I'm 17 and switched to a flip phone last September and it has been a great change in my life. I noticed I was spending the majority of my time staring at my phone screen not accomplishing anything and I wanted to change that. My family does think I am crazy but trust me I have felt a lot better not always having a easy distraction in my pocket. I started reading books again, doodling in my free time and even just sitting and thinking about the future. If you are considering making the change after watching I say give it a shot, if it doesn't work for you you can always go back. EDIT: Over one year later now and I am still smartphone free and I dont regret it at all. There are definitely some drawbacks but overall I am still glad I made the switch and I dont plan on going back.
As a 17 year old, you're family shouldn't think your crazy. Most 17 year olds (as you know) are so deep in this tech stuff they don't know anything different. I applaud you man for getting out of it at a young age like ourselves (i'm 18) I'm thinking of doing the same, instead of drinking coffee at my computer, just go outside sit down, and enjoy my coffee outside where i can see the sun coming up and the birds chirping. It's something i'm really considering.
@@hunteradkins7024 Thanks, I would definitely say you should give it a shot. You can start off with trying it for a month and keep your smartphone in a drawer/closet incase it isn't the right fit and you want to switch back. I recommend at least trying it and I have really felt better without having an easy distraction in my pocket at all times.
Hey! I am 15 and just made the change to a flip phone today. I want to live a distraction-free life and be more connected to the world. Glad to see other teens have the same idea!
@@irelanddickey1538 Good for you! I am now over one year with mine and I still highly recommend it, it is difficult for the first month or so as you get used to it but after that it just becomes your new normal
Personally I think we had just the right amount of tech in 2005. You could do everything you can do now on your computer, but your cell phone was a flip phone. You could call and text and everyone did short texts cause it took so long. No constant staring at screens, no constant social media (you had to be in front of your computer for that). We had tech, but we were still more social.
I went to University 2005-09. I am so glad that there weren't* smartphones during that time. On the one hand there would be a lot more photos of friend and things if there had been, but a lot more wasted time and embarrassment. *affordable for a student.
Exactly! Roll the clock back to that, when laptops were freakin' amazing, still are, and keep yourself to phone as phone and camera only. Use smartphone for everything only when cannot have or don't want (theft/activity) to have laptop.
S C A, me too. 67 years and counting. Provider just told me my 3G will stop working everywhere in the few months, but said they can replace it with a new simple flip. I still spend too much time on YT.
@@lornathorpe1632 You will hate the new flip..nothing like the older ones and are not user friendly... I ended up throwing away my At&T alcatel flip and found an old LG online like I use to have..
@@lornathorpe1632 It has 3 Gs and im fine with that, however AT&T will be ending 3G one year from now so im not sure what I will do, maybe find a carrier that still uses 3G But if you get a new flip from AT&T its the alcatel and it sucks.
1.) Buy a good GPS. 2.) You should always print out all your travel documents in multiple copies. Everyone in your immediate group should carry copies of the immediate groups documents. 3.) I don't know if I could go back but, I enjoyed your trial run.
My husband, a 30-something, used a flip phone until last year when I bought him an iPhone for Christmas. He runs his own business without the use of a smartphone. I thought he was missing out; he never thought he was. His screen time says he uses it an average of 30 minutes per day, so having one hasn’t increased his screen time much. He doesn’t care for it, but he does think it’s nice to use for checking the weather 😆
Im jealous. My hubs is hunched over his phone all day, any spare time he gets, I almost have to fight for attention. 😔 He started to get the picture when I had to hide his phone from him.
@@serenes Earth: "After 30 days of no humans, I feel much better, I can breathe, I feel refreshed. Now that the experiment is over...I'm going to be sick again... :(("
I think using smart phones are both a boon and a curse. The want to constantly use it and taking our attention vs using it to keep information that doesn't need to take space in your head.
It's really just in our minds if we can control it or not. If you don't realize your addiction, you'll never escape it. You need to stop utilizing your phone as a quick dopamine fix and realize it's there if you truly need it for calls.
It’s kind of crazy to think about how smartphones were used to be more efficient - like texting. On a flip phone it takes 10-15 minutes for a simple text back but on a smartphone it takes 5-10 seconds depending on how fast you type. In theory it’s supposed to lower the time we’re on our phones yet it’s the contrary that’s true - now there’s so much more to do on it and waste a bunch of time using other apps. So we actually spend *even more* time using phones.
There was a different setting on my flip phone that could guess your word as you typed, so I didn’t have to push the key until I got the one letter. It was always funny how surprised people were when they saw how fast I could text 😂
@@mckaysteffler9618 Flexing your skills with the T9 keyboard was the hottest thing to hit my school for a while before the slide phones came out with the full qwerty.
@@ESPHMacD Man, I remember there was this girl in one of my computer classes who was able to text without even looking at it anymore. She'd just read the message, hide the phone under the computer desk, and just type. She typed so much faster on that than some people do on a standard smartphone.
@@esmeraldarodriguez1722 I miss thatttt! In fact your comment just made me look for 123 keyboards on the app store, I don't wanna use the qwerty anymore 😄
@@anonwithamnesia Right... Because before smartphones ppl never improved and were constantly in deadly danger lmao Wake the hell up & stop making excuses for your bad habits!
Yes so true! After getting rid of my social media two years ago I would take really great photos and only keep them for myself because I don't owe it to anyone to share this and don't need validation that it's good. My mental health has really improved well until my husband shows me his phone of what someone else is doing and I'm like "well crap" lol
I am being humble when I am telling you that I am the most powerful strongest coolest smartest most famous greatest funniest Y*uTub3r of all time! That's the reason I have multiple girlfriends and I show them off on my ch*nnel all the time! Bye bye gon
Dude, you are speaking to my heart right now… I feel the same, I have tried downgrading my data plan, deleting apps etc but you can get all that back and that is the problem. So I am thinking about getting a flip phone and a gps device for my car!
^can confirm, making your phone screen greyscale does help. The only problem is that you can undo it. This is actually making me consider getting a flip phone too
I feel like capturing memories on my smartphone takes my mind away from the moment. I think it's a good habit to push yourself to enjoy the beauty of life around you without capturing it on your device.
This is Maria. I’ve never had a “smart phone”. I have a laptop and an iPad. We also have no TV and no cable bill. We do have internet. My husband has a “smart phone due to work. I have an old Nokia and cats. Cats better than a smartphone.
MATT THE BORING PHONE WOULD'VE BEEN PERFECT FOR YOU!! It's a modern smartphone with a custom OS that doesn't have Wi-Fi, a browser or a play store. Maps, messaging, camera and other important functions are still there but there's NO WAY to get any app to waste time. It seems incredible. All the key features of a modern smartphone (camera, touchscreen etc.) without any of the distractions. Like this so Matt can see.
@@julianagtf you're welcome lol. I tried buying this phone but it's out of stock. Also, it's 235 pounds lol. I'm actually in the process of making my own version of this idea that's a little cheaper but has the great build quality and all the other standard features. Still research phase atm but I'd be interested in your opinion as to what qualities the phone should have. Let me know if you're interested in hopping on zoom - my friend and I would love your opinion on the subject.
