways to get things done without it. And of course, one can still have all the benefits of the Internet without a smartphone by using their laptop or desktop or tablet. It all comes down to personal preference. 🤷🏼♂
It is not beneficial to stop using the internet. It is beneficial to stop using social networks, forums and chats full of annoying and narcissistic people. And disable the notifications you do not need. But yes, for people mistaking social networks with "the internet", it is probably easier to just use a simple phone...
The problem is not with smartphone nor internet, it's about how people are using it. You don't have to install social networks, games or anything beside it to be an evolved note book.
@@hoola_amigos if you actually can't think of any reason to use a smartphone besides addictive and pointless social media platforms, that's entirely on you. Are you being stupid on purpose?
I'd argue social media is an almost 'must' for many. I didn't want to install wechat... But there are people who only really use wechat whom I'm otherwise unable to really reach.
Agreed, I've turned off all notifications so that i only use the apps when i need them. I don't even reply to messages instantly and i just open it when i feel like opening it. I still want a smartphone because of the features, most people just can't control themselves. It's nice to still have access to google search and camera.
The issue isn't smartphones, the issue is social media. I rarely check my notifications, it's typically on silent. Living in a foreign country in a city you don't know that well, navigation is incredibly valuable. Ordering food and shopping is another aspect. Never mind the banking and verification apps.
I have had my phone on silent mode permanently for years. All that constant beeping of notifications is something i don't need in my life. I'll get to it when I get to it. never really post anything on sm so I could remove them and be fine. But You use you phone for so much more stuff that can be handy.
Yeah, smartphone is just like any other phones but with easier to use social media. I myself just stop using it for social media for a while now and only use it to take a picture, contacting co-workers, and basic calculation apps. And I am now a lot happier because I don't have to see how over the top people can break down on theirs social media at my workplace and won't get my privacy intrude by co-workers and top tech company like facebook because I don't have a fucking data for them to collect. I feel like this movement didn't hit where it hurts like at all. Underline, it should be about stop using the internet on your phone or stop using internet in general, because addicts will use internet on a brick phone if addicted too much.
I recently moved to Japan and I noticed that since my phone updated my location all the ads and recommendations are in Japanese, so I have no idea what they say. My anxiety level is so much less these days.
Bottom line: get rid of social media and apps that waste your time. Whether you achieve that by using a dumb phone, or by simply deleting them is your choice.
My smartphone can change into dumb phone on ultra energy save mode. Smartphones are not the problem. The problem is laying down in addicting from apps that are wasting your time.
@@VeryImportantPoetry yeah, becuz even if you using fearure phone, put if you still want to use social media you just can buy smartphone or using pc, so it just about the self control, not the tech
Delete all the apps on your smartphone, or get rid of you mobile phone , install a landline with a answering service. Use you TV to stream news, etc, on your terms. You will have so much time to do things that are beneficial to you, not your friends.
I was on vacation in the Caribbean recently. I was completely without cellphone or computer. One evening, I went outside the hotel to admire the stars in the sky. When I came back in the lobby, I saw every tourist watching their smartphone and talking to nobody. I have a smartphone, but I leave it home almost all the time. When I come back home from work, I look if I didn’t receive any call, and then I leave the phone there if I don’t have any phone call to make. I take the phone with me only if I know I will absolutely need it. What I like the most to do when I queue or when I’m in the bus, it’s reading a book.
Is that not sad. I stopped in a coffee shop early one morning, sat down to enjoy my cup and a sweet roll. A young couple in line behind me, got their order and sat down near me. Instantly, they both took out their phones, taking their eyes off the phone only long enough to pick up their cup and never spoke a word to each other nor looked the other in the face. Got up, still looking at their phones and walked out the door bumping into other people. Scary to think about them driving an automobile in public.
Fun fact for smartphone peeps that want to "go dumb" to try it out: most modern smartphones have an "ultra power saving" mode that greatly reduces the capabilities of the phone (text/call only, limited internet capacity, no social media) and it's really good for focusing while still having access to those features when necessary.
I was just about to say that, I have a samsung and I know it has that feature i wasn't sure about other manufacturers. And also there is something called self control.
@@philiplubduck6107 yup, and the vast majority of people do not have it with regard to smartphones. The conditioning and dopamine rush is too hard to resist.
@@mirai3263 I said the same thing myself. It's unbelievable that ANYONE is really that f'n stupid to say something along the lines of, "Smart phones cannot and will not be ignored, any attempts that are made to do so and the phone will immediately teleport itself into your hand and force your brain to hold your hand so damn close to your face that you no longer have the ability to see anything or do anything other then watch it's screen." If a person is given the knowledge afterwards or the even better scenario of beforehand, the understanding of how and why we as a species tend to love things like candy even though it's bad for us. It will then become fairly easier because you have the knowledge to help better manage the time spent on the device. Humans beings can sometimes be addicts and instead of doing something like taking breaks or various other strategies, by absolutely cutting yourself off from the phone, even though it has so many utilities to help an individual better manage their overall time and day they should maybe try looking within themselves and maybe humans in general to better understand how and why they might be using their device in a dysfunctional way. A smart phone is not heroin, you don't get physically ill from stopping usage or anything along those lines. Maybe instead of going cold turkey you can do something like asking a friend or family member to hold your smart phone every once in awhile for a few days and without a doubt you'll eventually feel less of the need to ALWAYS be attached to your device and turn yourself into one of those mythical people who don't somehow find the time to finger-fuck their phone 3,000+ times a day...
Having kids at 7 and 5 yo who are constantly asking when they can get a smartphone like many of their classmates, it has been a dilemma. I think it is a shame that parents allow their kids to start this so early. I can see dumbphones or midphones as an alternative start-up for them sometime in the future.
I'm very serious about this topic. Being 22 years old I grew up with the internet. Basically what I want to say without scaring you and bossing you around is that if you give your children access to the internet, trouble will find them. As a young child I saw many things that a kid shouldn't see. I don't even want to list them but they were brutal, disturbing things. I wasn't even searching for them. I'd just stumble upon them. You have young children, do not give them internet access. If the school gives them laptops to take home, deny it. Seriously for the safety of today's children, I do not know why schools issue out laptops or devices. They're dangerous
Giving the internet to small children, a large majority of which houses porn and videos of people dying/being killed in extremely painful ways, to echo chambers of all kinds of dangerous rhetoric, to predators who go after children, is a terrible decision. You are doing the RIGHT thing by not exposing your children to that kind of content. As for the other parents, I feel sorry for them because a lot of them aren't even aware of all that is available to children on the internet + what their friends may be introducing them to.
@@ledam2654 exactly. I feel like I missed out on a lot of my child good because of the things I've seen and have exposed to at such a young age. It's a very dangerous world and the internet is way worse
I’ve been doing that since subscriptions have come out, I hate the concept and always have. I buy all my music on CD and Vinyl and watch Blu-Rays instead of Netflix and that. Also it’s probs WAYYYY cheaper in the long run
I haven't used social media in probably 10 years except for TH-cam. What struck me is the fakeness of it. On Facebook I knew people who posted pictures of how great their lives were, nice cars and house, happy family etc but I knew in reality they were in debt to their eyeballs and the parents hated each others guts On another note I have my original Sony Ericsson W810i from 2006, on the original battery. I still use it when I'm hiking in bad weather as a music phone.
Here's a crazy idea: Delete your social media and turn off all notifications that are unnecessary. These things can actually be pretty helpful when used properly. My battery lasts for about two and a half days on a single charge, because I put it back in my pocket whenever I'm done answering a message or googling something. I actually often find myself in the situation where I don't know what to do besides from that and taking pictures.
Actually what i have been doing for years, no social media/ messaging aps and no notifications on any site. my Samsung M51 lasts 5-6 day's at home, 4.5 days when on the go listening music 90minutes a day and using GPS often. Same with my previous phone, lenovo p2 (well that one lasted 3 to 5 day's depending) btw BT and wifi are disabled but 4G and GPS are always on. But when no apps are using it in the BG it doesn't consume much.
That's what I try to do, I always end up going back on it though. To me the idea of having social media and other time wasting apps be restricted rather than optional is very attractive
As an app designer for the past 10 years I completely understand this. You have no idea how many addictive behaviors we try push into apps to get users to stay on longer, how many studies we have around our users movement through our apps... It's dehumanizing humanity in the worst way possible and i'm sick of it. I use a Nokia 3310 in my freetime, and at work i have my android/iphone for testing... but i no longer use them when i am home or off work.
100% agree. I work in Digital Marketing for + 10 years and have a strong hate for anything social media. I guess we both better find something else to do in life...
And in the meantime while dehumanizing humanity, we are making AI more and more inteligent, and humans more dependent on technology (thus reducing a lot of human cognitivity). Instead of building things to support us and work with us, they are being built do the things we do, but better and faster. They make smart phones to turn us into dumb people.
I feel I found a good balance about 7 years ago: once an app sends me a notification I'd go in and turn off all notifications. This way I was always initiating the interaction. I leave SMS, email & WhatsApp notifications on, but I muted WhatsApp groups and I curate my email so my primary inbox only gets email from individuals. I guess this is close to the dumbphone mode mentioned in the video, although I feel I could be on my phone even less still.
Honestly, the beauty of the smartphone is that you can configure to suit your need. You cannot remove or add functionality to a mobile phone, you have what it's shipped with unlike a smartphone. In that regard, you are making the best use of a smartphone by making it work for your needs. I think people switching to mobile phones either do not want to spend time configuring such aspects of their smartphone or they want to make a statement. Either way this feels like feeding into the western consumerism lifestyle where you don't find a solution to your problem, you buy it.
My father was born in the 30s, I’m a millennial, around 2010 when I got my first smartphone he kept asking a simple question; “How does this make you a better person?” I think that’s really the question we all should be asking here…
@@seeameya Agreed. Also I think most people tend to be passive users of technology (going back generations), like "don't do anything weird, it might break" instead of "This is cool, how does it work, how can I change it."
@@chowderwhillis9448 How it makes me a better person? it gives me instant unlimited access to literally ALL the knowledge of humanity. Just type what you need to know and find it out. It makes me a better person by what would be considered being an actual God in the '30s.
100% all for this. I never asked for a 24/7 spam device. I have never set up my pay options on my phone, and most everyday I get some type of reminder I NEED to do that. Give me a break and take a hint. I just need you to be a phone. Not an information gather device looking to sell me stuff.
The phone is called smartphone, but its only smart on the hands of a smart person. Your phone is controlling you instead of you controlling the phone because you are using default setup and didn't bother to learn the features available. Most famous apps have different channels for notifications, so you can get from your bank a credit card payment notification but block the promotions notifications.
For me a "smartphone" is just like any other tool, "I control it, it does not control me". I feel like the actual danger comes from social media applications and the feeling of peer-pressure, social expectations and negative feedback loops which contribute to or cause depression, anxiety and other negative mental or physical conditions.
Exactly, it’s social media that’s toxic. I’m a florist who works w living plants too, I’m constantly looking things up on google to help customers. It’s a tool. But twitter, not so positive and helpful. Ppl are being over extreme for sure
Agree. These same people who argues castration is a good form of birth control. Also 1billion dumb phones sold... how many of these are in developed countries?
Apple “smart”phone was good enough but starting with version #13, it dumped biggest piece of trash on the market. This phone can barely make/receive a PHONE CALL. They decided to include horrible features with 20 maybe more ways NOT TO GET A PHONE CALL. Then they included a Tennyson weeny light that light up GREEN, OR THEN ORANGE. Apple geniuses tell us they don’t know what lights mean, annoyingly no immediate way to change apps, supposed to SWIPE UP, SIDEWAYS, WHICHWAY. Only to find you haven’t moved from page, then it jumps,somewhere. iPhone now is no fun, so stressful, VERY ANNOYING. I have not dumped this $1.000+ with DISRUPTION AS ITS FOCAL POINT. WON’t LET ME FOCUS. I HATE It. Help!
I turned my iPhone 12 into a "dumb phone" by doing these 3 steps: 1. I turned the screen into black and white (settings - accessibility - display & text size - color filters - gray scale) 2. I turned off all notifications (only the phone & text pings) 3. I turned on the App limits for all Apps to shut down and I set up a password if I want to use any app (settings - screen time - app limits - all) By doing these 3 steps over a year ago, my screen time went down to more than 50% from my previous use. There's freedom in seeing the screen in gray scale. I hope that helps at least one of you out there.
I have a smart phone but its older, an Iphone 6. I got it when released and as long as it works I see no reason to update to the newest most expensive thing. I use it to make calls, GPS, text, weather, and the occasional photo. That's it. I don't care for games or video or accessing the net on such a small screen and I don't listen to music on it because I believe in the importance of situational awareness. I like to know what is going on around me at all times so mostly I just leave the phone in my pocket and pay attention to, you know...life.
Welcome back to my time. I recall in 2013 sending my friends a short video on my iPhone showing them an old Motorola flip phone I found in my closet. The last time it was on was in 2006, because that was when my company changed to a smartphone. When I powered the Motorola phone (2013), it was still fully charged. It was fully charged because when those phones were powered off - they were OFF. No listening, no pinging cell towers, no checking messages, no downloading emails, no nothing. The good old days.
He is right. How does he know nothing? Planned obsolescent is real. Why make durable phones when you are selling new models each year? Who's going to buy them?
I've only ever had Nokia brick phones, and keep them off except when I need to use them, and the battery still naturally drains over time and needs to be charged for about 20 mins before I can power it on (I've been caught out loads of times because I forget to charge it every month). What is this magic battery your Motorola had?
@@supernovan Not sure - it's just the way it is. I did show my granddaughter a few weeks ago (July 2022), and the battery is finally on its last power bar, from 2006 - 2022, in off mode; two power up (2013, 2022). 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
When my phone broke in college, I didn't replace it. Due to family issues at the time, every notification that buzzed my phone alive filled me with dread; I wanted control over when information could interrupt my day, and have the option of being unreachable. I eventually got a phone years later as a hand-me-down gift, but it taught me just how important having that option was. I eventually abandoned all social media and never regained the habit of checking my phone regularly. It's also impossible for me to ignore how normalized this lack of boundaries between a person's life and the internet has become and how much that warps people's perspectives. Connectivity is a two-way street: To be constantly reachable, you must be constantly available - even if just mentally - and that is a stressful way to live. I am glad more people are rediscovering how refreshing it is to be a guest on the Internet rather than a permanent resident.
@@Bullminator networking bro. There always different intentions. The way how you formulated your statement give off impression that social media is useless. Let say military coupe take over then power grid is fucked. Social media is a way for us to communicate if our freedom of speech being taken away. Look at Myanmar for instinct! They got their ass FUCKED by military coupe!? What did they did not have that American have? Second amendment that advocates protecting your family: law is call castle doctrine: you got a lot of learning to do with stigma that being embedded in your brain you know…
It's not the phone that's the problem. Smartphones are highly customizable to suit your needs. You just need to have the discipline to set up your phone in way that makes it a powerful tool in your life.
No matter how hard you try it will always spy on you though. A brick wont. Just make sure it's not a newly made brick, because those have added spyware.
They're designed to be addictive so if you're unaware of those (like I assume most consumers are) then it's easy to get entrapped as that is what they are designed to do
Sometimes I think about the fact that I cant remember what I had for lunch yesterday but a company in India knows my eating habits from a year ago based on scanning a QR code
I'm glad that restaraunts around me don't use QR code menu's, in fact I cannot think of a place I've been to that does those. Id rather have a paper menu that doesnt nag me and steals my data
One of the worst things about smartphones is employers etc expect you to do stuff in your free time off work, 24/7 availability, call, online meetings, relentless “can you work today” guilt trips, so many jobs today it’s nearly impossible to “leave work”. They always expect you to be available.
I removed all social media apps from my smartphone and achieved basically the same thing as those switching to a feature phones, without all the inconvenience that entails. Social media is the real culprit, not owning a smartphone. I also limit notifications to only the phone, E-Mail, and messaging apps.
i don't have any social media apps (Literally) and only use my phone for media consumption (TH-cam for videos, Downloaded movies etc) yet I still have an addiction, i don't get it
@@TheFalseShepphard You basically just get addicted to entertainment, it does not matter if you move to dump phone or rotary switch phone , you still will get addicted to it via your pc , your TV or your local cinema.
I love how it all boils down to people deciding to buy new phone instead of loging out of social media and disabling notifications. Also every android alredy has ability to switch to emergency/simple mod that allows only calls, text messages, music and like calculator i think.
Even when you log out of social media it's still there. You know you can get to it. Maybe that's not a problem for you, but if it is, it might be better to just get a dumb phone.
As a smartphone lover, I’m guessing some of them don’t know how to dig through setting to turn off many of the annoying notifications apps push out. It can be very stressful to see a ton of notifications within an hour. What I did was completely disable social media notifications, so that I only interact with social media apps when I open them. No red dots, too. The only important notifications I get are: calls, texts, email, and weather. Games, social media, shopping apps, and other distracting app notifications are disabled. I open my phone, and the lock screen doesn’t have any unnecessary notifications. And the ones that do show up are the important ones.
I think it's not about the notification, people are just addicted to social media. They will keep opening social media with or without notification at all.
11:45 Sony already have this mode in their Xperia models, their Ultra battery saver mode actually reboots the device and restart it in a mode where it disables 99% of the apps and only retain the most basic essential apps. Like music player, call, message, gallery, camera, etc. Go get old used Docomo Sony, they are the best dumb phone ever. As really, no dumb phone ever have a decent camera like this.
@@MuhammadKharismawan: AFAIK even Samsung has had such a mode for some time, it only leaves the most basic features available in ultra power saving (other manufacturers might do the same thing too, but idk). Nevertheless though, as mentioned, if it stops you from having the temptation to open up apps, fair enough...
Everyone's looking at it the wrong way. There's nothing wrong with having a smartphone. It's the social media apps that's the problem. Those social media apps are the single most negative part of having a smartphone. I've personally deleted social media from my phone and I feel much better going out and knowing I'm not going to check on other people's lives when I need to focus on mine. I have no notifications on for any other app besides text and calls. Even on my PC I have time limits on my social media that'll eliminate me from seeing my timeline feed after a certain amount of time goes by.
I never used social media besides yt. I think social media has ruined people. People used to be so interesting and curious. Now it's just one big popularity contest.
I stopped going on Facebook for so long at a time... when I do check it now, they keep sending me notifications about someone posting an update for hours after I close it. I dont post and get interactions so they have to do something to try and hit me with something to open it back up lol
no one is saying the smartphone is a problem, it just doesn't make sense to have one unless you use apps. ya four head. it's about saving money, and not buying crap you don't need.
I did this in 2018. Got one of those razr phones for a year. I will say it was nice mentally as far as being calmer and engaging more in real life. The convenience of having a smart phone won out in the end. Navigation, music, audiobooks, podcasts, ebooks, etc, on the go is a nice luxury. When it comes to smartphones it’s important to rule over the phone and don’t let the phone rule over you. Set rules and abide by them, I’ll take a day off every week where I turn it off and leave it for a day.
Same. The t9 text was a blast from the past, but it got super frustrating receiving those messages from individuals who couldn’t compose a complete thought in one sentence
I remember as a child (Early 80's), in Ireland, when we were the only house on the road with a phone. When a call would come in for a neighbour, I would be sent to go get them. The phone number was 3 digits LOL. I was also responsible for buying the first ever mobile phones in the utility company I was working for back in the early 90's. They were literally bricks. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments in this video. People are too disconnected from each other while under the delusion they are more connected.