Uuuhhhmm - can't you make ANY phone a Boring Phone by just throwing out the apps you feel distract you more than they add value (social media, especially?)
@@jaketryban8772 I hated T9 on my old flip phone and always chose to text using the Abc option. With my current GZ'One, I usually use T9, though I'm just about as fast with Abc still.
It will be a bit slower, but enabling T9 will make you able to text proficiently enough. You'd still be faster on an actual keyboard on the computer, i remember. Logging on to MSN messenger, if you were actually gonna have text conversation, and not just a quick message, that sms is intended for
@@KittyKat94 Galaxy Z flip is just as bad because it's basically a gimmick and pro gamers never go out side to begin so the flip phone challenge is easy because they just use Skype on then PC.
Back when we had a flip phone we had a social life Now we have smartphones and we dont even call each other I would rather trade all the tech i have to have a few good friends to talk to
@@buppy4976 for real lmao It instantly brought all the "Jimmy has 47 watermelons" (who the fuck is Jimmy and why does he casually have 47 watermelons lying around??) problems to my mind lol
I’ve never had a smart phone. Always had a flip phone. When I get a major text I just call the person and actually communicate with them. Small things I can do texting. My flip phone is like 8 years old and still works good. But I grew up with a phone on the wall and called people with phone numbers I had memorized. I did buy a gps for my car.
I also choose to still own a flip phone....I just don't want to be looking down at a device 24/7. I would MUCH rather talk to someone than text to someone. Works for me so far.
Friggin right! So cool to hear others like me. Lol. Im mid 30's and never owned a smartphone. I have an old LG from about 6 years ago that i am about to retire and get a new flip phone. The biggest reason i don't have a smartphone is because i have a very expensive computer setup at home that i spent enough time in front of as it is, i don't need one in my pocket too. When im not at home, i am free from devices! Well besides my old Garmin gps that i occasionally get out when im on my country drives.
There’s a certain charm to the simplicity of a flip phone. You stop looking up useless things, take pictures when you don’t have to. You have to think and plan.
I don't really take.photos with my phone. So if I went back to a flip phon I wouldn't be missing out. I gotta get a computer first so I can back off the phone
Honestly dont think the idea of smart phones are bad, its just how they are designed. They are designed to be addictive. If they are used for the functional uses like the internet, calling, texting, direction, notes, etc smartphones are great. But as of now for most people phones are just time sinks.
Depends on the apps too. Certain things, like maps and what not can be really useful, and games can be fun occasionally. But social media I think is the most toxic section of it, and comes with the most benefits. It wouldn’t be such a big problem but nobody has self control anymore so they would probably just redownload the apps they don’t like anyways
There are a few controls you can put in place to limit yourself but they are not very complete. You can't set a lock for your iphone that won't expire after a set number of minutes, and the limits you put on apps are just as easily turned off by two presses, I haven't looked for any parental controls but these types of things should be available. Even apps that are not social media can have you compulsively checking.
@@dropit7694 I've decreased my phone usage a lot. I always leave it in my room when I'm at home so if I need to use it I will need to go back into my room and I'll leave it there when I'm done, another one is not having the phone with you outside if you dont need it, if I'm grocery shopping, going for walks, etc and I dont need the phone I wont bring it with me. I'm down to around 10-35 min on workdays and around 20-50 on weekends. I really wanna reduce my weekend usage, there are some days where I can go up towards 90 minutes but thankfully those days are rare.
I was thinking this as well. What is we used a smartphone as a supplemental tool, rather than primary. I could Imagine taking mine out if I needed a gps or if I wanted some Insta time after dinner. Or not.
Or just use a smartphone but only have certain apps on it? 🤷♂️ So you can still text, use Gmaps etc but you can't use it to do random crap throughout the day? Seems to me like the best option and what I'll be doing when my contact renews in a few months
Had the internet removed from my smart phone, turned off all notifications and removed all game apps. Still am able to text normally and now phone only used for speaking and text.
Options I've used/considered: install a GPS in the car, having a designated spot in my house that my phone lives during the day so I'm not carrying it around with me, only using social media if I'm sitting down to eat or rest for a few minutes and only if my computer is off. I work from home so if my computer is on my phone is not and vice versa. I also have a 1 year old so showing him that screen time isn't more important than him is essential. Some things you can also do is remove all the tempting apps from your smart phone like social media, food apps, shopping apps, and even games (turn your WIFI off for no ads in games you love to play) and see which basic apps you actually use (like calculator, calendar, flashlight). I miss my flip phone 6 out of 7 days and I am trying to use my smart phone less and less now that I see the effect on my son. and my family. Humans survived millenia without them, we can too...right?
TH-cam is my life and i hate that Google made the old browsers have no access to youtube i have to find the links of the videos and download them i have polish cow downloaded lol
It is possible to have a smart phone and just not use any social media apps. My happy medium is using my smart phone camera and maps, but have no social related apps on my phone. I try to use my phone for strictly productivity, tracking, notes, maps, texting, pictures and video, or finance apps... but then nothing else.
A trick I have been practicing for a few months now that is decently effective is setting integrated screen time limits on my iPhone (I am not sure about other smartphones). My brother is literally the only one who knows the password to disable to restrictions on social media apps (tiktok, youtube, snapchat, instagram, facebook, reddit, etc) so I can't jinx it. Some times social media is necessary for a link someone had sent you, so my screen time limit is the combined screen time of these apps for 30 minutes p day.
I feel like a lot of these should be less about how bad technology is, and more about how important self control is. You can have the conveniences of a smart phone without it making you unhappy, just stop being so invested in the worrying things you get out of your phone. Turn off notification for everything but the necessary stuff, get off social media, etc. Now you can have google maps and improve yourself.
your self control has to be abnormal to be able to resist all of the things companies try to distract you with to get you to use their products. The notification tip is a very good one though, disable all. Your phone should look like a toolbox when you open it up.
@@romiromr People are addicted, but any addiction can be overcome. And it's not like most people this kind of video is aimed at are people so addicted they can't tear themselves away from the phone. Outside of extreme cases like that, it really does just come down to self control. I get notifications and ads for things vying for my attention all the time, sometimes I cave to it but more often than not I can determine it's not worth my time or attention. Which can be helped by turning notifications off things, or even deleting the apps entirely
Smartphones are really really useful: notes, photos, maps, research, time tracking (for me), efficiency...but at a cost. In 2018 I found out about Matt and it was from that moment that I started to notice the problem with the use of my phone. Now I’m not perfectly intentional, but I have rules, like not using phone when with people. Smartphones, tablets, PCs, are tools that will simplify our life, if used correctly.
Hey Matt, I’ve just been catching up on your content from recently and I’m not sure if I’m only just noticing it or if it’s a conscious change you’ve made but I really like how you’re not reshooting a whole scene if you stumble on a word or stitching takes together to cover it up. It feels way more real than the way people curate themselves so heavily and feels like more of a conversation. People do bloopers of their ‘failed’ takes but this feels really genuine and I think what often makes a blooper scene is people getting caught up in their filming mistakes to the point that it dominates the scene but you just move on with grace and acceptance that it doesn’t have to be perfect and it’s a powerful reminder to me. Thanks :) Also welcome to Australia!