This is why I’m keeping my dumb TVs. I just want a screen with the images I want to see without ads or microphones listening or updates and “calls to home”
@@absmustang good one mate. Yes, eventually everything will break down, scientists call it entropy, we come from star dust and all will be in supermassive black holes, eventually (like trillions of years, though, so don't worry, and keep repairing)
Sounds a lot like we need to make a shift away from our relationship with social media, not smart phones. Things like having an easy way to capture photos and videos, navigation, limitless information, and communication, are some of the most amazing tools and beneficial advancements for human kind. They’re irrefutably net positives. I can’t imagine returning to a world where I couldn’t capture high quality photos of my life, effortlessly stay in touch with people, and instantly be able to research and learn about even the most random and fleeting questions. Unfortunately that’s been accompanied by explosive expansion and consumption of social media, for which we’ve not yet had the chance to find some balance. It’s beginning now, but slowly, as society at large has begun to make sense of the issues that Facebook etc introduced. I suspect that we will begin to see a transformation in the way social media operates, as they try to stay appealing in the face of a growing societal rejection/dissatisfaction. It’s certainly not going anywhere, and isn’t going to ever be “healthy”, but I think it may become easier to minimize its impact and maintain a healthier relationship with it. There’s no reason we need to move away from smart phones…but we do need to move away from social media. Smart phones are an invaluable tool that every human on earth deserves to have…but we have to completely reimagine the way social media is allowed to exist in our lives. Even social media is a fantastic invention, and can be one of the greatest tools man ever devised. That said, for it to be that we need to change the relationship we have with it personally, as well as the way we allow these companies and platforms to operate. There’s no reason they should not be subject to regulation for best practices and safety just like food, cars, banking, etc.
agreed. its just self-discipline, I'm gen millennial, and I been using smartphone since it first launches, yet I uninstall all social media 10 years ago. for me the smartphone it just a tool as the name suggest, smartphone, for navigation, internet information, communication, etc.
Well said, I think everyone knows that social media needs more regulation, even Zuckerberg has said that it shouldn't be Facebooks job to police themselves because money will always speak louder. It's the largest can of worms in existence on how and what to regulate social media. and while I personally think social media is part of the problem, there is some interesting studies going on about information overload and the brains faulting on trying to comprehend everything which is in turn giving people anxiety. Its like drinking from a fire hose every time you go on the internet, the human brain was never built for this environment.
I accomplish this with a laptop and a dumb phone that still has a wifi hotspot. If I really need to look something up, or get directions, all I have to do is pull the laptop out. And if it's not worth getting the computer out for, it wasn't important enough to be looking up in the first place.
Speaking personally, I think that you can achieve a lot of the experience of having a dumbphone without actually losing access to things like maps and things by having a smartphone, but by setting firm boundaries with it. I'm often checking the weather and sometimes look at the news, but I absolutely do not have any social media. I only look at things like TH-cam when I happen to be home at my actual computer, so the phone is really just used to some reference-themed apps, texting, actual phone calls, and utility-related things like the wallet. But I'm not always (or ever) getting pinged by people posting things on Snapchat or whatever, because I choose not to have any of them. I wouldn't want a dumbphone, but I'm not addicted to my smartphone to begin with it. By usage, I usually clock in 1-1.5 hours per day, and much of that is often writing emails.
@@MariusFusariu What? Btch nigggga I am watching this here sht on my computer. The Fk is you talking about? Edit : oh and it is my big screen computer from work too.
This is a long read. Smartphones was a miracle technology with so much advantages and had so many benefits. It was a telephone, a camera, a game console, a computer so lightweight and can fit in the palm of your hand. It revolutionized the entire world. The first time it was released everyone wanted one. Everyone was in awe and amazement. But I think everybody myself included was swept away by the tremendous impact of this technology that we completely disregarded the issues and flaws of this technology. Our mistake was that we didn't recognize the fact that smartphones have a great and often extremely negative psychological effect on many users. Significant effects that they can have extreme degradation to our mental health. The fact that some teens and even adults commit suicide because of the toxicity of social media is just insane. Imagine losing your loved one because of a brick with a screen. That's how psychologicallt damaging this tech could be for some people and I think our current generation had started to finally recognize and focus on this issue. The fact that there are now people who just "quit" using social media and smartphones and the fact that dumbphones are now rising in popularity is a clear response from the masses that no, we are sick of all these toxicities and psychological damage this devices bring to our children, our families and our lifestyle. We had enough and this needs to change. The rise of dumbphones is just the beginning of this change. I firmly believe that society will eventually reach an equilibrium where smartphone and social media usage will be in a level where we can reap the benefits but also avoid the psychological consequences so that this powerful device could be used in a way that truly benefits the user.
@@arieljourdan2375 Unfortunately smartphones come with built-in apps most of the time and the average user cannot turn them off or remove them. They also have a shit ton of spyware even without you downloading anything.
@@shaurz only till 2026. As per the reports, in 2026 nokia will take back license right. Probably they will start manufacturing their phones once again.
I totally understand the sentiment. During a vacation 6 years ago I rented a home in a quiet village in southern France that turned out to have no mobile phone reception (or internet for that matter). At first it seemed very inconvenient, but it turned out to be 2 weeks of pure bliss as it turned my iPhone into a paperweight. No e-mails or messages from the office and no news media. After not reading for years, I read 6 books cover to cover and found myself to be much more relaxed overall. The house got mobile phone reception the year after and I haven’t been able to find another spot in Western Europe like it.
I think it's probably more practical to have the determination and perseverance to put my smartphone away (e.g. in the drawers) more regularly and live life more fully, than to get a dumb phone. Getting a dumb phone is probably the next best option if one lacks the determination and perseverance to put their smartphones away.
Yeah but what I found also is that people find it 'inconvenient' and 'annoying' that I don't respond back right away. It's also this attention addiction that has been multiplied by social media. I still have a smartphone but only use Chrome, WhatsApp and TH-cam. Even though I'm also thinking about a dumb phone, the amount of times family or other people call or text me during a week literally drains me. It feels like those conversations are so unnecessary and just a waste of time. Then I come to visit, and everybody is on their phone for 70% of the time. So I feel like I wasted even more time. I also find it annoying because you're socially obligated to have a phone otherwise you can't function in society. In the western world, it's impossible nowadays to get work if you literally have nothing. Also small fun fact: 60% of employers in my country expect you to pick up the phone or text back while driving. If I don't die in a car accident, at least I can still get screamed at by my employer before or after hours. So that's a win I guess.
That's how I see it too. I used a dumb phone until 2019, so it may be easier for me than most to treat my smartphone like an occasional tool, rather than the center of my life. But that doesn't excuse anyone from the personal responsibility of taking everything in moderation. No one should be glued to a phone during their whole waking life. It isn't healthy, and they should realize that soon enough.
If you use the tools included in your smart phone, It has the ability to never beep or bother you. Including calls and texts. Get rid of social media. Use Your phone. Don't let it use you.
For me, the size of the phone also becamse a problem. I'm a woman, with woman-sized hands, and often women's pants (and a hatred of purses). It's hard to carry and hold any smart phone. They are all too big. When I had made the decision to get a flip phone, I couldn't get away from my stupid brick of a smart phone fast enough.
Exactly. Just use the phone features. Learn about this pocket computer you have available. Can do wonders.The phone is called smartphone, but its only smart on the hands of a smart person.
but battery doesnt last a month even if you turn off notifications, like it does on dumb phones. you lose a dump phone, so what? cost just like 10 euros.
Idk about dumbphones, but I achieved it by leaving social media. It was pretty disappointing when I learnt how much those around me exist for social media only, and don't know how/don't want to connect beyond social media, because after I stopped I now miss out on about 90% of the social contact I had because people forget I exist.
Same, i dont like social media and i dont understand the need. I still have to use whatsapp though. People think it's strange or get surprised that i dont keep up with their status updates.
That's the problem I have too. Most people I meet these days are wannabe "influencers", live for social media likes and can't seem to do anything without taking a photo and announcing it to everyone.
@@Steel0079 yesss!! True!! They take it as a personal affront like "why didn't you know I got divorced/married/widowed/popped out five kids/became a stripper etc?!?" And I have to watch them look at me gormlessly when I say: "I haven't seen any texts or emails from you telling me about this stuff, was I supposed to intuit this from your mind? Was I supposed to osmosise your personal life from halfway across the world?" .... because they realise they can't say "waaah, but why weren't you following my every inane move on instafacewitter? I mean, none of which was personally directed at you, jk!!1! but, likkke, I just assumed you, like everyone, follows each banal post I make on there allll about my super exciting skinny-legend lyyyyyfe that is actually literally so boring and unfulfilled that I overshare on social media in desperate attempt to fill the bottomless void inside me that I created through becoming so self obsessed that I am jealous of everyone else who is actually living life instead of pretending to have one due to how miserable I am inside and I wish I had the self confidence to do what you did by I rely too much on the dopamine hits social media gives me and I can't admit I'm addicted to it even tho my kid almost died yesterday because I was watching cat videos on tiktok and forgot she was in the bath lawl" because that really is messed up .... of course, what I _really_ want to reply with in that sort of situation (one which I find myself entering into with worryingly more numerous frequency), is: "Aww, I'm so flattered you think I'm nice enough to actually care that much about a friend who hasn't messaged *me* or even replied to my texts/fb messages for almost a decade! But because none of this actually matters to me anymore, I'm gonna go do actually important things now, and I'm not going to apologise for this because I've got nothing to be sorry over, byeee" ... and tbh, the way the world is going-and because of how my tolerance for other peoples' BS declines seemingly by the day-at some point I may just lose that last sh!t and say that to someone, because I fear no man, teen or karen or boomer or anything in-between 😬
I ditched my smart phone in April 2014 as I realized it was increasing my stress level. I also deleted Facebook and messaging apps, so that I wasn't distracted while using a desktop. It was quite hard and took a lot of planning, as I owned two businesses at the time, one based on the internet, people thought I had gone insane. I bought a basic Nokia and used voice calls and text messaging, and set working times when I was able to answer calls and messages. It was difficult, at first, there was a feeling of isolation, but after a couple of weeks I felt so much better and I realized just how stressed and depressed I had actually been. Friends and family noticed a big difference in my demeanor. I bought a new smartphone in 2021, (7 years clean 🤣) as I moved location, and it was the only way to access the internet. I still do not use social media as a rule. Technology has of course moved on, and it is easier to manage notifications, but I still have that old Samsung S3 in my office drawer, the battery is, obviously, dead now, but it stays there as a reminder, phones are 'our' tools, they work for us, we don't work for them.
Well said. They are our tools. With enough self control we can move beyond being beholdent to the interests of these social media mega corporations and start using our energy and these technologies on our own persuits.
I’m 44 and 1 day (dec 30th 2021) after 32 years of smoking I decided to quit smoking it’s been almost a year and I don’t feel like I need it. I figured out why so suden and how I was able to succeed and figured out that I really hated it. I know from watching this video that 1 day I’ll probably leave smart phone because of the need to just look at them every 2 minutes. Just like smoking. Congratulations on such an amazing content 🎉
You could "dumb down" your smartphone by deleting apps that distract you. Keep the essentials and that's it. Why buy a new one? Why fall for the same materialistic game? You don't need a new phone to keep things real.
@@bluefernlove yo are totally right, I probably will do neither.... buy a new one or dumb my phone down, its a matter of control which I lack and I think I have to think over how much time to put my self into the screen and that will be more satisfying.
@@alejandrosm8955 I just got a PAYG SIM, and asked the phone company to disable the data connection. That pretty much does it. You can switch it off, on an Android phone, but it's too easy for it to get turned back on, e.g. by the phone trying to update all the apps. I never used one as a smart phone though. It just seemed like a really poor deal compared to a home internet connection. For longer battery life, an old Nokia with a new battery probably beats most things.
One correction: These phones, such both Nokias shown in this video, run KaiOS instead of Android. They're not dumbphones! They are midphones. They're in the middle of smart and dumb. They are called Smart Feature Phones in their marketing (but that's a mouth full). They can use Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, TH-cam, and Google Maps, and they have a web browser, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more. They utilize T-9, however, and thus that limits typing speed and browsing speed on the browser and social apps, which keeps users from staying online for too long. The KaiOS phones are not dumb, and they are not smart - they are in the middle! There's even a KaiOS app store. (There's also Android Go midphones but, from my experience, they suck terribly.) Addendum: The point of these midphones is be a cost effective way of getting people connected to the Internet in emerging markets (which are developing countries where internet access is still not universal). In first world countries, they are used by poorer people as well as for reasons described in this very video: to eject from one's smartphone while staying connected to friends and family. KaiOS is a fork of the ill-fated FireFox OS. And yes, Firefox tried to make a smartphone once. It was *bad,* lol. KaiOS is the world's third leading mobile OS and it's doing wonders for the people who couldn't be connected before it arrived a handful of years ago. How do I *know* all this stuff? I own three phones running KaiOS, one running Android GO 8.0, and I've done research. Hell, even MrWhosTheBoss made a video explaining this new phone category. It's a good video.
@@LolloGamer_-sp5vq You are incorrect by two measures. 1.) They are called Smart Feature Phones. That is, indeed, in-between dumb and smart phones. 2.) No term existed before we created them. Midphone is valid and completely accurate. The terms dumbphone and smartphone did not exist twenty two years ago, for example.
@@TheHatMan69 I think people shifted what they consider a feature phone as in internet is almost a prerequisite to be considered a feature phone these days. Making the feature phone of old with gimmicks like gyroscope, camera and games but no internet access being more so considered a dumb phone. At least based on the small pool of friends and family I've asked about it.
I personally think it needs to be about self control and teaching kids from a young age not to be reliant on devices as well as not basing their self worth on social media. Dumbing down phones as a work around is a nice idea and all but why should we? That's actively dumbing down innovation to support a social issue, if parents didn't just stick their kids in front of a screen when they were too tired it wouldn't be as much of an issue. Social media only became a widely adopted thing by around the time I was 13 and despite mostly growing up with it I see the negative effects it has on people. I see people only 2-3 years younger then me posting every moment of their lives online just to compete with everyone else in their social groups and it makes me kinda sick. End of the day I don't think social media is an inherintely bad thing, back when it first started it I felt like it was a great way to keep in contact with people you don't see regularly but at this point it feels more like a way for others or big companies to perpetuate toxic ideas as well as make regular people feel inadequate to the people living around them.
Smartphones today are a disaster. We need to take a step back technologically and reevaluate the route we took, and choose a different path. There will always be innovation, but these soul sucking glass slabs we call phones are not the way.
The greatest AI and psychology researchers in the world have all been hired to collectively manipulate us for the billions of dollars our attention is worth. I think it is foolish to try to combat this unprecedented malicious effort by relying only on the individual willpower of children, who they have specifically become experts in addicting. We have to collectively think and plan and act for our well being against these massive forces, can't just say every man for himself, good luck everyone.
@@desmasic Exactly, going backwards means nothing when you're addicted, you'll just eventually find another way to access those apps. Change habits, that's what matters.
I never purchased or used a smart phone. Perhaps it is quite simply a function of my age, 69. However, my spouse and family all own them and yes everyone urged me to do the same. However, I believe that my choice was more of a reflection of my personality. I am very social and I spent 42 years as a Psychiatric Nurse. It was always imperative for me to be aware of my patient's mood and affect, ie. the presence of their face. This process was the only way to observe and actually connect with another human being. Several years ago while sitting in a cafe, I saw a table of 8 male friends at a single table. They were not speaking to nor looking at one another. On another occasion, I observed a woman with her young child. The mother was on her phone, while the child whined and clamored for the phone, and not for her mother per se. Eventually the child was given a large, plastic phone-toy which she was delighted with as she began to "push" the buttons and chatter away. I was SO DISAPPOINTED BY THIS SIGHT. Even then I could foresee that this so-called SMART-phone would lead to negative consequences, especially for children. I hope, that as a society we can learn to ameliorate this phenomenon and remember to live a life of balance and a real connection to the natural world and the other human beings that we depend upon.
I only them I'm distracted by my phone when with people is when I feel compelled to read about a certain topic. I'm usually very much present, but I notice how people resort to that like its their default state. Anytime there's even a few moments of free time, their heads lower and their fondle slab comes out. I use puzzles to relieve short term and even long-term boredom. If people just had something like a Rukik's cube, they'd be able to kill time and actually challenge themselves at the same time.
Me too! I have never owned or used a smart phone and I am 42. I still use my flip phone that came out in the mid 2000s and I am doing just fine. In fact, I would say that I am happier (to some extent) than some who have them and are addicted to them. I am teacher and the students' addiction to their phones is truly shocking.
@@mgoodwi1 all the phones that came in the 2010s and before are peices of art and Nokia is the mastermind behind all those beutifull phone designs and software being symbian os Sadly we wont see this software thrive
I not only hope this trend continues, but that it spreads like wildfire! we are not made to be accessible at every moment, and no one gets better or function very well or for long when being bombarded with expressions and information 24/7 we need down time to digest. not only food but thoughts, impressions and experiences as well.
The best was when all you had were landlines with answering machines, and payphones. I miss those times. The fact that you could not be reached at all times of the day was just so peaceful. And the fact that the majority of your socializing and overall communication had to be vocal/face to face 98% of the time can not be underestimated in its importance for your overall mental/emotional health. If you wanted to deal with an issue between yourself and a friend, a spouse, or whoever, you had to talk to them, with your voice, with your body language, it helped to mature an individual because you were often forced to deal with confrontation in a very challenging manner as you had to practice subduing your emotions if you ever expected to have any meaningful lasting relationships. It also made it more probable and more meaningful to reconcile with someone, and you grew attached to others in a far more satisfying way. Also, if you were bored, as in waiting somewhere, or whatever, it forced you to think about things, to perhaps think more critically about issues in ones life or about an idea or concept you recently learned. I think about the concentration powers of people who had to live in something like the 1500's-1600's AD, it would probably be considered super human if compared with today's. Social media can be very damaging, but I think far more was lost than most know or remember.
I bet most people in the middle ages were focused on getting enough food, not dying from minor infections, etc. I'm not sure I'd trade modern medicine and technology for fewer distractions. I get your other points, but nearly all of them could have also been made about basic landlines. And before that there was writing. There have been supplements to direct communication for a very long time. I do agree that social media has caused our relationships to become more superficial though.
What frustrates me is when a group of friends go out, most people would just stare at their phone and not talking. My friends and I are aware of this so we would barely look at our phones. But I feel it's happening more and more.
I have a rule: if there is no conversation and more than 50% of the people in the group are on their phones, I get up and do something else / talk to someone else.
I was gobsmacked when I visited a friend and saw her sister (older teen at the time) and her sister’s friend both sitting next to each other on the couch texting each other instead of talking. Like wtf?!? The sister is now older and has actually lost a job because of her phone - she would be on it during work - though I’m seeing more and more of that behavior everywhere too. Can’t count the number of times I’ll be checking out or dealing with customer service and see them pause to check their messages or sitting around scrolling through social media. It’s mind-boggling.
No need to ditch smartphone, ppl need a healthier attitude towards using social media. I only use social media for direct communication, and I need camera for taking "notes" at work + a whole lot more. And there's a lot of ppl that don't own a PC, because of smartphones, would they have to go the bank to pay bills, and pay a fee for it? Getting a PC gives u access to social media!
yeah it doesn't even touch authentication stuff. global banking requires secure 2fa, my company requires 2fa (employee login + yours or provided by the company phone auth) to access VMs and similar stuff. anything vpn connected requires authentication through mobile only.
I would be inclined to agree, I spend next to no time on my phone. Only use it for calling, texting, maps, camera, MFA for work VPNs etc. which you wouldn't use as frequently (or for as long) as say a web / social media browser. However I know friends who are stuck to their phones and its specifically for social media, the same few apps (titter, insta, facebook, tiktok) I don't personally see the logic in using a dumb phone when the vice is social media, just uninstall the unnecessary apps and show some self control. Though perhaps that's the point I'm missing is the addition side of it and so that wouldn't work as a solution as they would just end up re-installing said apps.