I'm a retired senior and have used a flip phone for years. I have no desire to get a smart phone. My van has a built in GPS system which I hardly use as I rely on google maps. I'm finding with the shut down we went through I have become more addicted to my laptop. Most of my day is taken up with sitting in front of that screen. The You Tube censuring has really gotten on my nerves as they have removed many of the channels I enjoy watching. Like you I will wean myself from this device and try to spend quality time doing other things.
Life hack: Everybody should invest in a Thomas Guide for the region they live in..... then learn how to read / use it. A) It's good to know how to navigate a hand map. B) During some type of natural disaster, you very easily could lose GPS abilities and may have to rely on hand maps to navigate to a safer location. C) Learning the addressing of the region you live in will help you to rely less on GPS and more on knowledge (that's why your dad can still live without a smart phone). D) Buy a new one every five years and recycle the old one.
Yes, I used Thomas Guides and was able to remember how to get to places. Usually after one use to an address, I did not have to use again to the same address, no matter how many turns. Now that I use my phone for GPS, I pay less attention to landmarks or general visuals that I have to use repeatedly to the same address.
You can simply choose to use it for convenience only. Don’t do things on your cell that cause you unhappiness. For example, delete ALL social media apps.
I have a smartphone 6s- the last one with plug-in jacks. I have no data. I use it for voice, text, camera and music. If I want any info, like now, I use my MacBook. My laptop, however, I use to make music, so that is my go to tech. This is my distancing from the madness of looking at my phone every minute. If you are bored on the bus or in waiting situations get a magazine subscription. Learn to read a book. Radical I know.
Did they even have flip phones in the 90's? Not to my recollection. Most people I know who had cell phones had open-faced ones. Flip phones became more common in my area around 2005. This could partly be due to costs and selections available from the limited cell phone providers in my area.
Texting took you long with T9? Imagine having entire conversations under your desk in HS without looking at the phone like I did. Man some people never had that skill!
Congrats on 3 Million!! Matt, I completed my first dopamine detox last week and this reminds me of that experience. Isn’t it a weird feeling to seek digital minimalism when your brand/business is on a digital platform? I think it’s good for all of us to lengthen or cut the leash to our devices, but also I’m speaking against my own product 🤪
Dopamine Detox is hype, biologically speaking your body wouldn't survive without dopamine. You cut out the phone for an hour or whatever decided time is an achievement which in turn releases dopamine, so maybe influencers need to change their wording with dopamine detox.
Alrighty it’s not about removing all dopamine but instead removing unproductive or unhealthy sources of dopamine for a period of time so you can get more dopamine/enjoy harder and more boring tasks. It results in more productivity and mindfulness around social media addiction.
I am an older person and saw the changes in society as this technology has arrived. Even back in the 1960s when TV came to my country-gradually the social character of our world faded away. It has never stopped with the consumer world getting so dominating.I chose to not have a mobile phone as I see the way this has isolated us. It can be a great tool -all this technology- eg facebook -and how we can connect... but its never a substitute for real contact-face to face.
@@hampter2407 open your mind and ears instead of being emotional. His comment was an insight from another perspective. We can learn from those and should. His suggestion is not a command. We have the freedom to consider it or not. Your response probably only serves to support his opinion on your generation. Why not try a different method besides responding defensively? Might be productive.
@@hampter2407 "doing things in the modern way", what, becoming shut in alienated pieces of crap unable to socialise? So many young people are becoming that today, and so many older people tend to become less social and this tech is to blame. The intentionally addicting nature of it, that makes people think it's okay to shut yourself in this way. Real world social communication is what is natural, good for your health and brain and what phones are teaching people not to do. Shame.
Such a powerful message about what we take for granted in life. Thank you for sharing Matt, as always. You’ve even inspired me to start my own TH-cam channel!❤️🧸
Sometimes, I wish BlackBerry was still around. I would have taken a BlackBerry the size of the large iPhones. Full keyboard was a blessing during the early texting days.
@@michaelh.gerloff3659 If i'm not mistaken, the 3G shutdown does not affect calls, only mobile internet won't work anymore on phones that are not compatible with 4G/LTE
There's no way you could figure out how to get somewhere 5 days a week without a smartphone eh? How did people possibly find anything in the past? The world must've ground to a halt every time someone had to find something that was more than a block away from home! How did we survive as a society? Madness I tell you, MADNESS!!
Well, growing up in So. Calif.,( starting 72 yrs ago), Thomas Bros. maps ( there were many of them for areas of each county, etc., in nice, flexible, plastic-covered binder form) that got me around in an unfamiliar area :) If technology goes bye-bye for a while, we may look to "primitive" helps like paper maps. Homing pigeons?! 😁 Thank you for your video.
I used to work for the SoCal Gas Co, and had Thomas Guides for the entirety of So Cal! I became very intuitive with their use, and could usually find any location.
Man that printing out a map brings me back when I rode motorcycles. Benefits are that you actually memorize the roads better than using a navigation device
The Universe is not in a hurry. You are. It’s why you’re tired, it’s why you’re anxious, stressed, and disappointed. Trust that what was meant to be yours, will be yours Unrush yourself. Hope our channel helps you on your journey !
I still have my smartphone, I just keep it in the car as my work and navigation phone. I use my flip phone for everything else. Best decision I've ever made
I keep my phone in a different room (not my bedroom) in a drawer and make an effort not to open that drawer for at least the first hour I'm awake. This helps me focus on what I want to accomplish that day instead of thinking about my phone. I then set specific times to check my phone and answer texts, and then set my phone down right before dinner/family time. It helps keep me refreshed and not enslaved to the screen
@@arifhussain926 as a gen z myself, phones are making us miserable but it still helps us to be "unmiserable". its one of the reasons why phones are addictive, tbh the newer the generation the worser
@Pete Melon In older generations most people lack the ability to self-reflect on their own habits, doesn't make them better that they simply haven't been accustomed to this particular habit.
@Pete Melon my parents use the smartphone more than I do. It's not just the younger generations. It's a persistent problem across all generations. Maybe you have developed self control. It's too tough for me to do it. Next best option is to throw away my smartphone. Works like a charm, helps me to improve my life.
i miss how life was pre-smartphones. maybe its because i was a little kid, but the 2000s really seemed like the time to be alive. it felt like the perfect middle ground of convenience and inconvenience in terms of tech
I remember being able to memorize the keyboard and would be competitive with friends on who can type the fastest on our little flip phones 😭 Then when the sliding keyboard came out it was game over
I've started limiting my cell phone usage over the last few days, only checking social media once a day in the evening and more on my computer versus my smartphone; similarly, I'm checking email in detail only on my computer. It's not too bad, but smartphone dependency is certainly an interesting habit to break. I definitely was checking it way too much previously, and as you said, getting too caught up in and spending too much time on social media, news, TH-cam, etc. and not enough time doing "real" activities (not passively staring at a screen). Liking the experiment. Thanks for this video, and the initial one from a month ago in which you mentioned this challenge.