Smartphones are bad. They bleed our tools together into one device. We should have a device for calling as the main thing. No point in a smartphone anyways without social media. The internet itself is cancerous
*Here are a few solutions to getting directions without using your phone:* -Get to know your neighborhood. -Print out directions to your designation. -Purchase a map. -Memorize your surroundings.
My Internet/gaming addiction started with computers 22 years ago so getting rid of the tiny computer in my pocket changes nothing, I'd just move to the larger ones. Psychotherapy worked pretty well to change me into a more moderate use of internet capable devices in general while finding new real-life interests, passions and hobbies
yeah same here, i've been addicted to computers my whole life... I don't actually use a smart phone, I had the original iPhone when it came out but since that I never got another and have been smartphone free for 9 years, but I'm still sat in front of my PC for 80% of my reality lol
@@shre6619 That's true for some people but not for others, addiction is generally an impulsive behaviour. Besides, Addiction behaviour/disorder generally switches to something else until you work on the root causes of it. You may get rid of the phone but then vent your addiction disorder on food so good luck getting rid of food. Bottom line, psychotherapy has never hurt anyone and there are good chances of recovery from addiction especially if you're young and intelligent.
@UCXnRtuZ1eMMH5BVsNI6oFkQ From my knowledge getting hurt by a therapist is as rare as getting hit by a meteorite because psychotherapy is way way less invasive then people think, in fact the therapist gives you glipses and directions but you have to do 99% of the work by yourself. You sound like you never had the opportunity to try therapy which is pretty sad, I had to move to a country with a decent welfare to finally get access to affordable mental health care. I hope you'll get the same opportunity soon, good luck
It's ridiculous how people doesn't know how to fix their smartphones to take controle of them, not the other way. The notifications can be turned off and the same thing happens with social media apps. The solution for the misusing of smartphones is to come back to old technology? Come on...
A few years back i was incredibly addicted to social media. Notifications would interrupt me all the time and it really was this dopamine rush to know something happened on facebook and seeing some comment on something i posted meant I was doing good. Seeing no reactions made me feel rather worthless. My phone broke. And after repairs it had the same software break a few times and each time I was forced to take a break from phones for at least a week. At first I felt so agitated. It's the in between moments where you just want to grab your phone and fill the void. Having my thoughts around had become so unusual. But then I started to enjoy them again and having that space became relaxing. Eventually I decided to delete facebook from my phone. TH-cam too. It lasted a few months but when I reinstalled them I realized I should really curtail my experience around what I valued. I turned off notifications for all but watsapp(group chats were on mute) and on facebook I would leave any group that stressed me out. Same with TH-cam channels. Currently, youtube gives me notifications but they show up silently so they don't bother me and I engage in my own time. I know I could still do better, but mostly I enjoy stimulating content that adds something, sharpens my mind. Stuff like your channel. What I've learned is that it's ok to finish what I'm doing, before reacting to my phone, be it social media or watsapp or whatever
Yikes. Your persepctive as initially described is quite scary, to imagine that there are countless people made into mental zombie slaves to social media. Embarrassing and sad.
From about 1999 to 2003 I had no cellphone at all. It became impossible to get by without it if I wanted to have a social life. It's amazing how society can pressure you into needing certain devices.
I got so left out by classmates for not having phone. So i couldn't call back home i'm going to be late, instead i had to go back otherwise i would have been punished. All my classmates also played on their dumbphones between classes. Now a days i definetly need smartphone because i never know if they send me notification through e-mail or sms. Having google maps also helps me a lot or looking up the bus plans. I also have my notification noises turned off, so i wouldn't be distracted.
I made the switch to a dumb phone going on 4 years ago. I don't plan on ever going back to a "smart" phone., my life is far better without it in every way. My only suggestion would be to make a much better quality camera (more pixels) function, as that is what people like to do, with families, projects, landscapes, and such. I do hope the trend continues with the upgrade mentioned.
I'm pretty sure the beauty of smartphone pictures comes from heavyweight CPU touching up the shot on the fly seems to me you'll need to start wearing your digital camera around again
I have a smartphone and I hardly ever take photos. I prefer to be present in the place and moment, making actual memories, rather than scanning for the best place to take a photo or looking at a view via a screen.
Saying something intangible like "personal discipline" and expecting it to improve someone's life in a tangible way will many times be a fool's errand. Taking certain apps off your phone, or downgrading your phone entirely, is a tangible, real step to fighting internet addiction.
@@kalvindavis9319 It's really not that complicated. Addictions are built on habits you become dependent to, and those come from a lack of discipline or responsible use of this technology. If you have a weak personality and no self-control you'll be taken over by anything. Gambling, drugs, peer pressure, etc. It's a personal failing, a character trait. No one forces you to dig 300 pages deep into an argument on a forum, or twitter, or anything else. That's strictly a you problem. Instead of improving that you overreact and try to delete the problem without fixing it. What then? You'll find another habit, and lose your geolocation, high quality camera to "live in the moment", etc. Congratulations, I hope your addiction improves.
The idea of having the option to turn on a "dumb" mode, makes a lot of sense to me! You can turn it on during the night, weekends, holidays, or just when you need a break from the world!
Maybe large phone companies could integrate this into the phone’s software, by extending the capability of the iPhones “focus modes”(sorry android its been a few years so I’m not sure what your equivalent is). Not just blocking the notifications but possibly hiding the apps. They could also allow for usage warning so that over time the user could decrease the amount of time spent on these apps. I’m not sure how much influence large social media has on manufactures though. They could receive pushback since social media companies like how much time we spend on their sites.
you can use work profiles in android to accomplish this. every other comment i'm leaving is being flagged as spam or something so i'm going to leave it at that.
I've found a similar contemplative stress free peace while still having my iPhone by not using social media and keeping notifications for basically everything except what I actually need shut off. That said, I've probably had it easier than many since my past social media use was always minimal and I've never been even remotely addicted to that lifestyle.
In the same boat, I turn off notifications for just about anything except texts and calls. Closest thing I have to social media on my phone is youtube.
Never had a smart phone or joined Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc etc etc. I like to talk to people, face to face, you know, like a human being. It's only face to face communication that tells you about the person you are talking to...psychology has known for a long time that the info we get when talking face to face is actually 60% 'non verbal' ! The movement of body, arms, head etc, plus tone of voice and slight inflections during speech, eye movements, volume of voice, they all tell us something whether we are conscious of it or not, our brain takes it all in and forms opinions, levels of understanding, character of the other person, feelings of like, trust, uncertainty, or need more info etc etc etc. That's why social media can be such a hateful and egotistical atmosphere, because we never truly know who we are dealing with, what their intentions are, we can get the wrong messages so easily and we don't get the true emotional cues in such environments as Twitter etc. We are naturally gregarious, that's what we are designed to be and online communication gives you 60% less information, so it works against our natural face to face communication design !
While I still do have my "dumbphone" somewhere in a drawer just in case as a back up option (especially because it needs charging only once in 2-3 weeks), don't expect too much time saving from it, as time can be killed by playing "Snake", "Jewels", "Tetris" or whatever else is on that phone. XD
"Snake" was what I played when I could not get a smartphone for about 5 months. It does get boring fast so you're better off having a book with you if you are to wait for sth.
I don't view playing games as a negative for the most part, they have been proven to improve mental acuity and mostly prevent dementia. Playing too much of them can have a negative effect though. Out of all the ones, Tetris is the best for mental acuity and even stress relief.
I only use my "smart"phone to be in touch with friends and family (text mostly), watching educational TH-cam videos like this, and most importantly looking stuff up, which I think is a good thing because I'm constantly learning new things this way. I feel like it's not necessary to switch to a "dumb"phone in my case. Would you rather disagree?
Yeah, it's such a waste to ditch instant access to information. I use my phone to do a quick fact check whenever I need, take that away and I would agree on just about anything.
@@TheJupiteL There are other ways to get what you need from the internet with other devices. Laptop or a tablet that stays at home. Whether it is a waste or not depends on the lifestyle of the person.
basically just self control, if you can limit what you do on a smartphone for sure no point in these. but a lot of people can't so buying a cheap phone you literally can't give into that urge on seems like a decent compromise.
Optimizing my smartphone notifications and quitting social media was a cure to smartphone addiction for me. I only use my smartphone when I want to nowadays. Buying dumb phone is not a solution for all. Smartphone is useful in a lot of situations.
Exactly for us in developing countries. All of these people have other access to internet. In our country smartphone is the only contact point with internet for majority population. We are using internet for daily work in all sectors. Ditching smartphone isn't the option for us. And we don't have 100 people working for us like Selena Gomez.
And this too is just a trend manufactured by business masterminds. This will change too soon or later. People just need to buy new stuff instead of controlling their own behaviour. There was a time when they said noise cancelling headphones are the thing, now they are saying don't use noise cancellation and be aware of your surroundings. So that's how the circle works. One day someone will say dumb phones are bad for THIS, and people will buy something new.
@@sayantanmitrabliss I switched to a "dumb" phone about 2 months ago and it's been a life changer for me, but it's not for everyone. For me it is about controlling my behavior. I have adhd and an addictive personality, and no matter how many times I would try to ditch social media and cut down on screentime I would just go right back to it. Recognizing these patterns in my life the simplest solution seemed to be to ditch the thing all together and it's worked
It's an interesting movement but there are two things that would prevent me from it. 1. in Brazil, where I live, most banking (paying, transferring money etc) is done by the bank's app, and most banks don't even have physical agencies or atms anymore. Most people haven't handled cash since 2020, some stores don't even take cash anymore. 2. most government services are now digital, most people don't even carry a driver's license since they have on their app.
I actually kind of use my Android smart phone as a dumb phone already. The primary reason I don't buy a dumb phone is because I really appreciate having a GOOD camera with me and also being able to have good quality video calls. I use it primarily for communication (calls, video calls, messaging), but also for the photos, videos, music and radio... I don't use social media on it, I don't use a browser, I don't use subscription services like Netflix, Spotify, Google Photos/Drive. instead I have installed media players for local files, and a normal offline photo gallery app. I transfer photos to my computer and using USB transfer. It's nice to get disconnected from the "internet" from time to time. Allowing the device to be primarily communication, secondarily a camera and media player.
Similar, but I don't even do video calls, nor I message just get SMS texts as notifications for transactions and such. But yeah, want a good camera and a decent local music player. Hence my main phone is still my rooted LG V40. Still a good camera, and has an amazing headphone jack and music player. And its rooted so was able to remove or disable all the bloatware I don't want or need running in the background. And install it's stock music player. That for some reason the US variant remove in favor of Google player. Which, at least at the time, couldn't even fully utilize the 32-bit/192kHz Hi-Fi Quad DAC or even play HiFi FLACS, which was the main reason why I've been buying the V line phones. That and the ability to drive high impedance headphones. I wish there were non-smart phones with good cameras.
@@downbntout hahaha. Thanks? 😅🙃 but honestly. I think we owe it to ourselves to be disconnected from time to time. When we are out and about, just enjoy it. Enjoy the views and other people. I personally interact more with real people nowadays. And we can always check social media etc when we get home to a computer/tablet or whatever. Generally it is just an unnecessary time hog which add nothing to our lives.
your missing the point, everything your phone does can be done via other methods. all without collecting data and following you around like a very a enterprising stalker.
From my personal experience, I'd say that keeping a smartphone but getting out from any social media is enough to have all the pros without the cons. As simple as that.
I use a halfway solution of using one dumb phone and one tablet that is cheaper than smartphones and doesn't need to be upgraded as often. Work OK so far.
But only if its a small (4" - 5.5") smartphone that you can comfortably use with 1 hand and reach all 4 corners with your thumb. Otherwise if its a bigger phone that you have to use with both hands, you are losing one of the biggest features of dumbphones, which is actually paying attention to the world around you.
@@allanshpeley4284 Nah, i only pull out my phone to change music track when im on a bus, im always looking at the people and out the window, paying attention, giving my seat to old ladies, helping women that enter with their baby carriages and are alone, i got an iPhone SE 1st gen but my use really is basically a dumb phone + whatsapp , 0 social media, not even youtube. If i could upload screenshots i could prove it because the battery lasts so long.
@@juanme555 I mean, good for you and everything, but you could defenelty still get distracted if youre someone like me, i think the issue is that for every person it is diferent, some will rather have no internet at all and some will just not use facebook but still use everything else,
I'm so thankful growing up in the 90's when all we had was dumb phones. The way we interacted back then now feels surreal but it was REAL. Just imagine going to parties and not a single one stared at their phone, they stared at YOU. Smartphones feels like the new crack epidemic and kids today (I'm a father myself) need that constant fix every damn minute. They can barely focus for 30 seconds before losing interest, it's gotta be instant, loud, ADHD-like or it's not worth it. Somebody, build that damn time machine already 😤
I'm 35. I had Steam on my PC the day it came out so I could get Half Life 2. The internet was definitely present in our lives throughout the late 90s and early 2000s but nothing like today. Being born in 87 I got to experience life with and without the internet. We just have to learn to balance our lives and you are seeing that balancing act take place before your eyes with the subject matter in this video. Kids who grow up with all of this will also be the ones who throw it away and learn to function with and without tech. These apps were never meant to become so pervasive....until they did and then the companies began to see how they were being used. However people will adjust and compensate as we always do. It's hard to see the whole picture from our vantage point in history but we will all be ok in the long run.
I miss my flip phone. Having ADHD, my smart phone is such a time suck and I find I struggle to let go of the immediate pleasure of it for longer term rewards and engaging in more enriching things.
I have ADHD, I'm 45 and since smart phones all the so-called normal people have passed me by when it comes to short attention spans. No one can focus on anything anymore!
I dropped my facebook and instagram about 2 years ago, and I genuinely couldn’t be happier, merely not having that ability to check on the latest social things going on removes the drive to even check the phone in a lineup or when you have a few seconds, it’s better to enjoy the world around you! Definitely try that method before the dumb phone because sometimes it can be enough! I use the camera and have TH-cam and I love the larger screen of a smartphone for the videos and photos, the thing that could be problematic is the overly pricy bill for the whole data plan for a smartphone if only really being used for those things.
I for one have felt so exhausted personally from the internet. After spending so much of my life browsing the internet and playing video games it all seems so boring to me now. I don't get the same rush or excitement from using my computer or phone nearly as much as I used to. It's even scarier when so many companies are making short forms of entertainment that is addictive on purpose. The internet has been great in many ways, but I feel at the end of the day the constant source of negative energy and irrelevant information that is forced to relevance has done me almost no good other than giving me a constant sense of dread in the world.
thank you for the feature! 😁it's awesome to see so many people enjoying life without a smartphone. personally, i hope it's not just a trend and we see more dumphone options on the market. but either way, i'm excited to see conversations like this taking place. it seems we're all looking to use technology more intentionally.
My biggest fear from this is that people will go back to watching cable news. I really do not feel comfortable with the fact that people are ditching the internet completely. For all the bad the internet has done, I would have never realized all the injustices happening in the world if it never came into my life.
@@Drbeckerproductions At the end of the day, your personal mental health and wellbeing still come first over every injustice in the world. People should do what they feel is best for themselves even if it means they'll be out of the loop a bit. Besides, there's nothing stopping anyone from getting back into the fray once they feel better.
While it would be nice to have more phone options, we don't necessarily need to ditch smartphones. This seems to be more about ditching things like social media and time wasting applications. You can still use a smartphone and only have basic features, but I get that the temptation is good reason to switch phones so you don't even have the option. But personally I barely use social media compared to most others, and it's still nice to be able to have modern connections with things like news updates and other useful benefits only smartphones can provide.
I don't think the problem is "smartphones" as much as it's "Social Media." It's literally designed from the start to be addictive, and studies have shown that it has a negative impact on the people that use it.
Your smartphone is designed the exact same way lol. It is why you will randomly pull your phone out, unlock it, and then have no idea what you are doing.
I mean, yeah, it is social media. However no smartphones today are designed to disincentivize the feedback systems that bring you back to consuming social media. I don't see why so many people are adamant about opposing people who just are tired of their smartphones, because truly - it IS the smartphones (as they are designed now) that propagate these issues. There's nothing wrong with seeking an alternative especially when you're no longer using any of the features that are unique anymore with a smartphone (such as within those examples where people say "Why get a dumbphone? Just use your smartphone and remove all the apps"). Plus if it meant that every phone replacement was like 1/6th the price of a smartphone, there was a lot more variety in size, etc. Then it'd be beyond nice to have a larger updated dumbphone market instead of just entitling the phone market to only being smartphones when there are people who are moving away from whatever makes them smart. That's what I think at least. Getting a 'less-capable' phone is just the logical side-step next to getting rid of social media. There is no functional compromise there at this point.
@@zachrat9083 One good step that helped me is turning off all forms of raise to wake and tap to wake. The only way I can turn my phone on is intentionally pressing the power button.
I think its a bit crazy to charge $300 for a light phone when u can get a feature phone like a nokia 8810 that does 3X as much for $100 and still not hinder u like a smart phone would
I totally agree. You can have the smartphone and delete twitter and facebook, and other such apps, and if you still want them, keep them on a laptop, but do not carry it around with you.
I have a smart phone. I barely look at it because I'm just too busy, especially at work and I work in an office; then at home where there's more stuff to do. At the end of the day, my smartphone still has 80% battery, that's how little I've used it. This whole dumbphone "movement" can basically be summarized as: "I have an impulse that I cannot control unless I impose artificial limits on myself."
The target audience for these smartphones are near 12-22 I guess because 20 age people are looking for what to do in there life and end up watching reels or TH-cam then going bars and hangout mostly things like that. Then 16 yo were they do online shopping mostly and Order what ever they like.(not all are like that)then idk about 12 yo they watch just anything. Thankfully I didn’t have any smartphone at that age
11:48 - to answer coldfusion's questions, yes that feature exists already on smartphones. You change the battery status to emergency or strict/restricted which allows only calls and texts and no mobile access to prolong battery usage and makes the phone screen appearance gray in color but useful and if done when fully charged the battery will last up to 2 days depending on the phone or longer. It could last a week depending on how little the phone is used which saves you money on buying expensive dumb phones sold as trendy digital ironic solutions to the lack of self control. The real issue is learning self control not looking for another product to help you do so which is the real permanent solution otherwise it is like a drug addict eating too much sugar instead of illegal drugs. You're still addicted and have not become truly free.
I think people can turn off the notifications on their smart phone as I did and uninstall the social media app and turn off the news feed and everything but still have access to the internet and other benefits. I think it all comes to self-discipline. Great video Dagogo. Love your work and your channel. Thanks for all the info. 😊😊😊
If you have an alcoholic, what do you think it will work, putting a lot of vodka bottles in his room and saying him: You have to choose if you drink or not, - Or not giving him alcohol at all?
In my experience what causes the most stress and feelings of not being present is not the smartphone itself, but the relationship you have with social media apps. Just completely blocking yourself from using apps like Instagram or Twitter has major positive effects.
I just uninstalled those apps because I feel the negativity.. I feel sad, envy, angry and stress, so I just really completely ditch off those 2 apps for good but facebook and messenger still remains because that becomes our main messaging app here in the Philippines when you have no load 😅. I have no games installed on my phone also, no movies but hundreds of music, I'll just subscribe to the internet if I need to like meetings or if there are some issues that I need to know or I need to video call someone.. other than that, free data 😅, I can only use the messenger app, good thing our country is not that high tech yet.. there are option for QR codes but there are always alternative for that because majority here have no access to internet
wow, that's pretty interesting. Maybe now we'll see more companies be dumb phone friendly. I hate having to install an app just to view or buy something. I don't use my phone much for browsing anyway. My pc is for that, larger screen and it means I'm not on social media all day
Its worth mentioning that Samsung phones have the "Emergancy Mode" which does exactly as you mentioned at the end. Limits the phones capabilities to calls, texts, and only a select few apps. Also has the benefit of lasting many days on a single charge.