It's no even social media, it's ourselves thinking social media is everything we need to focus on. Those are just apps, people are the ones making everything seem more relevant than what it actually is lmao
Yes, but also news apps, and having Google available to you 24/7 creates in your brain a dependence on being connected all the time. This has rewired our brains in unhealthy ways, because now we feel the need to constantly be available and connected.
"I feel like I'd miss out on memories in photographs" - you could argue, you'd be more present. So you may experience more memories. Quite a cool experiment and I'm tempted to try it myself. I'll be deleting social media Tomorrow (NYE), as I've found it to be overwhelming. A flip phone may help me
@@cocteaufan oh same, however, i never used to feel that way. A younger me always took photos, nights out with friends was spent on my phone taking photos, instead of being present. I've learnt since then, and I'm glad I did! Maybe it's a sign of how our society is realising the uses, and flaws in the technology we've developed.. or I've just matured.. I'll take either haha
@@michaelhorvath165 Thanks, the only "social" media I intend on keeping is youtube, purely to watch specific creators. It'll be hard to avoid the youtubes algorithm of "controversial" news outlets, but we'll see how it goes :)
One definite down side to using google to get around. My kids have no idea what direction they are driving in. They also don't know how to get places so don't see sights that may be interesting. Their memory is no longer challenged. They say, "mom, how do you know where everything is?" And I think, their brain cells are starting to die at such a young age. Plus, who used to be on the phone all day long talking to people? We were allowed breaks to be alone and ponder our thoughts in our own heads.
When I explained to the seventh graders I teach how we used to text on flip phones they were HORRIFIED. I feel like I used to be really good at it though 🙃
"It's hard living like it's 1990" I didn't get a smart phone till like 2014 or 2015. It wasn't that difficult. You still have your laptop to do most of what your phone already do now. Texting with a flip phone has really become a lost art. I remember writing paragraphs worth of notes on my old flip phones with ease and everything. I remember even watching a full season series on my phone off youtube before getting a smartphone waiting for the bus to and from work.
We need a Smart Flip Phone: Simple phone with minimal useful quality apps (Maps, Photos and Video, WhatsApp / Telegram / or similar texting App, Email and not much more) good camera and keyboard.
I agree! Besides, there are some apps that already come with the phone and I cannot delete them, like TH-cam. If I didn't have TH-cam in my phone I would be less addicted to it, and I would only watch videos on my computer.
I think the best way is self-discipline or doing so many activities after work that you literally don't have time to look at the phone. I admit I use the phone quite a lot but I have imposed myself to not look at messages while still in bed...and that already saved me 30 min as you said. After work I study Japanese, go to the gym, play the piano, enjoy movies (when I have time)...so basically I am reducing the time I look at the phone by doing other things. I mostly use the phone to watch youtube videos while cooking or to listen to music when my laptop is not available. But as for social media I have cut down a lot by just...being busy in doing things I like to do!
@@julesby1085 Maybe it will serve as a wake up call for this person. They’re wasting their precious and very limited gift of time to waste on passive consumption. (While others build their success). Pussyfooting around the issue and enabling this behaviour won’t help.
@@annamoore6304 maybe it will! I agree that it is an issue and it needs to be addressed, you're right on that. I just think you could have worded that another way, that's all :D
I'm old. Never had a smart phone, or even a cell phone until few years ago. Media and the phone are a trap, and very addictive. Regrets. May go buy a old-school, flip phone, jitterbug. Lol
I still love flip phones but they really don't meet my lifestyle needs anymore. However, I still can't get used to seeing people using their smart phones to video "everything". I can't get used to not seeing people will real cameras. The truth is, I don't think we should refer to them as phones anymore. I used to have a "PDA" with my flip phone, even a beeper before cell phones. So, the truth is that what we have are not phones anymore, the phone is just a small part of the entire unit. What should we call it? Maybe go back to PDA, personal data assistant, with a phone too. As for me, I just can't see giving China more money. No one "needs" the latest phone, TV, or gadget in general. The point of the video, I believe, is just that. We have allowed technology to become an obsession and to control our emotions. Maybe people are just drones, sheep, or mice that follow the sound of a flute without looking ahead. I have the iPhone 6, I've had it for many years. It does everything I need and if I fast forward to the latest iPhone, I see that the only thing I don't have is a higher pixel camera, a larger memory (quick note, icloud takes care of that), and maybe there's something I'm missing, but if I don't know it, then I don't need it. I say that people need to put the brakes on technology. All this whining about censorship on Facebook and being booted from Twitter, information being stolen, and yet, like any dumb animal, we keep coming back for more, well I don't, I dumped Facebook after 10 years in one click months ago. Social media, it's just crazy. It's not social. Next time you're at a table with people and their faces are in their phones, slam your fist down on the table, you'll see how engrossed they are by how high they jump. Something's gotta' give. My advice is to follow Matt's lead, give it a go, cut down your technology wherever possible. I don't need Alexa to lower my thermostat. On a final note, people have to recognize that strangers know more about them through social media than their own families, there's something very wrong with that. The companies are data mining, they have so much information about you that they can predict your likes and dislikes before they target you. These are dangerous times, our government is too large and too much a part of our personal lives, but we, the People, have given them permission, haven't we?
I went bald too. Last month. Doing a 1 year hair growth and beard journey. Been taking pictures every other day and gonna make a timelapse slideshow. Start Nov 27.
I've got a flip phone. Had 1 for 5 years now. I love it. I Also have a tablet That I keep at home . Sure, there are drawbacks to a flip phone But I've got a Sonim. It allows group messaging so I don't miss out on that. Driving and just everyday l8fe has become so much more enjoyable. I've become very involved in my community. I volunteer for alot of things now I never even knew existed beforehand. Life is so much simpler with a flip phone and my happiness has skyrocketed. 1 major perk on a flip phone? It'll hold a charge for almost a week. My smartphone couldn't even last a day
I think during the time of the pandemic this was a power video. I talk to a lot of people who are just mindless absorbing screen time or tech without much thought on the impacts of our well-being. Love the way you put this together.
I'm 17 and switched to a flip phone last September and it has been a great change in my life. I noticed I was spending the majority of my time staring at my phone screen not accomplishing anything and I wanted to change that. My family does think I am crazy but trust me I have felt a lot better not always having a easy distraction in my pocket. I started reading books again, doodling in my free time and even just sitting and thinking about the future. If you are considering making the change after watching I say give it a shot, if it doesn't work for you you can always go back.
EDIT: Over one year later now and I am still smartphone free and I dont regret it at all. There are definitely some drawbacks but overall I am still glad I made the switch and I dont plan on going back.
As a 17 year old, you're family shouldn't think your crazy. Most 17 year olds (as you know) are so deep in this tech stuff they don't know anything different. I applaud you man for getting out of it at a young age like ourselves (i'm 18) I'm thinking of doing the same, instead of drinking coffee at my computer, just go outside sit down, and enjoy my coffee outside where i can see the sun coming up and the birds chirping. It's something i'm really considering.
@@hunteradkins7024 Thanks, I would definitely say you should give it a shot. You can start off with trying it for a month and keep your smartphone in a drawer/closet incase it isn't the right fit and you want to switch back. I recommend at least trying it and I have really felt better without having an easy distraction in my pocket at all times.
Hey! I am 15 and just made the change to a flip phone today. I want to live a distraction-free life and be more connected to the world. Glad to see other teens have the same idea!
@@irelanddickey1538 Good for you! I am now over one year with mine and I still highly recommend it, it is difficult for the first month or so as you get used to it but after that it just becomes your new normal
@S I am glad my story has helped!
slamming my flip phone shut to end a convo was the most satisfying thing ever
4:00
ok
miss u
That sorry is so relatable even for smartphone. When you throw your phone to the bed and it bounces and accident happen- LOL
Just hearing the sound is satisfying
I miss doing that, lol
Personally I think we had just the right amount of tech in 2005. You could do everything you can do now on your computer, but your cell phone was a flip phone. You could call and text and everyone did short texts cause it took so long. No constant staring at screens, no constant social media (you had to be in front of your computer for that). We had tech, but we were still more social.
You nailed it with this post.
I went to University 2005-09. I am so glad that there weren't* smartphones during that time. On the one hand there would be a lot more photos of friend and things if there had been, but a lot more wasted time and embarrassment.
*affordable for a student.
Yet another reason why sometimes I wish I was born a decade earlier
The short text actually led to people being unable to spell the actual words over time.
Exactly! Roll the clock back to that, when laptops were freakin' amazing, still are, and keep yourself to phone as phone and camera only. Use smartphone for everything only when cannot have or don't want (theft/activity) to have laptop.
I once went 64 years without a smartphone.
S C A, me too. 67 years and counting. Provider just told me my 3G will stop working everywhere in the few months, but said they can replace it with a new simple flip. I still spend too much time on YT.
@@lornathorpe1632 You will hate the new flip..nothing like the older ones and are not user friendly... I ended up throwing away my At&T alcatel flip and found an old LG online like I use to have..
@@damnright4 I think the replacement is an LG. Does the old one you found have enough Gs?
@@lornathorpe1632 It has 3 Gs and im fine with that, however AT&T will be ending 3G one year from now so im not sure what I will do, maybe find a carrier that still uses 3G But if you get a new flip from AT&T its the alcatel and it sucks.
1.) Buy a good GPS.
2.) You should always print out all your travel documents in multiple copies. Everyone in your immediate group should carry copies of the immediate groups documents.
3.) I don't know if I could go back but, I enjoyed your trial run.
My husband, a 30-something, used a flip phone until last year when I bought him an iPhone for Christmas. He runs his own business without the use of a smartphone. I thought he was missing out; he never thought he was. His screen time says he uses it an average of 30 minutes per day, so having one hasn’t increased his screen time much. He doesn’t care for it, but he does think it’s nice to use for checking the weather 😆
Im jealous. My hubs is hunched over his phone all day, any spare time he gets, I almost have to fight for attention. 😔 He started to get the picture when I had to hide his phone from him.
how does he drive without a maps app? I would get lost haha
Yes, my father bought iPhone for watching the weather too 🤣
@@kylie-joy looking around and getting used to major roads while driving normally
Good man 🦸♂️
Year 2040:
"I stopped using my Neuralink brain implant for 30 days"
2030:
"I manually drove without Tesla autopilot for 30 days"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
year 2080:
humans go extinct for 30 days, then come back
@@serenes Earth: "After 30 days of no humans, I feel much better, I can breathe, I feel refreshed. Now that the experiment is over...I'm going to be sick again... :(("
@@grafando i think it will be forbidden to drive without autopilot
I think using smart phones are both a boon and a curse. The want to constantly use it and taking our attention vs using it to keep information that doesn't need to take space in your head.
i like the new pfp
It's really just in our minds if we can control it or not. If you don't realize your addiction, you'll never escape it. You need to stop utilizing your phone as a quick dopamine fix and realize it's there if you truly need it for calls.
ok
Agreed
- sent from my iPhone
Man, you are everywhere...
Love your videos!
My daughter can text faster on a flip phone than most people can on a smart phone. it's amazing watching her.
Well yeah its incredibly difficult to text on a touchscreen when t9 is quick
Was she using blackberry?
It’s kind of crazy to think about how smartphones were used to be more efficient - like texting. On a flip phone it takes 10-15 minutes for a simple text back but on a smartphone it takes 5-10 seconds depending on how fast you type. In theory it’s supposed to lower the time we’re on our phones yet it’s the contrary that’s true - now there’s so much more to do on it and waste a bunch of time using other apps. So we actually spend *even more* time using phones.
There was a different setting on my flip phone that could guess your word as you typed, so I didn’t have to push the key until I got the one letter. It was always funny how surprised people were when they saw how fast I could text 😂
@@mckaysteffler9618 Flexing your skills with the T9 keyboard was the hottest thing to hit my school for a while before the slide phones came out with the full qwerty.
that's why it's a cell phone. cell = a prison cell lol
@@ESPHMacD
Man, I remember there was this girl in one of my computer classes who was able to text without even looking at it anymore. She'd just read the message, hide the phone under the computer desk, and just type. She typed so much faster on that than some people do on a standard smartphone.
As General Ackbar famously said:
"It's a trap!"
th-cam.com/video/4F4qzPbcFiA/w-d-xo.html
The video quality of the phone was quiet decent
Also the way how he only spent 3 hours a day on his phone i- 😭
@@SamuelSamuelSamuel1 to be honest I'm a pretty productive guy I always get stuff done everyday and I spend around 12-14 hours a day on My phone
@@jacksonberch8075 same
quite* but yeye
@Tom Garnett always between 6-8 hours
I desperately want tech companies to bring back flip phones, I find them quite cool lol.
They are still being sold. I own one.
Samsung already has mate
I used to be able to text super fast and without looking by using T9. It was great.
@@esmeraldarodriguez1722 I miss thatttt! In fact your comment just made me look for 123 keyboards on the app store, I don't wanna use the qwerty anymore 😄
it has come in motarola and samsung
When he showed his screen time was only 2 hours 2 minutes I was like… oh… I’m really bad 🤣🤣
Most women are terrible with phone addiction, it's okay.
Same!!!! I was thinking “he thinks that’s bad!?!”
Year 2030:
“I used a smartphone for 30 days”
Rotary phone and a pager would be a good one.
Lol!
"Smart glasses are really distracting"
Year 2040:
“My smartphone used me for 30 days.”
Time traveller here, I tried that but I realized I am too used to these Quantumphones now.
*"Everything in life is easier when you don't concern yourself with what other people are doing."*
As we watch a video about how someone else didn’t use a smartphone for 30 days
But if you don't, you will miss out on information to improve your life or even survive!
@@anonwithamnesia Right... Because before smartphones ppl never improved and were constantly in deadly danger lmao Wake the hell up & stop making excuses for your bad habits!
@@annamoore6304 ah, got me. But everything has its pros and cons.
Yes so true! After getting rid of my social media two years ago I would take really great photos and only keep them for myself because I don't owe it to anyone to share this and don't need validation that it's good. My mental health has really improved well until my husband shows me his phone of what someone else is doing and I'm like "well crap" lol
Me, with 7 hours of screen time per day:
“2-3 hours on your phone in a single day?! You addict!”