I think on Android 12 on Samsung phones, it's just called Power Saving with the option "Limit apps and Home screen". Here's the description for that option: "For maximum power saving, allow only selected apps, limit all background activity, turn off Edge panels, and change to a dark theme." Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Power saving > Limit apps and Home screen What you ended up having when that option is turned on are: No wallpaper, just black No widgets No app drawer 4 non changeable apps: Phone, Messages, Internet and Settings Samsung Pay via swipe gesture 4 apps of your own choosing I just tried it. It's so neat.
IOS16 is about to add a LOCKDOWN mode. It’s mostly to prevent state-sponsored hacking by limiting most features of a smartphone. BTW, iOS already has FOCUS MODE where you can customize pretty much anything and limit it
The reasons that I'm on my smartphone most of the time include gaining perspective from videos like this, soothing background music, listening to sermons/talks/lessons that align with my values beliefs and grow me as a person, and finding resources to teach my kids in homeschool, playing with my kids on their games, making friends and connecting across thousands of miles. I think it can be used for good, though I understand the issue and the overuse of it. It's hard to believe they've only been out for about 15 years!
I just don't allow anything to send me notifications, but can still reap the benefits of my smart phone when I choose to. You don't need to sacrifice the utility of a smartphone to have everything a dumbphone provides.
I have no social media in my smartphone. This already helps me a lot. His main uses are for podcast, MP3 player, write groceries, Uber and banking/2fa apps.
I'm 39, and will be 40 in September. I was born in '82, the oldest of the millennial generation. Fairly early on into the smartphone revolution - about a decade ago in 2012 - I noticed myself responding robotically to check my phone every time it made the slightest notification chirp. Determined to put a stop to this, but not ready to completely unplug or dumbify so-to-speak, I knew I had to do something to save my mind and personal autonomy. From then on I made a simple change that anyone can implement to improve their lives, thoughtfulness and how present they are, etc., without having to ditch smartphones entirely. My phone is now semi-permanently on silent mode. I say "semi," because probably once or twice a month I turn on volume and vibrate because I know an important call is coming at a certain time, or because I start to play phone tag and don't want to prolong the game or make the other person think I'm playing a game or avoiding them. Within a week or two, this simple change alone change completely removed my robotic tick to pick up my phone and look at it just because some app chirped at me. Seeing how easy and successful this was in reclaiming myself, I started to ruthlessly prune which apps can send me notifications in the first place. Now, the vast majority are turned off, so I have to actually choose to look at an app independently of it wanting my attention before seeing what's going on or recently changed within it. The last step I've made more recently (this year and last) is to completely delete all social media apps. Now, commenting here on TH-cam is the closest thing to social media that I still do. It's definitely a harder move to make than the first two tips I mentioned, as someone who was on and active on all the major social media sites over the last decade plus, a major portion of my life. However, it has indeed made me more productive and healthy, so I'd say it's worth it and has greatly improved my life overall. I say all this to help others who may be contemplating similar moves to improve the quality of their lives. I'm sure there's others like me out there who can't go full dumb phone due to work, or other reasons mentioned in this video like navigation. But there are still powerful moves we are free to make to largely take back our lives from Big Tech, and Big Brother. Never forget your power to control what you are exposed to. In this age of information overwhelm, it's often helpful to restrict and limit what we are exposed to...not to have tunnel vision about the nature of the world, but to reassume the driver's seat in our lives. Good luck out there, whatever you choose to do to reclaim you!
I'm an American living in Japan. Most of my friends here have left. Need to have a phone when out and about, but I only use social media on my desktop computer. Never on my phone. I keep the smartphone for in case I need something translated or to use maps. I also always use Firefox so I never ads like here on youtube (which is bad for the internet posters because my view won't count). I also use Duckduckgo for my search engine so my searches are tracked.
I think my generation - gen-x - has it the best. We grew before the internet/cell phones but have learnt how to use them, so we use them and don't let them use us. For example I think the solution is to have a smartphone - as I do - so I can use it for navigation, banking, checking timetables, researching products I need to buy, listen to music and radio and all the good things, but not using it for any other bad - for example I don't do social(ist) media at all.
Where I live, I see homeless people with smartphones--so that is definitely indicative that our priorities are askew, but this is what tech does to people: we don't know how to balance it in our lives, and there is always a higher power with financial incentives to see the public overuse that tech. Then that tech becomes obsolete and a new tech comes, which will become ubiquitous because it taps into a dopamine release and a greedy company will want to squeeze as much profit out of it. Rinse and repeat.
"The issue isn't smart phones it's social media" All these people tend to forget about the massive amounts of data being siphoned by the cell phone manufacturers.
They also seem to ignore the predatory nature of those platforms. They’re designed to keep you engaged. Just because some of us have the ability to ignore social media doesn’t mean everyone does and if their path to success is to stop using a smart phone then that’s great. I want people to be happy and succeed. Of course there are benefits to a smart phone but the benefits may not outweigh the cost. I wouldn’t blame a former drug or alcohol addict from never wanting to step into a bar again. If that’s going to keep them happy and healthy, I’ll gladly support them.
The bar analogy is great. Would be nice to have a middle ground. Like if you could delete any apps off your device. That way you could keep the useful apps like maps and remove the ones you have a problem with like internet, social media, TH-cam etc.
The massive amounts of data being siphoned doesn't really affect the daily life of the vast, vast majority of people though. Certainly not in the same way a social media addiction does. Sure, from a philosophical perspective we'd like to have our privacy protected and sure there is the occasional person for whom this privacy invasion really does impact their lives to a significant degree, but for the most part its invisible to us and harmless in all but the most trivial manners (oh no.. advertisers might be more likely to show me an ad for something I'm actually interested in.. the absolute horror!)
I like the thought, but as someone who travels a lot, it isn't that easy. You need the phone for navigation, translation, accessing your documents, getting taxi / transit, and so on. Cutting down / leaving social media and time wasting apps is much more doable though.
Yeah, think it's all about what works best for you. For many, there's a legitimate _need_ for a smartphone (e.g. if your work uses an app, like delivery riders). For those going without smartphones, they see the extra effort as being worth it. Personally isn't for me, though I'm lucky in that I'm not really addicted to social media and deleting my accounts got most of the result, and barring music and a few utilities, most of the the I use my phone in the same manner as a dumb one anyway 😂
Was never a problem for me. I saw this coming the moment smart phones came around. People entrenched in this had problems before smartphones became the zeitgeist. I have absolutely zero problems fighting the urge to have a 24/7 relationship with my little mini-computer that recycles the world's social garbage. Doesn't excuse the fact that I'm still a stressed out neurotic mess for other worldly reasons.
I can totally live without social media, actually do apart from youtube educational content. But the phone is such a great thing to have. Train's late and I will be late to something - just let them know. I can pay for stuff without bringing my whole wallet. I can figure out public transport routes, when the tram leaves etc, whether a place is still open. Or even what the guy they put up a statue of did. That's very convenient and I'd actually say that I feel a bit stressed without it because it can get me out of difficult situations. Not because I think I'd miss whatever stupid instagram post someone makes.
I also think part of the addiction kids have especially nowadays with smartphones is attributed to the fact that a lot of kids my age (almost 30) started getting cell phones when we were like 10. I remember all the kids in middle school and high school had a phone. I was the loner. Of literally everyone. I didn't have a phone at all. No nokia brick, no smart phone. Not until I turned about 18 or 19, after I'd graduated high school. I feel like that alone has kept me more sane when it comes to using a phone, because it's not this nostalgic thing for me. I see phones and I see new technology, not something I grew up with. Kids easily get attached to gadgets like these, and its unfortunate how dependent they feel on them when they start growing up. Edit: And how could we have possibly known that all of this smartphone crap would've come out so fast and become so addicting? I didn't expect it. It went right along with the internet in general, but when you start to be able to take the internet everywhere you go, I think kids' lost sight of priorities they might have had if they didn't have a phone.
I can relate to that, cause i born in 99, so when i hit puberty everyone my age have a smartphone. They used to laugh at me for my dumb phone, and i didn´t care at all cause for me that shit wasn´t necessary. At 15 my dad buy me a smartphone and that changed everything, i used to have social media before, but have it in my pocket all the time it´s a lifechanger. Now i don´t have any social media at all.
Four years ago I bought a new motor cycle, being E4 and a small bike it was whisper quiet, three times in the first fortnight I had to brake hard because smart phone zombies stepped out in front of me. I do not like noisy bikes, but in the interest of safety I made the exhaust a bit louder. This set me thinking and I threw my smartphone away. Life has been a lot more relaxed since.
Minimising my internet usage felt like dropping a drug addiction.
At first you feel empty or that your missing out, you feel twitchy without that dopamine hit.
But after a week your mind is so much fresher, you’re mental health better and you feel just so much healthier.
Great video.
You just became self aware and escaped the Matrix. Welcome, brother.
But seriously, ditching social media in 2008 was the best decision I ever made.
@@squidikka yeah okay sQuId GiRl
Somehow Moon is always based with all of his opinions
Please use your (possessive) free time to figure out how your and you're (contraction for you are) work.
It's true. You don't necessarily have to stop using internet you just have to leave the toxic side of it.
I use internet all the time and for all kind of things but I stopped using social media for quite sometime and trust me I've felt a huge difference and learned a lot about myself.
And reality isn't same for everyone.
You may feel the refreshing change after being absent from the internet but for a lot of people virtuality could be a reason that's keeping them alive because their reality is hell worse.
There's a huge difference here in what they're actually talking about. What all of these people are getting rid of is social media and other time wasting apps. We don't need to actively move backward technologically we just need to normalize the removal of these depressing and time wasting apps.
Agreed bc i got rid of them besides youtube and its possible to have a healthy relationship
Couldn't agree more.
It doesn’t work like that though.
Yes and meanwhile to work on the psychological aspect of social media/gaming addiction it's a good idea
1000% agreed. If you look back at the pre-social media internet, everything was pretty much fine. You didn't have so many people becoming depressed and such from using the internet back then because everything was genuine.
It's not about internet connection. The anxiety comes from social media and how it's structured. You can totally learn how to use your smartphone for only smart things. First step is to delete all social media apps and mute all non-important notifications. You'll get used to it, and you can still enjoy your camera, music and educative apps etc.
Exactly, I did this a few years ago and have never looked back.
I do still use twitter, but I choose when I use it given I have all notifications turned off. Mostly used for news these days for 10 minutes at most.
Amazing how freeing it is, with out your phone pinging notifications through every few minutes.
Only notification which I have got on is phone, iMessage and banking app. No more is needed
This 100%. I never had FB or twitter, had an IG for a bit but got rid of that. I'm planning on getting a cheaper smartphone when this one breaks, don't think I'll go full dumbphone as I do like to travel and be on the move. But for those needing a complete break it's great. Glad to see so many young people taking initiative
On my Pixel I long press a notification, click turn off notifications, and Google tells me which type of notification to turn off for that app. I still get messages if I leave them on, or order delivery updates on my door dash, without getting all the ads and other unwanted notifications. Works very well for me!
I kill anything that tries to notify me so my phone only informs me if I get called or receive a message from one of my contacts. Anyone else contacting me will have to send a email stating their business.
I stopped all social media years ago which felt great!! But now I’m addict to TH-cam 😑😑
TH-cam is social media.
@@bluestorm9651 Not really.... all you can do is write text, or respond to someone else's writing. You can't post images, and almost all of the time, it deletes any links posted. (if you are a serious content creator, that however is social media.)
@@typhoon320i that is social media. You are socializing when you write text for others to see, or respond.
I use YT to learn how to do things fix/repair etc and also bible sermons... Might need a dumb phone for emergency out on the road.
YT is the one platform I've got left to drop. Knowing what to do with attention and how to direct it is a first-world problem for sure. Not enough research or care has gone into understanding how misdirecting attention can damage a person. Social media is making generations socially inept and disconnected, like government corruption will get worse if people are happy to digest social media because it's filled with propaganda. Hopefully, we'll auto-correct soon.
I use my smartphone as a dumb phone. But I find in certain situations having access to email, scanning ability, banking app, and a few other features are very useful when needed. You just need to delete time-wasting apps and minimise notifications and a bit of self control.
I completely agree
This is the most sensible reply I have ever seen on any TH-cam video I have watched x :)
And delete social media accounts, because that's really what the problem is. No-one is getting depressed from using maps and online banking.
For people who have a problem with this stuff, if you just delete apps and not accounts, the barrier is too low to stop using them, there will always be a moment of weakness so they need to have a bigger obstacle to re-engagement than a couple of taps on a screen.
Basically it's like a recovering drug addict walking around with drugs in their pocket the whole time. Deleting the apps is like putting them in an extra baggie, when really they need to toss the drugs in the bin..
just use your laptop for complicated things
Use laptop and smartwatch
I love this concept, but I think I've just matured enough to where I actually use my smartphone like a dumb phone most of the time.
Exactly
You could just delete the social media apps on it which is 90% of the problem.
And just turn off all the notification.
Until you comment on TH-cam?
@@wilf7042 prob typing on a pc or a tablet
I’m 59 and am a mechanical engineer. I have used technology to create other technologies my entire career. I have been using computers since the 70s. My iPhone is a tool. I refuse to let it take over my life. When I get a new phone the first thing I do is delete the Facebook app and other time wasters.
I travel a lot for work so the gps function is a huge benefit. Plus having access to monitor email is a great capability.
I feel bad for the modern generations that have let this powerful tool take over their lives.
Turning 30 over here. As someone who practice the old ways of Internet Safety, I never use my name except for commerce since shipping requires it and PO Boxes are not always accepted.
Most importantly, I never use social media but communicate in discord and forums.
I agree with you, I am 33, I am technology fan since childhood and also making for a living using technology(graphic design, and now shifting to a developer). Having a power of a smartphone can make life easier even can be a lifesaver in some situations (if you get lost for example, you can just grab a phone which can show you your location and navigate you to desired destination and problem solved in a moment, in same situation with a dumb phone you would still be in a problem ), on other hand, nobody's forcing you to use all features of a device, we can use smartphone as a dumb phone with additional features when needed.
And i like how you said, my (i)phone is a tool!
Same, I mostly use a smartphone as a dumbphone anyway, AKA I am never addicted to smartphone stuff in the first place even when it first came here in the form of Iphone and Blackberry. I only use the social media sites strictly for registration purposes, I hardly ever interact with them otherwise and if I really have to, I interact with them on my PC instead because I just hate typing on touchscreens. I mostly play my games on PC, even "mobile" games. The main thing I use smartphone features for are for playing music (which most of the time again I do that on PC but I can't do that in the car), opening restaurant menu via QR code, making payment via E-wallet, playing some games when I cannot use my PC or laptop, and of course for navigation when I am going to places I am not familiar with.
Yet you're here commenting, using social media.
@@deadeyeduncan5022 Comment section are like forum posts, not social media. Besides, TH-cam have exist before social media sites become popular.
I really hate what smart phones and social media have done to my family relationships. I get ignored so often by several family members bc they keep picking up their phones while I'm trying to talk to them. When I ask them to stop using their phones while we're talking they get mad at me. Even my mom does this to me. She's one of the worst. I hate it so much. It's a constant anxiety for me whenever I'm trying to talk to them. I miss the old days when my mom and my siblings had regular phones and actually cared to talk to me properly.
My parents watch movies using their phones while eating.. with earplugs... each one of them watching something different while eating... boomers... yeah.. boomers doing that. The exact same people that accused me in the 90 for play way too much in my computer behaves like zombified people.
This has caused so much friction between me and my wife. She seems welded to her phone and she even keeps fiddling with it when we are having a 'wine and movie' night. She often ignores what I say because she's entirely focussed on the bloomin' thing, and I have to repeat everything. I love her dearly but I'm annoyed at her so often it is making me wonder.
@@holymegadave I feel your pain. It really makes me feel bitter that my parents talked bad about such things when I was a kid just to see them acting even worse now. :/
@@andyhowlett2231 Dude that's so rough. 😞 I really hope things will improve for y'all! 🥺🙏
@@peachysparkles very sad.. the world is a very strange place.
I was born in a place and time where barely anyone had even a landline. I love the mind blowing possibilities my smartphone gives me. Searching, navigation, education and communicating with others in much better, quicker and easier ways, to name just a few.
I don't have any social media apps and most notifications from other ones are muted. Never felt like my phone makes my life worse in any way. It's that simple. Keep the good stuff, get rid of bad.
I knew people addicted to texting, before the smartphones were a thing. Downgrading the tech is not going to change much for them.
Smartphones are just a tool. It's how you use them makes it good or bad. You can build a home with a hammer or kill people with it.
Peoples' lack of self control and wrong intentions are the problem, not the tool itself.
Amen.
My work requires me to interact with people spread over half of Earth. I learned to severely manage notifications, and to set boundaries for my responses. Don't be a co-dependent to stress addicts.
I was inspired years ago by a global manger whose auto replies for all devices told people the range of hours when he would review what he received, and then only respond if needed. He got a ton of work done.
Majority of the people I met in highschool disagree. Always was on that shit
well said!
Never overestimate people's ability to resist temptation. People like you who used smartphone for the good stuff is of course quite a lot. But majority of users used smartphone as a dopamine injector.
I am exactly the same, you only get addicted to these smart phones and the social media platforms because they allow it to happen. If you can successfully lie to yourself then you have a problem and it is not the phone!! The phone and platforms have only become addictive because people have "needed" to have their presence seen almost like a race or a competition. The phones and platforms can still be used but just for connecting not for a thumbs up or popularity, because it is sad to think that the world is craving acceptance or likeability factor but that is a truth if people are really honest. I have never belonged to any of the platforms, never needed to or felt obliged to and my smart phone has always been pay as you go and I most often forget to bring it with me when I go out LOL I was born in the 60's so I grew up when black and white TV was still around. I love the dumb phone idea!
Personal method that works for me: “The phone zone”.
Whenever I’m trying to focus, I place my phone in a separate part of my apartment. It slightly raises the cost of checking it (energy to get up and the feeling I’m breaking a rule), so checking it happens a lot less often.
reminds me of when I used to put my cigarettes in my car.
If you have a recent phone it also has a *focus mode* that disables most functions on your phone maybe that can be something ?
@@Johanneslol11 wow didn’t know about this but yea looks like the iPhone has it - thanks
@@Mutual_Information yes iPhones has it Same as android phones with a recent version. You can also get health report and for example at night let your phone turn black and white.. that also helpt with *winding down* that is litterly the name of the function.
Why is it happening? Just check it 2-3 times at preselected time and forget it for the rest of the time
I'd imagine Selena Gomez can do without the Internet as she has people running after her using it for shopping/ banking and making appointments in the modern World.
As others have commented too, lowering your downtime on social media apps is the real benefit.
Interesting video all the same. It's good to see society, and younger members of it at that, making a positive change.
Exactly this.
She has people who go on internet to get her things done or say she has assistants and workers for doing stuff what a normal person would use an smartphone for.
Need to buy something , instead of using amazon app she just orders her assistant.
Need to book tickets, again order her assistant. Order food, check schedule of transport.
Smartphone and internet has actually made our lives much simples and uncomplicated. People sitting on high horses always pretend they are superior.
I haven't even thought of that. I mean it's obvious that it's just privileged people doing their usual virtue signaling but I forget that these hypocrites don't even manage most of their daily life. Shame it would be a good movement if smartphones weren't dropped entirely.
I find it impossible to believe she gave up the internet entirely. What about Netflix, given her industry I guarantee she watches the latest shows. What about finding answers to questions on google.. She probably just gave up social media, facebook, instragram, tik tok etc.