I am being humble when I am telling you that I am the most powerful strongest coolest smartest most famous greatest funniest Y*uTub3r of all time! That's the reason I have multiple girlfriends and I show them off on my ch*nnel all the time! Bye bye gon
Me with 9 or more :)))
I try to stay under 6 lol. But that is because I am on break and don’t have school work lol
Same :(
@@Productimothy 😂
Dude, you are speaking to my heart right now… I feel the same, I have tried downgrading my data plan, deleting apps etc but you can get all that back and that is the problem.
So I am thinking about getting a flip phone and a gps device for my car!
Try setting the screen to black and white, the "pull" will reduce heavily
^can confirm, making your phone screen greyscale does help. The only problem is that you can undo it. This is actually making me consider getting a flip phone too
@@DAMfoxygrampa get cat s22
Get a cat s22 flip phone maps gps android auto
It's all about FOMO - fear of missing out.
exactly
"The race is long, but in the end it's only with yourself"
I feel like capturing memories on my smartphone takes my mind away from the moment. I think it's a good habit to push yourself to enjoy the beauty of life around you without capturing it on your device.
Lol people in the comments for this video need 🤣
Camera phones are a godsend compared to the way things used to be
I feel like this too, sometimes instead of pulling out your phone and taking a picture just being in the moment is better
Not me suddenly wanting to buy a flip phone for the Matt D’Avella aesthetic
literally 😭
same
Same
same
PLEASE do it, it will really change your life hehe
Q: How did we ever get by before the “smartphone”...?
A: Just Fine.
True indeed people are just lazy these days
This is Maria. I’ve never had a “smart phone”. I have a laptop and an iPad. We also have no TV and no cable bill. We do have internet. My husband has a “smart phone due to work. I have an old Nokia and cats. Cats better than a smartphone.
...it was because it wasn’t standardized. now it is. Having a phone is important for modern life
@@teccash3507 uh that’s not how it works
ok boomer
MATT THE BORING PHONE WOULD'VE BEEN PERFECT FOR YOU!! It's a modern smartphone with a custom OS that doesn't have Wi-Fi, a browser or a play store. Maps, messaging, camera and other important functions are still there but there's NO WAY to get any app to waste time. It seems incredible. All the key features of a modern smartphone (camera, touchscreen etc.) without any of the distractions.
Like this so Matt can see.
Omg, I googled it and this is my dream phone!
@@julianagtf you're welcome lol. I tried buying this phone but it's out of stock. Also, it's 235 pounds lol. I'm actually in the process of making my own version of this idea that's a little cheaper but has the great build quality and all the other standard features. Still research phase atm but I'd be interested in your opinion as to what qualities the phone should have. Let me know if you're interested in hopping on zoom - my friend and I would love your opinion on the subject.
Thanks for this heads up and I’m loving this!
Uuuhhhmm - can't you make ANY phone a Boring Phone by just throwing out the apps you feel distract you more than they add value (social media, especially?)
@@shorifulhaque5137 DEFINITELY it should be able to handle group messages, and preferably also emojis. (Signed, a flip phone user.)
Remember how fast we all were at texting on those flip phones
Yeah of course! If you use T9 😂🙌🏻 isn’t that what it’s called?
@@jaketryban8772 I hated T9 on my old flip phone and always chose to text using the Abc option. With my current GZ'One, I usually use T9, though I'm just about as fast with Abc still.
So fast!!
It will be a bit slower, but enabling T9 will make you able to text proficiently enough. You'd still be faster on an actual keyboard on the computer, i remember. Logging on to MSN messenger, if you were actually gonna have text conversation, and not just a quick message, that sms is intended for
Jesus loves you all and He saves and He knows you🤍😊
"I swapped my smartphone with a flip phone"...
-Takes out Galaxy Z Flip
ROFL!
Literally laughed out. But it wouldn't be a lie.
@@KittyKat94 Galaxy Z flip is just as bad because it's basically a gimmick and pro gamers never go out side to begin so the flip phone challenge is easy because they just use Skype on then PC.
💀😂
@@monicagambino318 Thing about regular flip phone not foldable smartphone is that its so primitive that ads don't load on the TH-cam .
Back when we had a flip phone we had a social life
Now we have smartphones and we dont even call each other
I would rather trade all the tech i have to have a few good friends to talk to
I completely agree with you!
@@FinixFunny Thanks man.I appreciate it.
I have lots of friends and the tech, win win for me.
@@ProAvgeek6328 Thats what you say.
@@lazarusblackwell6988 that's the truth
I want a flip phone just for the whole ending calls just by closing the phone dramatically😂
omg same
Get a Samsung galaxy z flip
I miss that 😂
Or you buy a Samsung Galaxy Z FLIP
@@awastedminute2258 THIS
"I've got about 40-50 hard drives I need to recycle." - no one ever
Not enough people are talking about this
I may sound stupid but instead of recycling wouldn't it be better to sell it off to someone in need??
As a video editor I'm on my way to this struggle too. I TOTALLY understand.
@@buppy4976 for real lmao It instantly brought all the "Jimmy has 47 watermelons" (who the fuck is Jimmy and why does he casually have 47 watermelons lying around??) problems to my mind lol
@@cr3atur321 I know LMAO
I’ve never had a smart phone. Always had a flip phone. When I get a major text I just call the person and actually communicate with them. Small things I can do texting. My flip phone is like 8 years old and still works good. But I grew up with a phone on the wall and called people with phone numbers I had memorized. I did buy a gps for my car.
I also bought a GPS and it works just fine. I am trading my Iphone SE for a 4GLTE flip phone.
I also choose to still own a flip phone....I just don't want to be looking down at a device 24/7. I would MUCH rather talk to someone than text to someone. Works for me so far.
Friggin right! So cool to hear others like me. Lol. Im mid 30's and never owned a smartphone. I have an old LG from about 6 years ago that i am about to retire and get a new flip phone. The biggest reason i don't have a smartphone is because i have a very expensive computer setup at home that i spent enough time in front of as it is, i don't need one in my pocket too. When im not at home, i am free from devices! Well besides my old Garmin gps that i occasionally get out when im on my country drives.
My dad kept his flip phone until the service shut down lol
There’s a certain charm to the simplicity of a flip phone. You stop looking up useless things, take pictures when you don’t have to. You have to think and plan.
I don't really take.photos with my phone. So if I went back to a flip phon I wouldn't be missing out. I gotta get a computer first so I can back off the phone
Honestly dont think the idea of smart phones are bad, its just how they are designed. They are designed to be addictive. If they are used for the functional uses like the internet, calling, texting, direction, notes, etc smartphones are great. But as of now for most people phones are just time sinks.
Really depends on how you deal with them. you can restrict yourself a lot by not putting time wasting apps on there
Yes, they are designed to be addictive to further profit their pockets. How misleading to act like they are just trying to be more helpful to us.
Depends on the apps too. Certain things, like maps and what not can be really useful, and games can be fun occasionally. But social media I think is the most toxic section of it, and comes with the most benefits. It wouldn’t be such a big problem but nobody has self control anymore so they would probably just redownload the apps they don’t like anyways
There are a few controls you can put in place to limit yourself but they are not very complete. You can't set a lock for your iphone that won't expire after a set number of minutes, and the limits you put on apps are just as easily turned off by two presses, I haven't looked for any parental controls but these types of things should be available. Even apps that are not social media can have you compulsively checking.
@@dropit7694 I've decreased my phone usage a lot. I always leave it in my room when I'm at home so if I need to use it I will need to go back into my room and I'll leave it there when I'm done, another one is not having the phone with you outside if you dont need it, if I'm grocery shopping, going for walks, etc and I dont need the phone I wont bring it with me. I'm down to around 10-35 min on workdays and around 20-50 on weekends. I really wanna reduce my weekend usage, there are some days where I can go up towards 90 minutes but thankfully those days are rare.
Watching this at 3 a.m. in bed....Realized I'm heavily addicted and need a drastic change. Thanks Matt 👍
If you use a flip phone for long enough, you can get to be pretty quick at texting.
But what if we keep a flip phone for half of the day (so that we can get some deep work done) and turn on our IPhones for later? Would that work? 🧐
Sounds like it would
I was thinking this as well. What is we used a smartphone as a supplemental tool, rather than primary. I could
Imagine taking mine out if I needed a gps or if I wanted some Insta time after dinner. Or not.
Or just use a smartphone but only have certain apps on it? 🤷♂️ So you can still text, use Gmaps etc but you can't use it to do random crap throughout the day? Seems to me like the best option and what I'll be doing when my contact renews in a few months
Okay. I am gonna borrow your idea on my next appearance on shark tank. 😂
If we had such perfect balance in life. Then yeah!
hope all y'all reading this have a blessed 2021.
@bnza10 shut up
@bnza10 Be kind
love the logo oh yea yea
Dude.. you are all over the place
@@Techo.41 hahaha where else did you see me
2 or 3 hours? Try 7 😂☠️😭
Same!
7? Try 10
@@mohit-ng6sw hahahaah samee
@@mohit-ng6sw oh my god that’s the next level brooo
HA! Funny try 19😎
Had the internet removed from my smart phone, turned off all notifications and removed all game apps. Still am able to text normally and now phone only used for speaking and text.
I didn't know you could do that. I would love to be able to turn off notifications. How do you do it?
@@lisachapman6492 it’s in your settings, there’s a section for notifications. You can turn it off for certain apps or just turn them off entirely
"We trade our happiness for convenience." Now that's a thinker. 🙂
"I should probably pay attention while driving"
Yes
lol
but to other cars, not making a strenuous effort to read all the signs and get the right exit.
Options I've used/considered: install a GPS in the car, having a designated spot in my house that my phone lives during the day so I'm not carrying it around with me, only using social media if I'm sitting down to eat or rest for a few minutes and only if my computer is off. I work from home so if my computer is on my phone is not and vice versa. I also have a 1 year old so showing him that screen time isn't more important than him is essential.
Some things you can also do is remove all the tempting apps from your smart phone like social media, food apps, shopping apps, and even games (turn your WIFI off for no ads in games you love to play) and see which basic apps you actually use (like calculator, calendar, flashlight). I miss my flip phone 6 out of 7 days and I am trying to use my smart phone less and less now that I see the effect on my son. and my family. Humans survived millenia without them, we can too...right?
I have gone 65 years without a smart phone,but I am hooked on TH-cam via my I Pad.
TH-cam is my go-to social media too. Even before the smartphone i would spend hours on here, learning new stuff
@@Kyle1444 at least youre learning
TH-cam is my life and i hate that Google made the old browsers have no access to youtube i have to find the links of the videos and download them i have polish cow downloaded lol
TH-cam aren't my enemy because I feel bored easily on TH-cam
It is possible to have a smart phone and just not use any social media apps. My happy medium is using my smart phone camera and maps, but have no social related apps on my phone. I try to use my phone for strictly productivity, tracking, notes, maps, texting, pictures and video, or finance apps... but then nothing else.
I love that!. Frame a phone as a productivity tool and relegate any social / leisure activities to another device (or no device!).
I do this. I have no apps that have a 'feed' on my phone. I often open my phone, and then remember, 'Oh! There's nothing to look at...'
Great Idea. I just think that my Tablet Screentime will be up to more hours because i want to check Instagram and YT there instead of using the phone.
Exactly! Why would someone use apps that make them unhappy, social media apps and other junk could be deleted in a few seconds.
A trick I have been practicing for a few months now that is decently effective is setting integrated screen time limits on my iPhone (I am not sure about other smartphones). My brother is literally the only one who knows the password to disable to restrictions on social media apps (tiktok, youtube, snapchat, instagram, facebook, reddit, etc) so I can't jinx it. Some times social media is necessary for a link someone had sent you, so my screen time limit is the combined screen time of these apps for 30 minutes p day.
"That's what she said" literally never gets old when the timing is right. That took me by surprise so hard and I laughed my ass off 🤣
Me too... did not expect it right at the beginning of the video... glad Matt kept it 😂🤣
Same!
Matt D'Avella: "I used a flip phone for 30 days"
Me: "I used a flip phone for 15 years"
That makes you a living fossil😁
Me: I used a landline all my life.😅
lol right, I actually got this phone he has recently and its a total pos. I miss my last phone little samsung gusto.
Everyone's grandma: "my time to shine"
6 years
I just got rid of social media. It's made me focus more on what's important rather than people's complaints about the world.
The real title of this video should be
"So.... I flipped my phone"
Matt really missed the opportunity
"Love people, use things, because the opposite never works!"
- The Minimalists
I don't get it, use things like what?
@@mdfakhrany materials
@@Non-religiou Isn't minimalism is all about reducing unnecessary materials in life! Is it like a joke or I'm brain dead right now
@@mdfakhrany Like the opposite of the saying. They mean that do not use people and do not love things, cuz that is not gonna work
@@aleks3449 Ahaa Like love people not things xD thank you bro
"takes 2-3 hours of my day"
*laughs in 9 hours of screen time*
18 was my worst
I feel like a lot of these should be less about how bad technology is, and more about how important self control is. You can have the conveniences of a smart phone without it making you unhappy, just stop being so invested in the worrying things you get out of your phone. Turn off notification for everything but the necessary stuff, get off social media, etc. Now you can have google maps and improve yourself.
Totally agree with you on everything you wrote!!
your self control has to be abnormal to be able to resist all of the things companies try to distract you with to get you to use their products. The notification tip is a very good one though, disable all. Your phone should look like a toolbox when you open it up.
That's kind of funny, because people are genuinely addicted.
@@ferryvantichelen6521 Exactly. Self-control is overrated, these phones are designed to be extremely convenient and attention-grabbing
@@romiromr People are addicted, but any addiction can be overcome. And it's not like most people this kind of video is aimed at are people so addicted they can't tear themselves away from the phone.
Outside of extreme cases like that, it really does just come down to self control. I get notifications and ads for things vying for my attention all the time, sometimes I cave to it but more often than not I can determine it's not worth my time or attention.