And she sure doesn't look happy in this video
@@anshuman2089 The thing is that people, ordinary and celebrity alike, did all the things you talked about before smartphones and even the Internet. Point by point:
Need to buy something? Go to the store.
Need to book tickets? Call the box office, airline, etc., or get them in person if possible.
Order food? Call the restaurant for delivery, or even go out to pick it up if eating at home or sit down to eat at the restaurant itself.
Check schedule of transport? Call the transit agency or pick up schedule pamphlets at the train station/bus stop/on the bus.
I'm not saying that the Internet hasn't made doing all this easier, just that there are plenty of ways to get things done without it. And of course, one can still have all the benefits of the Internet without a smartphone by using their laptop or desktop or tablet. It all comes down to personal preference. 🤷🏼♂
It is not beneficial to stop using the internet. It is beneficial to stop using social networks, forums and chats full of annoying and narcissistic people. And disable the notifications you do not need. But yes, for people mistaking social networks with "the internet", it is probably easier to just use a simple phone...
Smart phones have tons of spyware imbedded in their programs
Actually, there were only 237.5 million dumbphones sold last year. Believing BBC can be dangerous to your brain!
So do dumb phones. In the us , patriot act killed our privacy
Yup, avoiding narcissists is the key and that makes up a large majority of the internet.
I miss the days we all sent eachother emails daily with memes jokes and videos etc
The problem is not with smartphone nor internet, it's about how people are using it.
You don't have to install social networks, games or anything beside it to be an evolved note book.
Lol, why do you need smartphone then?
@@hoola_amigos if you actually can't think of any reason to use a smartphone besides addictive and pointless social media platforms, that's entirely on you. Are you being stupid on purpose?
I use TH-cam and Google obviously but that's about it. Had Facebook for a few years but I had to get rid of it. Way too easy to be an asshole 🙂
I'd argue social media is an almost 'must' for many. I didn't want to install wechat... But there are people who only really use wechat whom I'm otherwise unable to really reach.
Agreed, I've turned off all notifications so that i only use the apps when i need them. I don't even reply to messages instantly and i just open it when i feel like opening it. I still want a smartphone because of the features, most people just can't control themselves. It's nice to still have access to google search and camera.
The issue isn't smartphones, the issue is social media. I rarely check my notifications, it's typically on silent. Living in a foreign country in a city you don't know that well, navigation is incredibly valuable. Ordering food and shopping is another aspect. Never mind the banking and verification apps.
I have had my phone on silent mode permanently for years. All that constant beeping of notifications is something i don't need in my life. I'll get to it when I get to it. never really post anything on sm so I could remove them and be fine. But You use you phone for so much more stuff that can be handy.
Yeah, smartphone is just like any other phones but with easier to use social media.
I myself just stop using it for social media for a while now and only use it to take a picture, contacting co-workers, and basic calculation apps.
And I am now a lot happier because I don't have to see how over the top people can break down on theirs social media at my workplace and won't get my privacy intrude by co-workers and top tech company like facebook because I don't have a fucking data for them to collect.
I feel like this movement didn't hit where it hurts like at all.
Underline, it should be about stop using the internet on your phone or stop using internet in general, because addicts will use internet on a brick phone if addicted too much.
Addicted to News as well
I recently moved to Japan and I noticed that since my phone updated my location all the ads and recommendations are in Japanese, so I have no idea what they say. My anxiety level is so much less these days.
Amen
Bottom line: get rid of social media and apps that waste your time. Whether you achieve that by using a dumb phone, or by simply deleting them is your choice.
My smartphone can change into dumb phone on ultra energy save mode. Smartphones are not the problem. The problem is laying down in addicting from apps that are wasting your time.
@@VeryImportantPoetry yeah, becuz even if you using fearure phone, put if you still want to use social media you just can buy smartphone or using pc, so it just about the self control, not the tech
@@VeryImportantPoetry How do you get into ultra energy save mode?
TH-cam is social media. Its the only one I use and I use it too much.
Delete all the apps on your smartphone, or get rid of you mobile phone , install a landline with a answering service. Use you TV to stream news, etc, on your terms. You will have so much time to do things that are beneficial to you, not your friends.
I was on vacation in the Caribbean recently. I was completely without cellphone or computer. One evening, I went outside the hotel to admire the stars in the sky. When I came back in the lobby, I saw every tourist watching their smartphone and talking to nobody.
I have a smartphone, but I leave it home almost all the time. When I come back home from work, I look if I didn’t receive any call, and then I leave the phone there if I don’t have any phone call to make. I take the phone with me only if I know I will absolutely need it. What I like the most to do when I queue or when I’m in the bus, it’s reading a book.
Is that not sad. I stopped in a coffee shop early one morning, sat down to enjoy my cup and a sweet roll. A young couple in line behind me, got their order and sat down near me. Instantly, they both took out their phones, taking their eyes off the phone only long enough to pick up their cup and never spoke a word to each other nor looked the other in the face. Got up, still looking at their phones and walked out the door bumping into other people. Scary to think about them driving an automobile in public.
Fun fact for smartphone peeps that want to "go dumb" to try it out: most modern smartphones have an "ultra power saving" mode that greatly reduces the capabilities of the phone (text/call only, limited internet capacity, no social media) and it's really good for focusing while still having access to those features when necessary.
It's like using a lock on the cupboard where snacks are but the key is left in the lock.
I was just about to say that, I have a samsung and I know it has that feature i wasn't sure about other manufacturers. And also there is something called self control.
It is also called self-control. Just like I love the taste of food but stop eating when I ate enough not when I am 100% full.
@@philiplubduck6107 yup, and the vast majority of people do not have it with regard to smartphones. The conditioning and dopamine rush is too hard to resist.
@@mirai3263 I said the same thing myself. It's unbelievable that ANYONE is really that f'n stupid to say something along the lines of, "Smart phones cannot and will not be ignored, any attempts that are made to do so and the phone will immediately teleport itself into your hand and force your brain to hold your hand so damn close to your face that you no longer have the ability to see anything or do anything other then watch it's screen."
If a person is given the knowledge afterwards or the even better scenario of beforehand, the understanding of how and why we as a species tend to love things like candy even though it's bad for us. It will then become fairly easier because you have the knowledge to help better manage the time spent on the device. Humans beings can sometimes be addicts and instead of doing something like taking breaks or various other strategies, by absolutely cutting yourself off from the phone, even though it has so many utilities to help an individual better manage their overall time and day they should maybe try looking within themselves and maybe humans in general to better understand how and why they might be using their device in a dysfunctional way.
A smart phone is not heroin, you don't get physically ill from stopping usage or anything along those lines. Maybe instead of going cold turkey you can do something like asking a friend or family member to hold your smart phone every once in awhile for a few days and without a doubt you'll eventually feel less of the need to ALWAYS be attached to your device and turn yourself into one of those mythical people who don't somehow find the time to finger-fuck their phone 3,000+ times a day...
Having kids at 7 and 5 yo who are constantly asking when they can get a smartphone like many of their classmates, it has been a dilemma. I think it is a shame that parents allow their kids to start this so early. I can see dumbphones or midphones as an alternative start-up for them sometime in the future.
I'm very serious about this topic. Being 22 years old I grew up with the internet. Basically what I want to say without scaring you and bossing you around is that if you give your children access to the internet, trouble will find them. As a young child I saw many things that a kid shouldn't see. I don't even want to list them but they were brutal, disturbing things. I wasn't even searching for them. I'd just stumble upon them. You have young children, do not give them internet access.
If the school gives them laptops to take home, deny it. Seriously for the safety of today's children, I do not know why schools issue out laptops or devices. They're dangerous
Giving the internet to small children, a large majority of which houses porn and videos of people dying/being killed in extremely painful ways, to echo chambers of all kinds of dangerous rhetoric, to predators who go after children, is a terrible decision. You are doing the RIGHT thing by not exposing your children to that kind of content. As for the other parents, I feel sorry for them because a lot of them aren't even aware of all that is available to children on the internet + what their friends may be introducing them to.
@@ledam2654 exactly. I feel like I missed out on a lot of my child good because of the things I've seen and have exposed to at such a young age. It's a very dangerous world and the internet is way worse
Maybe because your poor and can give your kids a smartphone.
My answer is “you can have one whenever you can afford to buy one for yourself”
Not only that - an anti-subscription service revolution is also getting steam, expect to hear more about CDs and Blurays/DVDs soon.
He said 25-28 are Millenials that’s debatable since 95-97 are on the cusp
Is that why dollar general has a dvd section again the first time in 5 plus years
I’ve been doing that since subscriptions have come out, I hate the concept and always have. I buy all my music on CD and Vinyl and watch Blu-Rays instead of Netflix and that. Also it’s probs WAYYYY cheaper in the long run
@@nineteeneightynine432 poundland has had a dvd section for years in England!
@@requiem165 Is poundland in England like, PoundTown in the U.S ?
I haven't used social media in probably 10 years except for TH-cam. What struck me is the fakeness of it. On Facebook I knew people who posted pictures of how great their lives were, nice cars and house, happy family etc but I knew in reality they were in debt to their eyeballs and the parents hated each others guts
On another note I have my original Sony Ericsson W810i from 2006, on the original battery. I still use it when I'm hiking in bad weather as a music phone.
Here's a crazy idea: Delete your social media and turn off all notifications that are unnecessary. These things can actually be pretty helpful when used properly.
My battery lasts for about two and a half days on a single charge, because I put it back in my pocket whenever I'm done answering a message or googling something. I actually often find myself in the situation where I don't know what to do besides from that and taking pictures.
Actually what i have been doing for years, no social media/ messaging aps and no notifications on any site.
my Samsung M51 lasts 5-6 day's at home, 4.5 days when on the go listening music 90minutes a day and using GPS often.
Same with my previous phone, lenovo p2 (well that one lasted 3 to 5 day's depending)
btw BT and wifi are disabled but 4G and GPS are always on. But when no apps are using it in the BG it doesn't consume much.
That's what I try to do, I always end up going back on it though. To me the idea of having social media and other time wasting apps be restricted rather than optional is very attractive
I already have 95% of notifs off or set to show in status bar only.
That's why I don't yell at people to stop pinging me on discord.
was about to comment this too!
I really don't think there's a need to get a dumb phone but like its about how you use your phone in general
If you don’t have Google maps, you’re basically a hobbit.
As an app designer for the past 10 years I completely understand this. You have no idea how many addictive behaviors we try push into apps to get users to stay on longer, how many studies we have around our users movement through our apps... It's dehumanizing humanity in the worst way possible and i'm sick of it. I use a Nokia 3310 in my freetime, and at work i have my android/iphone for testing... but i no longer use them when i am home or off work.
I loved my 3310! Great phone, dropped it, kicked it, dropped it down the toilet n it was fine! Battery lasted for ages!
100% agree. I work in Digital Marketing for + 10 years and have a strong hate for anything social media. I guess we both better find something else to do in life...
I believe it
Lol I dropped a 3310 on tesco, it bounced off the floor and up high enough I caught it again, no damage done to it.
And in the meantime while dehumanizing humanity, we are making AI more and more inteligent, and humans more dependent on technology (thus reducing a lot of human cognitivity). Instead of building things to support us and work with us, they are being built do the things we do, but better and faster. They make smart phones to turn us into dumb people.
I feel I found a good balance about 7 years ago: once an app sends me a notification I'd go in and turn off all notifications. This way I was always initiating the interaction. I leave SMS, email & WhatsApp notifications on, but I muted WhatsApp groups and I curate my email so my primary inbox only gets email from individuals. I guess this is close to the dumbphone mode mentioned in the video, although I feel I could be on my phone even less still.
Honestly, the beauty of the smartphone is that you can configure to suit your need. You cannot remove or add functionality to a mobile phone, you have what it's shipped with unlike a smartphone. In that regard, you are making the best use of a smartphone by making it work for your needs. I think people switching to mobile phones either do not want to spend time configuring such aspects of their smartphone or they want to make a statement. Either way this feels like feeding into the western consumerism lifestyle where you don't find a solution to your problem, you buy it.
My father was born in the 30s, I’m a millennial, around 2010 when I got my first smartphone he kept asking a simple question; “How does this make you a better person?”
I think that’s really the question we all should be asking here…
@@seeameya Agreed. Also I think most people tend to be passive users of technology (going back generations), like "don't do anything weird, it might break" instead of "This is cool, how does it work, how can I change it."
Check your screen time on your phone. If you are on it for more than an hour day, it’s not a dumb.
@@chowderwhillis9448 How it makes me a better person? it gives me instant unlimited access to literally ALL the knowledge of humanity. Just type what you need to know and find it out. It makes me a better person by what would be considered being an actual God in the '30s.
100% all for this. I never asked for a 24/7 spam device. I have never set up my pay options on my phone, and most everyday I get some type of reminder I NEED to do that. Give me a break and take a hint. I just need you to be a phone. Not an information gather device looking to sell me stuff.
Coma, the big tech companies know everything about you 24/7.
"Smart phones are just tracking devices that you can sometimes make calls on."
~ Terminal List
The phone is called smartphone, but its only smart on the hands of a smart person. Your phone is controlling you instead of you controlling the phone because you are using default setup and didn't bother to learn the features available. Most famous apps have different channels for notifications, so you can get from your bank a credit card payment notification but block the promotions notifications.
@@drac124 I have a Master's in Computer Science. You must be ASSuming ...
@@comatose3788 then use your knowledge
For me a "smartphone" is just like any other tool, "I control it, it does not control me". I feel like the actual danger comes from social media applications and the feeling of peer-pressure, social expectations and negative feedback loops which contribute to or cause depression, anxiety and other negative mental or physical conditions.
So all guys are here on TH-cam to boo the smartphones!
Exactly, it’s social media that’s toxic. I’m a florist who works w living plants too, I’m constantly looking things up on google to help customers. It’s a tool. But twitter, not so positive and helpful. Ppl are being over extreme for sure
> "I control it, it does not control me"
wrong. tech companies literally hire multiple psychologists to hack their users brains
Agree. These same people who argues castration is a good form of birth control. Also 1billion dumb phones sold... how many of these are in developed countries?
@@gildedpeahen876 i agree with you
Who knew I'd ever be ahead of a "revolution" by just never buying a smartphone in the first place?
😎
Apple “smart”phone was good enough but starting with version #13, it dumped biggest piece of trash on the market. This phone can barely make/receive a PHONE CALL. They decided to include horrible features with 20 maybe more ways NOT TO GET A PHONE CALL. Then they included a Tennyson weeny light that light up GREEN, OR THEN ORANGE. Apple geniuses tell us they don’t know what lights mean, annoyingly no immediate way to change apps, supposed to SWIPE UP, SIDEWAYS, WHICHWAY. Only to find you haven’t moved from page, then it jumps,somewhere. iPhone now is no fun, so stressful, VERY ANNOYING. I have not dumped this $1.000+ with DISRUPTION AS ITS FOCAL POINT. WON’t LET ME FOCUS. I HATE It. Help!
@@Nancy-tr5fi sounds like a damaged phone. I’ve never had any issues. Spam callers always find me :)
So you writing this on a computer? 😂
@@guywebster8018 As a matter of fact, I do. A desktop PC, one of the last beige ones I could find. And I still use Winamp.
I turned my iPhone 12 into a "dumb phone" by doing these 3 steps:
1. I turned the screen into black and white (settings - accessibility - display & text size - color filters - gray scale)
2. I turned off all notifications (only the phone & text pings)
3. I turned on the App limits for all Apps to shut down and I set up a password if I want to use any app (settings - screen time - app limits - all)
By doing these 3 steps over a year ago, my screen time went down to more than 50% from my previous use. There's freedom in seeing the screen in gray scale. I hope that helps at least one of you out there.
@bowen voowy Simplicity is peaceful.
THANK YOU. Imma set the passcode in front of someone else while looking away so they write it down and hold onto it, and I can't bypass it!
thanks for the suggestions. i changed my phone to grayscale and feel immediate relief
Just letting you know I'm working on these steps now, just turned screen to gray scale. This will be improving my life overtime. Thank you!
@@99weshop79 I am happy to share.
I have a smart phone but its older, an Iphone 6. I got it when released and as long as it works I see no reason to update to the newest most expensive thing. I use it to make calls, GPS, text, weather, and the occasional photo. That's it. I don't care for games or video or accessing the net on such a small screen and I don't listen to music on it because I believe in the importance of situational awareness. I like to know what is going on around me at all times so mostly I just leave the phone in my pocket and pay attention to, you know...life.
Welcome back to my time.
I recall in 2013 sending my friends a short video on my iPhone showing them an old Motorola flip phone I found in my closet. The last time it was on was in 2006, because that was when my company changed to a smartphone. When I powered the Motorola phone (2013), it was still fully charged.
It was fully charged because when those phones were powered off - they were OFF. No listening, no pinging cell towers, no checking messages, no downloading emails, no nothing.
The good old days.
They figured it'll be more profitable for them if our phones break more easily, scummy
@@rylamistrandall6517 you know nothing about technology lmao
He is right. How does he know nothing? Planned obsolescent is real. Why make durable phones when you are selling new models each year? Who's going to buy them?
I've only ever had Nokia brick phones, and keep them off except when I need to use them, and the battery still naturally drains over time and needs to be charged for about 20 mins before I can power it on (I've been caught out loads of times because I forget to charge it every month). What is this magic battery your Motorola had?
@@supernovan Not sure - it's just the way it is. I did show my granddaughter a few weeks ago (July 2022), and the battery is finally on its last power bar, from 2006 - 2022, in off mode; two power up (2013, 2022). 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
When my phone broke in college, I didn't replace it. Due to family issues at the time, every notification that buzzed my phone alive filled me with dread; I wanted control over when information could interrupt my day, and have the option of being unreachable. I eventually got a phone years later as a hand-me-down gift, but it taught me just how important having that option was. I eventually abandoned all social media and never regained the habit of checking my phone regularly. It's also impossible for me to ignore how normalized this lack of boundaries between a person's life and the internet has become and how much that warps people's perspectives. Connectivity is a two-way street: To be constantly reachable, you must be constantly available - even if just mentally - and that is a stressful way to live. I am glad more people are rediscovering how refreshing it is to be a guest on the Internet rather than a permanent resident.
Same here. I LOVE you last sentence!!!!!!!!
Me who doesnt give a shit abauth social media...... WHY DO PEOPLE USE THIS CRAP??? I DONT GET IT????
@@Bullminator networking bro. There always different intentions. The way how you formulated your statement give off impression that social media is useless. Let say military coupe take over then power grid is fucked. Social media is a way for us to communicate if our freedom of speech being taken away. Look at Myanmar for instinct! They got their ass FUCKED by military coupe!? What did they did not have that American have? Second amendment that advocates protecting your family: law is call castle doctrine: you got a lot of learning to do with stigma that being embedded in your brain you know…
@@Bullminator Well you were using social media as you were replying to this comment.
@@10FPSGamer666 BUT NOT ON A PHONE :D
It's not the phone that's the problem. Smartphones are highly customizable to suit your needs. You just need to have the discipline to set up your phone in way that makes it a powerful tool in your life.
Let it serve U instead of the other way around.
No matter how hard you try it will always spy on you though. A brick wont. Just make sure it's not a newly made brick, because those have added spyware.
It's not even about discipline. Some people are just too dumb to be given choices.
They're designed to be addictive so if you're unaware of those (like I assume most consumers are) then it's easy to get entrapped as that is what they are designed to do
Sometimes I think about the fact that I cant remember what I had for lunch yesterday but a company in India knows my eating habits from a year ago based on scanning a QR code
check the menu from the restaurant before :P in the internet
I'm glad that restaraunts around me don't use QR code menu's, in fact I cannot think of a place I've been to that does those. Id rather have a paper menu that doesnt nag me and steals my data
One of the worst things about smartphones is employers etc expect you to do stuff in your free time off work, 24/7 availability, call, online meetings, relentless “can you work today” guilt trips, so many jobs today it’s nearly impossible to “leave work”. They always expect you to be available.
Agreed
Just buy a smartphone FOR WORK and a dumbphone FOR PERSONAL USE. Tell them professionally you have online hours
This has been happening since 1995
I removed all social media apps from my smartphone and achieved basically the same thing as those switching to a feature phones, without all the inconvenience that entails. Social media is the real culprit, not owning a smartphone. I also limit notifications to only the phone, E-Mail, and messaging apps.
i don't have any social media apps (Literally) and only use my phone for media consumption (TH-cam for videos, Downloaded movies etc) yet I still have an addiction, i don't get it
The problem with this young people is they just blame the device instead of themself , smartphone is just a tools.
@@TheFalseShepphard Same. Just that I take out time to read books to keep my addiction in check.
@@anubizz3 yup you know what I do when I get a notification at work I simply ignore it….
@@TheFalseShepphard You basically just get addicted to entertainment, it does not matter if you move to dump phone or rotary switch phone , you still will get addicted to it via your pc , your TV or your local cinema.
I love how it all boils down to people deciding to buy new phone instead of loging out of social media and disabling notifications. Also every android alredy has ability to switch to emergency/simple mod that allows only calls, text messages, music and like calculator i think.
Shhhhh, that's too easy and not a statement piece that people want...
Even when you log out of social media it's still there. You know you can get to it. Maybe that's not a problem for you, but if it is, it might be better to just get a dumb phone.
@@gymbr0 why spend money if i can control myself
@@gymbr0 Even with a dumb phone, social media is just one small purchase away... There is no escape from the enemy within!
98% of all humans are idiots
A few weeks back i've started to put my smartphone on do not disturb mode for the entire day, this alone has increased my productivity by a long shot
As a smartphone lover, I’m guessing some of them don’t know how to dig through setting to turn off many of the annoying notifications apps push out. It can be very stressful to see a ton of notifications within an hour. What I did was completely disable social media notifications, so that I only interact with social media apps when I open them. No red dots, too. The only important notifications I get are: calls, texts, email, and weather. Games, social media, shopping apps, and other distracting app notifications are disabled.
I open my phone, and the lock screen doesn’t have any unnecessary notifications. And the ones that do show up are the important ones.
I do exactly the same. I don't even get email notifications on my phone. I have done this for over a decade.
I only have messages set to give me notifications
I think it's not about the notification, people are just addicted to social media. They will keep opening social media with or without notification at all.
11:45 Sony already have this mode in their Xperia models, their Ultra battery saver mode actually reboots the device and restart it in a mode where it disables 99% of the apps and only retain the most basic essential apps. Like music player, call, message, gallery, camera, etc.
Go get old used Docomo Sony, they are the best dumb phone ever.
As really, no dumb phone ever have a decent camera like this.
@@MuhammadKharismawan: AFAIK even Samsung has had such a mode for some time, it only leaves the most basic features available in ultra power saving (other manufacturers might do the same thing too, but idk). Nevertheless though, as mentioned, if it stops you from having the temptation to open up apps, fair enough...
Everyone's looking at it the wrong way. There's nothing wrong with having a smartphone. It's the social media apps that's the problem. Those social media apps are the single most negative part of having a smartphone. I've personally deleted social media from my phone and I feel much better going out and knowing I'm not going to check on other people's lives when I need to focus on mine. I have no notifications on for any other app besides text and calls. Even on my PC I have time limits on my social media that'll eliminate me from seeing my timeline feed after a certain amount of time goes by.
I am intrigued by how you set a timer for your social media usage.
Based
I never used social media besides yt. I think social media has ruined people. People used to be so interesting and curious. Now it's just one big popularity contest.
I stopped going on Facebook for so long at a time... when I do check it now, they keep sending me notifications about someone posting an update for hours after I close it. I dont post and get interactions so they have to do something to try and hit me with something to open it back up lol
no one is saying the smartphone is a problem, it just doesn't make sense to have one unless you use apps. ya four head. it's about saving money, and not buying crap you don't need.
I did this in 2018. Got one of those razr phones for a year. I will say it was nice mentally as far as being calmer and engaging more in real life. The convenience of having a smart phone won out in the end. Navigation, music, audiobooks, podcasts, ebooks, etc, on the go is a nice luxury. When it comes to smartphones it’s important to rule over the phone and don’t let the phone rule over you. Set rules and abide by them, I’ll take a day off every week where I turn it off and leave it for a day.
Same. The t9 text was a blast from the past, but it got super frustrating receiving those messages from individuals who couldn’t compose a complete thought in one sentence
I remember as a child (Early 80's), in Ireland, when we were the only house on the road with a phone. When a call would come in for a neighbour, I would be sent to go get them. The phone number was 3 digits LOL. I was also responsible for buying the first ever mobile phones in the utility company I was working for back in the early 90's. They were literally bricks. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments in this video. People are too disconnected from each other while under the delusion they are more connected.
This is why I’m keeping my dumb TVs. I just want a screen with the images I want to see without ads or microphones listening or updates and “calls to home”
Eventually they will break and they just don't make them anymore.
@@jgrab1 one already did and I already fixed it. Everything eventually breaks my friend. I don’t let the little things stop me.
@@absmustang good one mate. Yes, eventually everything will break down, scientists call it entropy, we come from star dust and all will be in supermassive black holes, eventually (like trillions of years, though, so don't worry, and keep repairing)
@@jgrab1 you can also use a big monitor instead, there are some 4k 43 inch ones but sadly, no arc/earc...
Looking for a non smart TV is a task, wouldn’t get another smart TV ever
Sounds a lot like we need to make a shift away from our relationship with social media, not smart phones. Things like having an easy way to capture photos and videos, navigation, limitless information, and communication, are some of the most amazing tools and beneficial advancements for human kind. They’re irrefutably net positives. I can’t imagine returning to a world where I couldn’t capture high quality photos of my life, effortlessly stay in touch with people, and instantly be able to research and learn about even the most random and fleeting questions. Unfortunately that’s been accompanied by explosive expansion and consumption of social media, for which we’ve not yet had the chance to find some balance. It’s beginning now, but slowly, as society at large has begun to make sense of the issues that Facebook etc introduced.
I suspect that we will begin to see a transformation in the way social media operates, as they try to stay appealing in the face of a growing societal rejection/dissatisfaction. It’s certainly not going anywhere, and isn’t going to ever be “healthy”, but I think it may become easier to minimize its impact and maintain a healthier relationship with it. There’s no reason we need to move away from smart phones…but we do need to move away from social media. Smart phones are an invaluable tool that every human on earth deserves to have…but we have to completely reimagine the way social media is allowed to exist in our lives. Even social media is a fantastic invention, and can be one of the greatest tools man ever devised. That said, for it to be that we need to change the relationship we have with it personally, as well as the way we allow these companies and platforms to operate. There’s no reason they should not be subject to regulation for best practices and safety just like food, cars, banking, etc.
Here's an idea. Take the dumb phone everywhere and leave the netbook at home.
@Jake 100%
agreed. its just self-discipline, I'm gen millennial, and I been using smartphone since it first launches, yet I uninstall all social media 10 years ago. for me the smartphone it just a tool as the name suggest, smartphone, for navigation, internet information, communication, etc.
Well said, I think everyone knows that social media needs more regulation, even Zuckerberg has said that it shouldn't be Facebooks job to police themselves because money will always speak louder. It's the largest can of worms in existence on how and what to regulate social media. and while I personally think social media is part of the problem, there is some interesting studies going on about information overload and the brains faulting on trying to comprehend everything which is in turn giving people anxiety. Its like drinking from a fire hose every time you go on the internet, the human brain was never built for this environment.
I accomplish this with a laptop and a dumb phone that still has a wifi hotspot. If I really need to look something up, or get directions, all I have to do is pull the laptop out. And if it's not worth getting the computer out for, it wasn't important enough to be looking up in the first place.
Speaking personally, I think that you can achieve a lot of the experience of having a dumbphone without actually losing access to things like maps and things by having a smartphone, but by setting firm boundaries with it. I'm often checking the weather and sometimes look at the news, but I absolutely do not have any social media. I only look at things like TH-cam when I happen to be home at my actual computer, so the phone is really just used to some reference-themed apps, texting, actual phone calls, and utility-related things like the wallet. But I'm not always (or ever) getting pinged by people posting things on Snapchat or whatever, because I choose not to have any of them. I wouldn't want a dumbphone, but I'm not addicted to my smartphone to begin with it. By usage, I usually clock in 1-1.5 hours per day, and much of that is often writing emails.
LMAO. Aint nobody reading that wall of text, son.
Lets bullet point that bad boy.
That's because you oriented the screen vertically, and now you complain about the smartphone not being able to meet your computer needs
@@MariusFusariu What? Btch nigggga I am watching this here sht on my computer. The Fk is you talking about?
Edit : oh and it is my big screen computer from work too.
This is a long read. Smartphones was a miracle technology with so much advantages and had so many benefits. It was a telephone, a camera, a game console, a computer so lightweight and can fit in the palm of your hand. It revolutionized the entire world. The first time it was released everyone wanted one. Everyone was in awe and amazement. But I think everybody myself included was swept away by the tremendous impact of this technology that we completely disregarded the issues and flaws of this technology. Our mistake was that we didn't recognize the fact that smartphones have a great and often extremely negative psychological effect on many users. Significant effects that they can have extreme degradation to our mental health. The fact that some teens and even adults commit suicide because of the toxicity of social media is just insane. Imagine losing your loved one because of a brick with a screen. That's how psychologicallt damaging this tech could be for some people and I think our current generation had started to finally recognize and focus on this issue. The fact that there are now people who just "quit" using social media and smartphones and the fact that dumbphones are now rising in popularity is a clear response from the masses that no, we are sick of all these toxicities and psychological damage this devices bring to our children, our families and our lifestyle. We had enough and this needs to change. The rise of dumbphones is just the beginning of this change. I firmly believe that society will eventually reach an equilibrium where smartphone and social media usage will be in a level where we can reap the benefits but also avoid the psychological consequences so that this powerful device could be used in a way that truly benefits the user.
Isn't a flipphone a dumb phone?
Isn't the issue social media rather than the phone itself? It seems that people can't imagine a smartphone without social media.
@@arieljourdan2375 nope, throw away your smart phone, it's the bar's of the cage in China
What was amazing has been programmed and manipulated to control us.
@@arieljourdan2375 Unfortunately smartphones come with built-in apps most of the time and the average user cannot turn them off or remove them. They also have a shit ton of spyware even without you downloading anything.
Holy crap maybe this will be the opening to fulfill my dream to work for Nokia.
Arasaka won't be happy to hear that. 😜
Nokia don't make phones any more. The new phones with Nokia branding are made by HMD Global.
@@shaurz only till 2026. As per the reports, in 2026 nokia will take back license right. Probably they will start manufacturing their phones once again.
I totally understand the sentiment. During a vacation 6 years ago I rented a home in a quiet village in southern France that turned out to have no mobile phone reception (or internet for that matter). At first it seemed very inconvenient, but it turned out to be 2 weeks of pure bliss as it turned my iPhone into a paperweight. No e-mails or messages from the office and no news media. After not reading for years, I read 6 books cover to cover and found myself to be much more relaxed overall. The house got mobile phone reception the year after and I haven’t been able to find another spot in Western Europe like it.
Work stress is a bitch right?
Then, when coming back from holiday, thousands of messages and emails waiting for you on your first work day, haha
@@Ebi.Adonkie yes
@@andyrandy0815 so true
You could just turn off your phone.
I think it's probably more practical to have the determination and perseverance to put my smartphone away (e.g. in the drawers) more regularly and live life more fully, than to get a dumb phone.
Getting a dumb phone is probably the next best option if one lacks the determination and perseverance to put their smartphones away.
Yeah but what I found also is that people find it 'inconvenient' and 'annoying' that I don't respond back right away. It's also this attention addiction that has been multiplied by social media. I still have a smartphone but only use Chrome, WhatsApp and TH-cam. Even though I'm also thinking about a dumb phone, the amount of times family or other people call or text me during a week literally drains me. It feels like those conversations are so unnecessary and just a waste of time. Then I come to visit, and everybody is on their phone for 70% of the time. So I feel like I wasted even more time. I also find it annoying because you're socially obligated to have a phone otherwise you can't function in society. In the western world, it's impossible nowadays to get work if you literally have nothing. Also small fun fact: 60% of employers in my country expect you to pick up the phone or text back while driving. If I don't die in a car accident, at least I can still get screamed at by my employer before or after hours. So that's a win I guess.
That's how I see it too. I used a dumb phone until 2019, so it may be easier for me than most to treat my smartphone like an occasional tool, rather than the center of my life. But that doesn't excuse anyone from the personal responsibility of taking everything in moderation. No one should be glued to a phone during their whole waking life. It isn't healthy, and they should realize that soon enough.
@@kaas7672 where do you live?
If you use the tools included in your smart phone, It has the ability to never beep or bother you. Including calls and texts. Get rid of social media. Use Your phone. Don't let it use you.
I got rid of almost everything.. now if I could just get rid of TH-cam 😊
@@moonmissy adb delete.
I agree with that, but if someone is addicted to something you have to take away the temptations.
For me, the size of the phone also becamse a problem. I'm a woman, with woman-sized hands, and often women's pants (and a hatred of purses). It's hard to carry and hold any smart phone. They are all too big. When I had made the decision to get a flip phone, I couldn't get away from my stupid brick of a smart phone fast enough.
Exactly. Just use the phone features. Learn about this pocket computer you have available. Can do wonders.The phone is called smartphone, but its only smart on the hands of a smart person.
They buy a "dumb phone" but still don't realize they can turn off notifications
but battery doesnt last a month even if you turn off notifications, like it does on dumb phones. you lose a dump phone, so what? cost just like 10 euros.
@@Redmanticore alright, now try ditching a computer for a telegraph
@@altaccount648 you can't file tax with telegraph or browse web when needed, therefore you need computer
Idk about dumbphones, but I achieved it by leaving social media. It was pretty disappointing when I learnt how much those around me exist for social media only, and don't know how/don't want to connect beyond social media, because after I stopped I now miss out on about 90% of the social contact I had because people forget I exist.
Same, i dont like social media and i dont understand the need. I still have to use whatsapp though. People think it's strange or get surprised that i dont keep up with their status updates.
Actually, by ditching the social media apps, your phone just got smarter
That's the problem I have too. Most people I meet these days are wannabe "influencers", live for social media likes and can't seem to do anything without taking a photo and announcing it to everyone.
People who forgot you exist were probably terrible friends. You'll find new ones. Real friends who vibe on a level of meaningful human contact.
@@Steel0079 yesss!! True!! They take it as a personal affront like "why didn't you know I got divorced/married/widowed/popped out five kids/became a stripper etc?!?"
And I have to watch them look at me gormlessly when I say:
"I haven't seen any texts or emails from you telling me about this stuff, was I supposed to intuit this from your mind? Was I supposed to osmosise your personal life from halfway across the world?"
.... because they realise they can't say "waaah, but why weren't you following my every inane move on instafacewitter? I mean, none of which was personally directed at you, jk!!1! but, likkke, I just assumed you, like everyone, follows each banal post I make on there allll about my super exciting skinny-legend lyyyyyfe that is actually literally so boring and unfulfilled that I overshare on social media in desperate attempt to fill the bottomless void inside me that I created through becoming so self obsessed that I am jealous of everyone else who is actually living life instead of pretending to have one due to how miserable I am inside and I wish I had the self confidence to do what you did by I rely too much on the dopamine hits social media gives me and I can't admit I'm addicted to it even tho my kid almost died yesterday because I was watching cat videos on tiktok and forgot she was in the bath lawl" because that really is messed up
.... of course, what I _really_ want to reply with in that sort of situation (one which I find myself entering into with worryingly more numerous frequency), is:
"Aww, I'm so flattered you think I'm nice enough to actually care that much about a friend who hasn't messaged *me* or even replied to my texts/fb messages for almost a decade! But because none of this actually matters to me anymore, I'm gonna go do actually important things now, and I'm not going to apologise for this because I've got nothing to be sorry over, byeee"
... and tbh, the way the world is going-and because of how my tolerance for other peoples' BS declines seemingly by the day-at some point I may just lose that last sh!t and say that to someone, because I fear no man, teen or karen or boomer or anything in-between 😬
I ditched my smart phone in April 2014 as I realized it was increasing my stress level. I also deleted Facebook and messaging apps, so that I wasn't distracted while using a desktop. It was quite hard and took a lot of planning, as I owned two businesses at the time, one based on the internet, people thought I had gone insane. I bought a basic Nokia and used voice calls and text messaging, and set working times when I was able to answer calls and messages. It was difficult, at first, there was a feeling of isolation, but after a couple of weeks I felt so much better and I realized just how stressed and depressed I had actually been. Friends and family noticed a big difference in my demeanor.
I bought a new smartphone in 2021, (7 years clean 🤣) as I moved location, and it was the only way to access the internet. I still do not use social media as a rule. Technology has of course moved on, and it is easier to manage notifications, but
I still have that old Samsung S3 in my office drawer, the battery is, obviously, dead now, but it stays there as a reminder, phones are 'our' tools, they work for us, we don't work for them.
Well said. They are our tools. With enough self control we can move beyond being beholdent to the interests of these social media mega corporations and start using our energy and these technologies on our own persuits.
Facebook is the worst someone can have yes.
And the most stupid things is that even the government is using it
A thumbs up only for you writing this long a comment after living in tech winter for 7 years. You're clearly an old school one.
I’m 44 and 1 day (dec 30th 2021) after 32 years of smoking I decided to quit smoking it’s been almost a year and I don’t feel like I need it. I figured out why so suden and how I was able to succeed and figured out that I really hated it. I know from watching this video that 1 day I’ll probably leave smart phone because of the need to just look at them every 2 minutes. Just like smoking. Congratulations on such an amazing content 🎉
You could "dumb down" your smartphone by deleting apps that distract you. Keep the essentials and that's it. Why buy a new one? Why fall for the same materialistic game? You don't need a new phone to keep things real.
@@bluefernlove yo are totally right, I probably will do neither.... buy a new one or dumb my phone down, its a matter of control which I lack and I think I have to think over how much time to put my self into the screen and that will be more satisfying.
@@alejandrosm8955 I just got a PAYG SIM, and asked the phone company to disable the data connection. That pretty much does it. You can switch it off, on an Android phone, but it's too easy for it to get turned back on, e.g. by the phone trying to update all the apps.
I never used one as a smart phone though. It just seemed like a really poor deal compared to a home internet connection.
For longer battery life, an old Nokia with a new battery probably beats most things.
One correction:
These phones, such both Nokias shown in this video, run KaiOS instead of Android. They're not dumbphones! They are midphones. They're in the middle of smart and dumb. They are called Smart Feature Phones in their marketing (but that's a mouth full). They can use Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, TH-cam, and Google Maps, and they have a web browser, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more. They utilize T-9, however, and thus that limits typing speed and browsing speed on the browser and social apps, which keeps users from staying online for too long. The KaiOS phones are not dumb, and they are not smart - they are in the middle! There's even a KaiOS app store. (There's also Android Go midphones but, from my experience, they suck terribly.)
Addendum:
The point of these midphones is be a cost effective way of getting people connected to the Internet in emerging markets (which are developing countries where internet access is still not universal). In first world countries, they are used by poorer people as well as for reasons described in this very video: to eject from one's smartphone while staying connected to friends and family.
KaiOS is a fork of the ill-fated FireFox OS. And yes, Firefox tried to make a smartphone once. It was *bad,* lol. KaiOS is the world's third leading mobile OS and it's doing wonders for the people who couldn't be connected before it arrived a handful of years ago.
How do I *know* all this stuff? I own three phones running KaiOS, one running Android GO 8.0, and I've done research. Hell, even MrWhosTheBoss made a video explaining this new phone category. It's a good video.
They are considered feature phones, dumb phones if you'd like; the term midphone doesn't exist
@@LolloGamer_-sp5vq You are incorrect by two measures.
1.) They are called Smart Feature Phones. That is, indeed, in-between dumb and smart phones.
2.) No term existed before we created them. Midphone is valid and completely accurate.
The terms dumbphone and smartphone did not exist twenty two years ago, for example.
@@TheHatMan69 I think people shifted what they consider a feature phone as in internet is almost a prerequisite to be considered a feature phone these days.
Making the feature phone of old with gimmicks like gyroscope, camera and games but no internet access being more so considered a dumb phone. At least based on the small pool of friends and family I've asked about it.
@@TheHatMan69 Hehe. I like this "drama", I've never heard the term mid phone before, that's mid.
@@TheHatMan69Egotripper
I personally think it needs to be about self control and teaching kids from a young age not to be reliant on devices as well as not basing their self worth on social media.
Dumbing down phones as a work around is a nice idea and all but why should we? That's actively dumbing down innovation to support a social issue, if parents didn't just stick their kids in front of a screen when they were too tired it wouldn't be as much of an issue. Social media only became a widely adopted thing by around the time I was 13 and despite mostly growing up with it I see the negative effects it has on people. I see people only 2-3 years younger then me posting every moment of their lives online just to compete with everyone else in their social groups and it makes me kinda sick.
End of the day I don't think social media is an inherintely bad thing, back when it first started it I felt like it was a great way to keep in contact with people you don't see regularly but at this point it feels more like a way for others or big companies to perpetuate toxic ideas as well as make regular people feel inadequate to the people living around them.
You are right, we have to educate ourselves and others, but it's created with the intention to be adictive.
Smartphones today are a disaster. We need to take a step back technologically and reevaluate the route we took, and choose a different path. There will always be innovation, but these soul sucking glass slabs we call phones are not the way.
@@initiisnovis9673 it's all in the software, the design itself is fine
The greatest AI and psychology researchers in the world have all been hired to collectively manipulate us for the billions of dollars our attention is worth. I think it is foolish to try to combat this unprecedented malicious effort by relying only on the individual willpower of children, who they have specifically become experts in addicting. We have to collectively think and plan and act for our well being against these massive forces, can't just say every man for himself, good luck everyone.
@@desmasic Exactly, going backwards means nothing when you're addicted, you'll just eventually find another way to access those apps.
Change habits, that's what matters.
I never purchased or used a smart phone. Perhaps it is quite simply a function of my age, 69. However, my spouse and family all own them and yes everyone urged me to do the same. However, I believe that my choice was more of a reflection of my personality. I am very social and I spent 42 years as a Psychiatric Nurse. It was always imperative for me to be aware of my patient's mood and affect, ie. the presence of their face. This process was the only way to observe and actually connect with another human being. Several years ago while sitting in a cafe, I saw a table of 8 male friends at a single table. They were not speaking to nor looking at one another. On another occasion, I observed a woman with her young child. The mother was on her phone, while the child whined and clamored for the phone, and not for her mother per se. Eventually the child was given a large, plastic phone-toy which she was delighted with as she began to "push" the buttons and chatter away. I was SO DISAPPOINTED BY THIS SIGHT. Even then I could foresee that this so-called SMART-phone would lead to negative consequences, especially for children. I hope, that as a society we can learn to ameliorate this phenomenon and remember to live a life of balance and a real connection to the natural world and the other human beings that we depend upon.
Children learn from seeing and all they see these days, is there parents glued to their phones.
I only them I'm distracted by my phone when with people is when I feel compelled to read about a certain topic. I'm usually very much present, but I notice how people resort to that like its their default state. Anytime there's even a few moments of free time, their heads lower and their fondle slab comes out.
I use puzzles to relieve short term and even long-term boredom. If people just had something like a Rukik's cube, they'd be able to kill time and actually challenge themselves at the same time.
Great comment. Thanks for posting.
Me too! I have never owned or used a smart phone and I am 42. I still use my flip phone that came out in the mid 2000s and I am doing just fine. In fact, I would say that I am happier (to some extent) than some who have them and are addicted to them. I am teacher and the students' addiction to their phones is truly shocking.
@@mgoodwi1 all the phones that came in the 2010s and before are peices of art
and Nokia is the mastermind behind all those beutifull phone designs and software being symbian os
Sadly we wont see this software thrive
I not only hope this trend continues, but that it spreads like wildfire! we are not made to be accessible at every moment, and no one gets better or function very well or for long when being bombarded with expressions and information 24/7 we need down time to digest. not only food but thoughts, impressions and experiences as well.
The best was when all you had were landlines with answering machines, and payphones. I miss those times.
The fact that you could not be reached at all times of the day was just so peaceful. And the fact that the majority of your socializing and overall communication had to be vocal/face to face 98% of the time can not be underestimated in its importance for your overall mental/emotional health. If you wanted to deal with an issue between yourself and a friend, a spouse, or whoever, you had to talk to them, with your voice, with your body language, it helped to mature an individual because you were often forced to deal with confrontation in a very challenging manner as you had to practice subduing your emotions if you ever expected to have any meaningful lasting relationships. It also made it more probable and more meaningful to reconcile with someone, and you grew attached to others in a far more satisfying way. Also, if you were bored, as in waiting somewhere, or whatever, it forced you to think about things, to perhaps think more critically about issues in ones life or about an idea or concept you recently learned. I think about the concentration powers of people who had to live in something like the 1500's-1600's AD, it would probably be considered super human if compared with today's.
Social media can be very damaging, but I think far more was lost than most know or remember.
I have a landline, no answering machine
I bet most people in the middle ages were focused on getting enough food, not dying from minor infections, etc. I'm not sure I'd trade modern medicine and technology for fewer distractions.
I get your other points, but nearly all of them could have also been made about basic landlines. And before that there was writing. There have been supplements to direct communication for a very long time. I do agree that social media has caused our relationships to become more superficial though.
What frustrates me is when a group of friends go out, most people would just stare at their phone and not talking. My friends and I are aware of this so we would barely look at our phones. But I feel it's happening more and more.
Most of my friends dont even own a phone. And were 14
I have a rule: if there is no conversation and more than 50% of the people in the group are on their phones, I get up and do something else / talk to someone else.
I was gobsmacked when I visited a friend and saw her sister (older teen at the time) and her sister’s friend both sitting next to each other on the couch texting each other instead of talking. Like wtf?!? The sister is now older and has actually lost a job because of her phone - she would be on it during work - though I’m seeing more and more of that behavior everywhere too. Can’t count the number of times I’ll be checking out or dealing with customer service and see them pause to check their messages or sitting around scrolling through social media. It’s mind-boggling.
True I've experienced this many a times .. I'm like why did we even bother to come all this way if we will be on our phones all the times
My friends are like this thats why I change my wifi password lol.. we supposed to hang out but their minds are always on the smartphone
No need to ditch smartphone, ppl need a healthier attitude towards using social media. I only use social media for direct communication, and I need camera for taking "notes" at work + a whole lot more. And there's a lot of ppl that don't own a PC, because of smartphones, would they have to go the bank to pay bills, and pay a fee for it? Getting a PC gives u access to social media!
Hear, hear. Add to this Kindle App for reading and activity tracker.
yeah it doesn't even touch authentication stuff. global banking requires secure 2fa, my company requires 2fa (employee login + yours or provided by the company phone auth) to access VMs and similar stuff. anything vpn connected requires authentication through mobile only.
Not just about social media
I would be inclined to agree, I spend next to no time on my phone. Only use it for calling, texting, maps, camera, MFA for work VPNs etc. which you wouldn't use as frequently (or for as long) as say a web / social media browser. However I know friends who are stuck to their phones and its specifically for social media, the same few apps (titter, insta, facebook, tiktok) I don't personally see the logic in using a dumb phone when the vice is social media, just uninstall the unnecessary apps and show some self control. Though perhaps that's the point I'm missing is the addition side of it and so that wouldn't work as a solution as they would just end up re-installing said apps.
Smartphones are bad. They bleed our tools together into one device. We should have a device for calling as the main thing. No point in a smartphone anyways without social media. The internet itself is cancerous
*Here are a few solutions to getting directions without using your phone:*
-Get to know your neighborhood.
-Print out directions to your designation.
-Purchase a map.
-Memorize your surroundings.
My Internet/gaming addiction started with computers 22 years ago so getting rid of the tiny computer in my pocket changes nothing, I'd just move to the larger ones.
Psychotherapy worked pretty well to change me into a more moderate use of internet capable devices in general while finding new real-life interests, passions and hobbies
But, the thing is there is a lot of friction (and availability issues) in using pc/laptop
yeah same here, i've been addicted to computers my whole life... I don't actually use a smart phone, I had the original iPhone when it came out but since that I never got another and have been smartphone free for 9 years, but I'm still sat in front of my PC for 80% of my reality lol
@@shre6619 That's true for some people but not for others, addiction is generally an impulsive behaviour.
Besides, Addiction behaviour/disorder generally switches to something else until you work on the root causes of it.
You may get rid of the phone but then vent your addiction disorder on food so good luck getting rid of food.
Bottom line, psychotherapy has never hurt anyone and there are good chances of recovery from addiction especially if you're young and intelligent.
@UCXnRtuZ1eMMH5BVsNI6oFkQ From my knowledge getting hurt by a therapist is as rare as getting hit by a meteorite because psychotherapy is way way less invasive then people think, in fact the therapist gives you glipses and directions but you have to do 99% of the work by yourself.
You sound like you never had the opportunity to try therapy which is pretty sad, I had to move to a country with a decent welfare to finally get access to affordable mental health care.
I hope you'll get the same opportunity soon, good luck
It's ridiculous how people doesn't know how to fix their smartphones to take controle of them, not the other way. The notifications can be turned off and the same thing happens with social media apps. The solution for the misusing of smartphones is to come back to old technology? Come on...
A few years back i was incredibly addicted to social media. Notifications would interrupt me all the time and it really was this dopamine rush to know something happened on facebook and seeing some comment on something i posted meant I was doing good. Seeing no reactions made me feel rather worthless.
My phone broke. And after repairs it had the same software break a few times and each time I was forced to take a break from phones for at least a week. At first I felt so agitated. It's the in between moments where you just want to grab your phone and fill the void. Having my thoughts around had become so unusual. But then I started to enjoy them again and having that space became relaxing.
Eventually I decided to delete facebook from my phone. TH-cam too. It lasted a few months but when I reinstalled them I realized I should really curtail my experience around what I valued. I turned off notifications for all but watsapp(group chats were on mute) and on facebook I would leave any group that stressed me out. Same with TH-cam channels. Currently, youtube gives me notifications but they show up silently so they don't bother me and I engage in my own time.
I know I could still do better, but mostly I enjoy stimulating content that adds something, sharpens my mind. Stuff like your channel.
What I've learned is that it's ok to finish what I'm doing, before reacting to my phone, be it social media or watsapp or whatever
Yikes. Your persepctive as initially described is quite scary, to imagine that there are countless people made into mental zombie slaves to social media. Embarrassing and sad.
From about 1999 to 2003 I had no cellphone at all. It became impossible to get by without it if I wanted to have a social life. It's amazing how society can pressure you into needing certain devices.
and in the middle ages you could live a good life even without knowing the alphabet... amazing
I got so left out by classmates for not having phone. So i couldn't call back home i'm going to be late, instead i had to go back otherwise i would have been punished. All my classmates also played on their dumbphones between classes.
Now a days i definetly need smartphone because i never know if they send me notification through e-mail or sms. Having google maps also helps me a lot or looking up the bus plans. I also have my notification noises turned off, so i wouldn't be distracted.
I made the switch to a dumb phone going on 4 years ago. I don't plan on ever going back to a "smart" phone., my life is far better without it in every way. My only suggestion would be to make a much better quality camera (more pixels) function, as that is what people like to do, with families, projects, landscapes, and such. I do hope the trend continues with the upgrade mentioned.
I'm pretty sure the beauty of smartphone pictures comes from heavyweight CPU touching up the shot on the fly
seems to me you'll need to start wearing your digital camera around again
I have a smartphone and I hardly ever take photos. I prefer to be present in the place and moment, making actual memories, rather than scanning for the best place to take a photo or looking at a view via a screen.
Lack of personal discipline while using a smartphone is the real issue here
Saying something intangible like "personal discipline" and expecting it to improve someone's life in a tangible way will many times be a fool's errand. Taking certain apps off your phone, or downgrading your phone entirely, is a tangible, real step to fighting internet addiction.
@@kalvindavis9319 It's really not that complicated.
Addictions are built on habits you become dependent to, and those come from a lack of discipline or responsible use of this technology.
If you have a weak personality and no self-control you'll be taken over by anything.
Gambling, drugs, peer pressure, etc. It's a personal failing, a character trait.
No one forces you to dig 300 pages deep into an argument on a forum, or twitter, or anything else.
That's strictly a you problem.
Instead of improving that you overreact and try to delete the problem without fixing it.
What then? You'll find another habit, and lose your geolocation, high quality camera to "live in the moment", etc.
Congratulations, I hope your addiction improves.
@@ectothermic Wow, we got a professional psychologist here
The idea of having the option to turn on a "dumb" mode, makes a lot of sense to me! You can turn it on during the night, weekends, holidays, or just when you need a break from the world!
Maybe large phone companies could integrate this into the phone’s software, by extending the capability of the iPhones “focus modes”(sorry android its been a few years so I’m not sure what your equivalent is). Not just blocking the notifications but possibly hiding the apps.
They could also allow for usage warning so that over time the user could decrease the amount of time spent on these apps.
I’m not sure how much influence large social media has on manufactures though. They could receive pushback since social media companies like how much time we spend on their sites.
but could you trust them to turn everything off?
@@RobertDeloyd I don't think they ever turn everything off. That's why I use a Faraday bag when I turn my phone off.
I put my smart phone in 'airplane mode'...problem solved.
Doesn't cost anything and don't have to wait for some to make an 'app'.
you can use work profiles in android to accomplish this. every other comment i'm leaving is being flagged as spam or something so i'm going to leave it at that.
I've found a similar contemplative stress free peace while still having my iPhone by not using social media and keeping notifications for basically everything except what I actually need shut off. That said, I've probably had it easier than many since my past social media use was always minimal and I've never been even remotely addicted to that lifestyle.
In the same boat, I turn off notifications for just about anything except texts and calls. Closest thing I have to social media on my phone is youtube.
@@devinkipp4344 you're both guys, right? Just try telling that to young women. Ain't gonna happen. Call in Seal Team and they'll fail their mission.
Never had a smart phone or joined Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc etc etc. I like to talk to people,
face to face, you know, like a human being. It's only face to face communication that tells you about
the person you are talking to...psychology has known for a long time that the info we get when
talking face to face is actually 60% 'non verbal' ! The movement of body, arms, head etc, plus tone
of voice and slight inflections during speech, eye movements, volume of voice, they all tell us something
whether we are conscious of it or not, our brain takes it all in and forms opinions, levels of understanding,
character of the other person, feelings of like, trust, uncertainty, or need more info etc etc etc. That's why
social media can be such a hateful and egotistical atmosphere, because we never truly know who we
are dealing with, what their intentions are, we can get the wrong messages so easily and we don't get the
true emotional cues in such environments as Twitter etc.
We are naturally gregarious, that's what we are designed to be and online communication gives you
60% less information, so it works against our natural face to face communication design !
While I still do have my "dumbphone" somewhere in a drawer just in case as a back up option (especially because it needs charging only once in 2-3 weeks), don't expect too much time saving from it, as time can be killed by playing "Snake", "Jewels", "Tetris" or whatever else is on that phone. XD
"Snake" was what I played when I could not get a smartphone for about 5 months. It does get boring fast so you're better off having a book with you if you are to wait for sth.
"Space Impact" for my old Nokia phone 🤣
But that is not that depressing at least. )
I@@eldromedario3315
I don't view playing games as a negative for the most part, they have been proven to improve mental acuity and mostly prevent dementia. Playing too much of them can have a negative effect though. Out of all the ones, Tetris is the best for mental acuity and even stress relief.
I only use my "smart"phone to be in touch with friends and family (text mostly), watching educational TH-cam videos like this, and most importantly looking stuff up, which I think is a good thing because I'm constantly learning new things this way. I feel like it's not necessary to switch to a "dumb"phone in my case. Would you rather disagree?
Yeah, it's such a waste to ditch instant access to information. I use my phone to do a quick fact check whenever I need, take that away and I would agree on just about anything.
Translation "i am better than everyone else who has a social media addiction."
@@TheJupiteL There are other ways to get what you need from the internet with other devices. Laptop or a tablet that stays at home. Whether it is a waste or not depends on the lifestyle of the person.
basically just self control, if you can limit what you do on a smartphone for sure no point in these. but a lot of people can't so buying a cheap phone you literally can't give into that urge on seems like a decent compromise.
@@TheJupiteL Usually a feature phone has a browser. At least in pre Smartphone times my Sony Ericsson had one.
Optimizing my smartphone notifications and quitting social media was a cure to smartphone addiction for me. I only use my smartphone when I want to nowadays. Buying dumb phone is not a solution for all. Smartphone is useful in a lot of situations.
Exactly for us in developing countries. All of these people have other access to internet. In our country smartphone is the only contact point with internet for majority population. We are using internet for daily work in all sectors. Ditching smartphone isn't the option for us. And we don't have 100 people working for us like Selena Gomez.
And this too is just a trend manufactured by business masterminds. This will change too soon or later. People just need to buy new stuff instead of controlling their own behaviour. There was a time when they said noise cancelling headphones are the thing, now they are saying don't use noise cancellation and be aware of your surroundings. So that's how the circle works. One day someone will say dumb phones are bad for THIS, and people will buy something new.
@@sayantanmitrabliss I switched to a "dumb" phone about 2 months ago and it's been a life changer for me, but it's not for everyone. For me it is about controlling my behavior. I have adhd and an addictive personality, and no matter how many times I would try to ditch social media and cut down on screentime I would just go right back to it. Recognizing these patterns in my life the simplest solution seemed to be to ditch the thing all together and it's worked
It's an interesting movement but there are two things that would prevent me from it. 1. in Brazil, where I live, most banking (paying, transferring money etc) is done by the bank's app, and most banks don't even have physical agencies or atms anymore. Most people haven't handled cash since 2020, some stores don't even take cash anymore. 2. most government services are now digital, most people don't even carry a driver's license since they have on their app.
I actually kind of use my Android smart phone as a dumb phone already. The primary reason I don't buy a dumb phone is because I really appreciate having a GOOD camera with me and also being able to have good quality video calls. I use it primarily for communication (calls, video calls, messaging), but also for the photos, videos, music and radio... I don't use social media on it, I don't use a browser, I don't use subscription services like Netflix, Spotify, Google Photos/Drive. instead I have installed media players for local files, and a normal offline photo gallery app. I transfer photos to my computer and using USB transfer. It's nice to get disconnected from the "internet" from time to time. Allowing the device to be primarily communication, secondarily a camera and media player.
Similar, but I don't even do video calls, nor I message just get SMS texts as notifications for transactions and such. But yeah, want a good camera and a decent local music player. Hence my main phone is still my rooted LG V40. Still a good camera, and has an amazing headphone jack and music player. And its rooted so was able to remove or disable all the bloatware I don't want or need running in the background. And install it's stock music player. That for some reason the US variant remove in favor of Google player. Which, at least at the time, couldn't even fully utilize the 32-bit/192kHz Hi-Fi Quad DAC or even play HiFi FLACS, which was the main reason why I've been buying the V line phones. That and the ability to drive high impedance headphones. I wish there were non-smart phones with good cameras.
Wow you're a person of self-discipline like I've never known
@@downbntout hahaha. Thanks? 😅🙃 but honestly. I think we owe it to ourselves to be disconnected from time to time. When we are out and about, just enjoy it. Enjoy the views and other people. I personally interact more with real people nowadays. And we can always check social media etc when we get home to a computer/tablet or whatever. Generally it is just an unnecessary time hog which add nothing to our lives.
Do you also buy CDs? If not, you’re a fake hipster and virtue signaler
your missing the point, everything your phone does can be done via other methods. all without collecting data and following you around like a very a enterprising stalker.
From my personal experience, I'd say that keeping a smartphone but getting out from any social media is enough to have all the pros without the cons. As simple as that.
I use a halfway solution of using one dumb phone and one tablet that is cheaper than smartphones and doesn't need to be upgraded as often. Work OK so far.
But only if its a small (4" - 5.5") smartphone that you can comfortably use with 1 hand and reach all 4 corners with your thumb.
Otherwise if its a bigger phone that you have to use with both hands, you are losing one of the biggest features of dumbphones, which is actually paying attention to the world around you.
@@juanme555 If you're using your phone then you're not paying attention to the world around you, regardless of how many hands you use it with.
@@allanshpeley4284
Nah, i only pull out my phone to change music track when im on a bus, im always looking at the people and out the window, paying attention, giving my seat to old ladies, helping women that enter with their baby carriages and are alone, i got an iPhone SE 1st gen but my use really is basically a dumb phone + whatsapp , 0 social media, not even youtube.
If i could upload screenshots i could prove it because the battery lasts so long.
@@juanme555 I mean, good for you and everything, but you could defenelty still get distracted if youre someone like me, i think the issue is that for every person it is diferent, some will rather have no internet at all and some will just not use facebook but still use everything else,
I'm so thankful growing up in the 90's when all we had was dumb phones. The way we interacted back then now feels surreal but it was REAL. Just imagine going to parties and not a single one stared at their phone, they stared at YOU.
Smartphones feels like the new crack epidemic and kids today (I'm a father myself) need that constant fix every damn minute. They can barely focus for 30 seconds before losing interest, it's gotta be instant, loud, ADHD-like or it's not worth it.
Somebody, build that damn time machine already 😤
And people were able to talk.
@@KevinDixon Hell yeah!
I'm 35. I had Steam on my PC the day it came out so I could get Half Life 2. The internet was definitely present in our lives throughout the late 90s and early 2000s but nothing like today. Being born in 87 I got to experience life with and without the internet. We just have to learn to balance our lives and you are seeing that balancing act take place before your eyes with the subject matter in this video. Kids who grow up with all of this will also be the ones who throw it away and learn to function with and without tech. These apps were never meant to become so pervasive....until they did and then the companies began to see how they were being used. However people will adjust and compensate as we always do. It's hard to see the whole picture from our vantage point in history but we will all be ok in the long run.
I didn't even have a phone in the 90s. I had a pager.
I miss my flip phone. Having ADHD, my smart phone is such a time suck and I find I struggle to let go of the immediate pleasure of it for longer term rewards and engaging in more enriching things.
I have ADHD, I'm 45 and since smart phones all the so-called normal people have passed me by when it comes to short attention spans. No one can focus on anything anymore!
Get a galaxy Z flip
@@notreallyhim ...why would I want to do that?
the old razer flip phones are probably the best looking phones ever made.
I dropped my facebook and instagram about 2 years ago, and I genuinely couldn’t be happier, merely not having that ability to check on the latest social things going on removes the drive to even check the phone in a lineup or when you have a few seconds, it’s better to enjoy the world around you!
Definitely try that method before the dumb phone because sometimes it can be enough!
I use the camera and have TH-cam and I love the larger screen of a smartphone for the videos and photos, the thing that could be problematic is the overly pricy bill for the whole data plan for a smartphone if only really being used for those things.
I for one have felt so exhausted personally from the internet. After spending so much of my life browsing the internet and playing video games it all seems so boring to me now. I don't get the same rush or excitement from using my computer or phone nearly as much as I used to. It's even scarier when so many companies are making short forms of entertainment that is addictive on purpose. The internet has been great in many ways, but I feel at the end of the day the constant source of negative energy and irrelevant information that is forced to relevance has done me almost no good other than giving me a constant sense of dread in the world.
Me also.
thank you for the feature! 😁it's awesome to see so many people enjoying life without a smartphone. personally, i hope it's not just a trend and we see more dumphone options on the market. but either way, i'm excited to see conversations like this taking place. it seems we're all looking to use technology more intentionally.
My biggest fear from this is that people will go back to watching cable news. I really do not feel comfortable with the fact that people are ditching the internet completely. For all the bad the internet has done, I would have never realized all the injustices happening in the world if it never came into my life.
@@Drbeckerproductions At the end of the day, your personal mental health and wellbeing still come first over every injustice in the world. People should do what they feel is best for themselves even if it means they'll be out of the loop a bit. Besides, there's nothing stopping anyone from getting back into the fray once they feel better.
While it would be nice to have more phone options, we don't necessarily need to ditch smartphones.
This seems to be more about ditching things like social media and time wasting applications. You can still use a smartphone and only have basic features, but I get that the temptation is good reason to switch phones so you don't even have the option. But personally I barely use social media compared to most others, and it's still nice to be able to have modern connections with things like news updates and other useful benefits only smartphones can provide.
I don't think the problem is "smartphones" as much as it's "Social Media." It's literally designed from the start to be addictive, and studies have shown that it has a negative impact on the people that use it.
Your smartphone is designed the exact same way lol. It is why you will randomly pull your phone out, unlock it, and then have no idea what you are doing.
The phone is the dealer,social media is the drug.
I mean, yeah, it is social media. However no smartphones today are designed to disincentivize the feedback systems that bring you back to consuming social media. I don't see why so many people are adamant about opposing people who just are tired of their smartphones, because truly - it IS the smartphones (as they are designed now) that propagate these issues. There's nothing wrong with seeking an alternative especially when you're no longer using any of the features that are unique anymore with a smartphone (such as within those examples where people say "Why get a dumbphone? Just use your smartphone and remove all the apps").
Plus if it meant that every phone replacement was like 1/6th the price of a smartphone, there was a lot more variety in size, etc. Then it'd be beyond nice to have a larger updated dumbphone market instead of just entitling the phone market to only being smartphones when there are people who are moving away from whatever makes them smart. That's what I think at least. Getting a 'less-capable' phone is just the logical side-step next to getting rid of social media. There is no functional compromise there at this point.
@@zachrat9083 One good step that helped me is turning off all forms of raise to wake and tap to wake. The only way I can turn my phone on is intentionally pressing the power button.
I think its a bit crazy to charge $300 for a light phone when u can get a feature phone like a nokia 8810 that does 3X as much for $100 and still not hinder u like a smart phone would
I totally agree. You can have the smartphone and delete twitter and facebook, and other such apps, and if you still want them, keep them on a laptop, but do not carry it around with you.
Light phone is just for aesthetics. You can buy probably the cheapest nokia phone and it will still be enough. No need to spend 300$ on a dumb phone
Or you could just buy a 3310 for 30 bucks on ebay.
It's a start-up after all, production price is more costly for them.
I have a smart phone. I barely look at it because I'm just too busy, especially at work and I work in an office; then at home where there's more stuff to do. At the end of the day, my smartphone still has 80% battery, that's how little I've used it.
This whole dumbphone "movement" can basically be summarized as: "I have an impulse that I cannot control unless I impose artificial limits on myself."
The target audience for these smartphones are near 12-22 I guess because 20 age people are looking for what to do in there life and end up watching reels or TH-cam then going bars and hangout mostly things like that. Then 16 yo were they do online shopping mostly and Order what ever they like.(not all are like that)then idk about 12 yo they watch just anything. Thankfully I didn’t have any smartphone at that age
I guess the natural question is why have a smartphone that you barley use? If you don’t really need it then maybe it’s best to downgrade
Exaclty
11:48 - to answer coldfusion's questions, yes that feature exists already on smartphones. You change the battery status to emergency or strict/restricted which allows only calls and texts and no mobile access to prolong battery usage and makes the phone screen appearance gray in color but useful and if done when fully charged the battery will last up to 2 days depending on the phone or longer. It could last a week depending on how little the phone is used which saves you money on buying expensive dumb phones sold as trendy digital ironic solutions to the lack of self control. The real issue is learning self control not looking for another product to help you do so which is the real permanent solution otherwise it is like a drug addict eating too much sugar instead of illegal drugs. You're still addicted and have not become truly free.
Thank you!
Oh cool, I'll just CURE my ADHD then. Very practical advice
Having a phone where I *cant* is how *is* how I exercise self control.
You are ignorant
Remember I came across that on accident, and was so tripped out. I couldn't find out how to turn it back.
I think people can turn off the notifications on their smart phone as I did and uninstall the social media app and turn off the news feed and everything but still have access to the internet and other benefits. I think it all comes to self-discipline. Great video Dagogo. Love your work and your channel. Thanks for all the info. 😊😊😊
If you have an alcoholic, what do you think it will work, putting a lot of vodka bottles in his room and saying him: You have to choose if you drink or not, - Or not giving him alcohol at all?
In my experience what causes the most stress and feelings of not being present is not the smartphone itself, but the relationship you have with social media apps. Just completely blocking yourself from using apps like Instagram or Twitter has major positive effects.
I just uninstalled those apps because I feel the negativity.. I feel sad, envy, angry and stress, so I just really completely ditch off those 2 apps for good but facebook and messenger still remains because that becomes our main messaging app here in the Philippines when you have no load 😅. I have no games installed on my phone also, no movies but hundreds of music, I'll just subscribe to the internet if I need to like meetings or if there are some issues that I need to know or I need to video call someone.. other than that, free data 😅, I can only use the messenger app, good thing our country is not that high tech yet.. there are option for QR codes but there are always alternative for that because majority here have no access to internet
wow, that's pretty interesting. Maybe now we'll see more companies be dumb phone friendly. I hate having to install an app just to view or buy something. I don't use my phone much for browsing anyway. My pc is for that, larger screen and it means I'm not on social media all day
My company requires you to use an app just to unlock your PC. I absolutely hate it.
Its worth mentioning that Samsung phones have the "Emergancy Mode" which does exactly as you mentioned at the end. Limits the phones capabilities to calls, texts, and only a select few apps. Also has the benefit of lasting many days on a single charge.
iOS’ Focus feature can do the same.
thx i just turned mine on
I think on Android 12 on Samsung phones, it's just called Power Saving with the option "Limit apps and Home screen". Here's the description for that option: "For maximum power saving, allow only selected apps, limit all background activity, turn off Edge panels, and change to a dark theme."
Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Power saving > Limit apps and Home screen
What you ended up having when that option is turned on are:
No wallpaper, just black
No widgets
No app drawer
4 non changeable apps: Phone, Messages, Internet and Settings
Samsung Pay via swipe gesture
4 apps of your own choosing
I just tried it. It's so neat.
IOS16 is about to add a LOCKDOWN mode. It’s mostly to prevent state-sponsored hacking by limiting most features of a smartphone. BTW, iOS already has FOCUS MODE where you can customize pretty much anything and limit it
So? Huawei has had this feature since at least 2015.
The reasons that I'm on my smartphone most of the time include gaining perspective from videos like this, soothing background music, listening to sermons/talks/lessons that align with my values beliefs and grow me as a person, and finding resources to teach my kids in homeschool, playing with my kids on their games, making friends and connecting across thousands of miles. I think it can be used for good, though I understand the issue and the overuse of it. It's hard to believe they've only been out for about 15 years!
I just don't allow anything to send me notifications, but can still reap the benefits of my smart phone when I choose to. You don't need to sacrifice the utility of a smartphone to have everything a dumbphone provides.
if you have Android look into f-droid
I have no social media in my smartphone. This already helps me a lot. His main uses are for podcast, MP3 player, write groceries, Uber and banking/2fa apps.
my main use is browsing reddit.
That rots your brain too, its no better then the other social medias
Social media is cancer.
@@cyberp0et i wouldn't even classify reddit as social media.
I'm 39, and will be 40 in September. I was born in '82, the oldest of the millennial generation. Fairly early on into the smartphone revolution - about a decade ago in 2012 - I noticed myself responding robotically to check my phone every time it made the slightest notification chirp. Determined to put a stop to this, but not ready to completely unplug or dumbify so-to-speak, I knew I had to do something to save my mind and personal autonomy.
From then on I made a simple change that anyone can implement to improve their lives, thoughtfulness and how present they are, etc., without having to ditch smartphones entirely. My phone is now semi-permanently on silent mode. I say "semi," because probably once or twice a month I turn on volume and vibrate because I know an important call is coming at a certain time, or because I start to play phone tag and don't want to prolong the game or make the other person think I'm playing a game or avoiding them.
Within a week or two, this simple change alone change completely removed my robotic tick to pick up my phone and look at it just because some app chirped at me.
Seeing how easy and successful this was in reclaiming myself, I started to ruthlessly prune which apps can send me notifications in the first place. Now, the vast majority are turned off, so I have to actually choose to look at an app independently of it wanting my attention before seeing what's going on or recently changed within it.
The last step I've made more recently (this year and last) is to completely delete all social media apps. Now, commenting here on TH-cam is the closest thing to social media that I still do. It's definitely a harder move to make than the first two tips I mentioned, as someone who was on and active on all the major social media sites over the last decade plus, a major portion of my life. However, it has indeed made me more productive and healthy, so I'd say it's worth it and has greatly improved my life overall.
I say all this to help others who may be contemplating similar moves to improve the quality of their lives. I'm sure there's others like me out there who can't go full dumb phone due to work, or other reasons mentioned in this video like navigation. But there are still powerful moves we are free to make to largely take back our lives from Big Tech, and Big Brother. Never forget your power to control what you are exposed to. In this age of information overwhelm, it's often helpful to restrict and limit what we are exposed to...not to have tunnel vision about the nature of the world, but to reassume the driver's seat in our lives.
Good luck out there, whatever you choose to do to reclaim you!
I'm an American living in Japan. Most of my friends here have left. Need to have a phone when out and about, but I only use social media on my desktop computer. Never on my phone. I keep the smartphone for in case I need something translated or to use maps. I also always use Firefox so I never ads like here on youtube (which is bad for the internet posters because my view won't count). I also use Duckduckgo for my search engine so my searches are tracked.
Mutcho texto, perdon
I think my generation - gen-x - has it the best. We grew before the internet/cell phones but have learnt how to use them, so we use them and don't let them use us. For example I think the solution is to have a smartphone - as I do - so I can use it for navigation, banking, checking timetables, researching products I need to buy, listen to music and radio and all the good things, but not using it for any other bad - for example I don't do social(ist) media at all.
I'm glad to hear reasons and motivations that aren't just aesthetic nostalgia.
but you can always just delete social media, does the same thing
Where I live, I see homeless people with smartphones--so that is definitely indicative that our priorities are askew, but this is what tech does to people: we don't know how to balance it in our lives, and there is always a higher power with financial incentives to see the public overuse that tech. Then that tech becomes obsolete and a new tech comes, which will become ubiquitous because it taps into a dopamine release and a greedy company will want to squeeze as much profit out of it. Rinse and repeat.
"The issue isn't smart phones it's social media"
All these people tend to forget about the massive amounts of data being siphoned by the cell phone manufacturers.
They also seem to ignore the predatory nature of those platforms. They’re designed to keep you engaged. Just because some of us have the ability to ignore social media doesn’t mean everyone does and if their path to success is to stop using a smart phone then that’s great. I want people to be happy and succeed. Of course there are benefits to a smart phone but the benefits may not outweigh the cost. I wouldn’t blame a former drug or alcohol addict from never wanting to step into a bar again. If that’s going to keep them happy and healthy, I’ll gladly support them.
The bar analogy is great. Would be nice to have a middle ground. Like if you could delete any apps off your device. That way you could keep the useful apps like maps and remove the ones you have a problem with like internet, social media, TH-cam etc.
And that gacha/lootbox games also proliferate on these platforms, which suck time AND money from the undisciplined
I guess all the social media I've been able to access through my PC is an illusion?
The massive amounts of data being siphoned doesn't really affect the daily life of the vast, vast majority of people though. Certainly not in the same way a social media addiction does.
Sure, from a philosophical perspective we'd like to have our privacy protected and sure there is the occasional person for whom this privacy invasion really does impact their lives to a significant degree, but for the most part its invisible to us and harmless in all but the most trivial manners (oh no.. advertisers might be more likely to show me an ad for something I'm actually interested in.. the absolute horror!)
I like the thought, but as someone who travels a lot, it isn't that easy. You need the phone for navigation, translation, accessing your documents, getting taxi / transit, and so on. Cutting down / leaving social media and time wasting apps is much more doable though.
Yeah, think it's all about what works best for you. For many, there's a legitimate _need_ for a smartphone (e.g. if your work uses an app, like delivery riders). For those going without smartphones, they see the extra effort as being worth it. Personally isn't for me, though I'm lucky in that I'm not really addicted to social media and deleting my accounts got most of the result, and barring music and a few utilities, most of the the I use my phone in the same manner as a dumb one anyway 😂
I got off Facebook a couple of years ago and felt better almost immediately!
Was never a problem for me. I saw this coming the moment smart phones came around. People entrenched in this had problems before smartphones became the zeitgeist. I have absolutely zero problems fighting the urge to have a 24/7 relationship with my little mini-computer that recycles the world's social garbage. Doesn't excuse the fact that I'm still a stressed out neurotic mess for other worldly reasons.
I can totally live without social media, actually do apart from youtube educational content. But the phone is such a great thing to have. Train's late and I will be late to something - just let them know. I can pay for stuff without bringing my whole wallet. I can figure out public transport routes, when the tram leaves etc, whether a place is still open. Or even what the guy they put up a statue of did. That's very convenient and I'd actually say that I feel a bit stressed without it because it can get me out of difficult situations. Not because I think I'd miss whatever stupid instagram post someone makes.
Uh huh. "No matter what happens, there's always someone who knew it would" -Lonny Starr
try meditation, it's really nice.
I can't believe I missed a whole revolution.
Oh nah it's just starting, wait till us Gen z catch on, it's over with.
I also think part of the addiction kids have especially nowadays with smartphones is attributed to the fact that a lot of kids my age (almost 30) started getting cell phones when we were like 10. I remember all the kids in middle school and high school had a phone.
I was the loner. Of literally everyone. I didn't have a phone at all. No nokia brick, no smart phone. Not until I turned about 18 or 19, after I'd graduated high school. I feel like that alone has kept me more sane when it comes to using a phone, because it's not this nostalgic thing for me. I see phones and I see new technology, not something I grew up with. Kids easily get attached to gadgets like these, and its unfortunate how dependent they feel on them when they start growing up.
Edit: And how could we have possibly known that all of this smartphone crap would've come out so fast and become so addicting? I didn't expect it. It went right along with the internet in general, but when you start to be able to take the internet everywhere you go, I think kids' lost sight of priorities they might have had if they didn't have a phone.
I can relate to that, cause i born in 99, so when i hit puberty everyone my age have a smartphone. They used to laugh at me for my dumb phone, and i didn´t care at all cause for me that shit wasn´t necessary.
At 15 my dad buy me a smartphone and that changed everything, i used to have social media before, but have it in my pocket all the time it´s a lifechanger. Now i don´t have any social media at all.
Four years ago I bought a new motor cycle, being E4 and a small bike it was whisper quiet, three times in the first fortnight I had to brake hard because smart phone zombies stepped out in front of me. I do not like noisy bikes, but in the interest of safety I made the exhaust a bit louder. This set me thinking and I threw my smartphone away. Life has been a lot more relaxed since.