Which can be helped by turning notifications off things, or even deleting the apps entirely
My kids asked me what life was like in the 80's and 90's...so I took away their phones and shut off the internet.
Great way for them to experience what it is like haha
Glad that they didn't ask how arctic looks like ;)
And, hopefully, cranked up the classic rock. 😎
Should have had them watch a movie on VHS without rewinding it to the beginning first.
Nice idea lol
I think the problem with our phones is definitely social media
Couldn’t agree more! Deleted the apps from my phone and limit my use of their services to when I am on my laptop. Has been a game changer :)
Absolutely, because remove all the apps, it’s just a...phone.
Also the news
Smartphones are really really useful: notes, photos, maps, research, time tracking (for me), efficiency...but at a cost. In 2018 I found out about Matt and it was from that moment that I started to notice the problem with the use of my phone. Now I’m not perfectly intentional, but I have rules, like not using phone when with people. Smartphones, tablets, PCs, are tools that will simplify our life, if used correctly.
@Steven Daly I also recommend Cal Newport! His other book Deep Work was a game changer for me also.
Hey Matt, I’ve just been catching up on your content from recently and I’m not sure if I’m only just noticing it or if it’s a conscious change you’ve made but I really like how you’re not reshooting a whole scene if you stumble on a word or stitching takes together to cover it up. It feels way more real than the way people curate themselves so heavily and feels like more of a conversation. People do bloopers of their ‘failed’ takes but this feels really genuine and I think what often makes a blooper scene is people getting caught up in their filming mistakes to the point that it dominates the scene but you just move on with grace and acceptance that it doesn’t have to be perfect and it’s a powerful reminder to me. Thanks :)
Also welcome to Australia!
Noticed this as well
I'm a retired senior and have used a flip phone for years. I have no desire to get a smart phone. My van has a built in GPS system which I hardly use as I rely on google maps. I'm finding with the shut down we went through I have become more addicted to my laptop. Most of my day is taken up with sitting in front of that screen. The You Tube censuring has really gotten on my nerves as they have removed many of the channels I enjoy watching. Like you I will wean myself from this device and try to spend quality time doing other things.
Life hack: Everybody should invest in a Thomas Guide for the region they live in..... then learn how to read / use it. A) It's good to know how to navigate a hand map. B) During some type of natural disaster, you very easily could lose GPS abilities and may have to rely on hand maps to navigate to a safer location. C) Learning the addressing of the region you live in will help you to rely less on GPS and more on knowledge (that's why your dad can still live without a smart phone). D) Buy a new one every five years and recycle the old one.
Better get a real life compass as well to go along with that map😉
I immediately googled what that was... 😏🤣 its a map. I have a Thomas Guide and small map also in my car. #winning!
Yes, I used Thomas Guides and was able to remember how to get to places. Usually after one use to an address, I did not have to use again to the same address, no matter how many turns. Now that I use my phone for GPS, I pay less attention to landmarks or general visuals that I have to use repeatedly to the same address.
"We trade our happiness so many times for convenience". Never thought about it this way, but wow you are so right!😯
You can simply choose to use it for convenience only. Don’t do things on your cell that cause you unhappiness. For example, delete ALL social media apps.
I have a smartphone 6s- the last one with plug-in jacks. I have no data. I use it for voice, text, camera and music. If I want any info, like now, I use my MacBook. My laptop, however, I use to make music, so that is my go to tech. This is my distancing from the madness of looking at my phone every minute. If you are bored on the bus or in waiting situations get a magazine subscription. Learn to read a book. Radical I know.
I have a 6s as well and refuse to give it up...just got a new screen and battery today! What’s a plug in jack??? Lol
The important question is... does it have snake?
Good point... I miss that game
I’m pretty sure it does if it’s on kaios!
Or Frogger that game was gold
WHAT A THROWBACK. You’re asking the right questions.
@@TheUnwrittenWriter 🐍
Alternative title: living as a person of the 90's 2000's
*buys an old ass mac*
@@elijahcota2408 I have a 2007 mac. Its a hassel to get even a few tabs open with your work. Better just use newer ones, 100 percent less headache
and even early 2010s i would say
Did they even have flip phones in the 90's? Not to my recollection. Most people I know who had cell phones had open-faced ones. Flip phones became more common in my area around 2005. This could partly be due to costs and selections available from the limited cell phone providers in my area.
I feel like I try filling all the void I feel throughout my day by scrolling through apps; looking for stuff that's not there!
Exactly 🤣
Same
Texting took you long with T9? Imagine having entire conversations under your desk in HS without looking at the phone like I did. Man some people never had that skill!
Those were the days. Pretending to pay attention in class while texting under the desk hoping the teacher won't walk over at that moment
Yes!!!!
Congrats on 3 Million!! Matt, I completed my first dopamine detox last week and this reminds me of that experience. Isn’t it a weird feeling to seek digital minimalism when your brand/business is on a digital platform? I think it’s good for all of us to lengthen or cut the leash to our devices, but also I’m speaking against my own product 🤪
calling it "dopamine detox" is actually very mindfull AND funny
Dopamine Detox is hype, biologically speaking your body wouldn't survive without dopamine. You cut out the phone for an hour or whatever decided time is an achievement which in turn releases dopamine, so maybe influencers need to change their wording with dopamine detox.
Alrighty it’s not about removing all dopamine but instead removing unproductive or unhealthy sources of dopamine for a period of time so you can get more dopamine/enjoy harder and more boring tasks. It results in more productivity and mindfulness around social media addiction.
@@sarahbethyoga exactly call it a digital break, not dopamine detox.
Alrighty sure but it’s not all digital
I am an older person and saw the changes in society as this technology has arrived. Even back in the 1960s when TV came to my country-gradually the social character of our world faded away. It has never stopped with the consumer world getting so dominating.I chose to not have a mobile phone as I see the way this has isolated us. It can be a great tool -all this technology- eg facebook -and how we can connect... but its never a substitute for real contact-face to face.
@@hampter2407 I bet you have been waiting years to finally get a chance to use that unoriginal insult huh? Basement dwelling mamas boys are so cringe.
@@hampter2407 open your mind and ears instead of being emotional. His comment was an insight from another perspective. We can learn from those and should. His suggestion is not a command. We have the freedom to consider it or not.
Your response probably only serves to support his opinion on your generation. Why not try a different method besides responding defensively? Might be productive.
@@hampter2407 "doing things in the modern way", what, becoming shut in alienated pieces of crap unable to socialise? So many young people are becoming that today, and so many older people tend to become less social and this tech is to blame. The intentionally addicting nature of it, that makes people think it's okay to shut yourself in this way. Real world social communication is what is natural, good for your health and brain and what phones are teaching people not to do. Shame.
Such a powerful message about what we take for granted in life. Thank you for sharing Matt, as always. You’ve even inspired me to start my own TH-cam channel!❤️🧸
So true! Congratulations on your new TH-cam channel! 👏🏻👏🏻 I started one too ✨
This is a worthy exercise man. You're not alone in your thought processes with cutting some things loose in life. I think I'm right behind you.
Did you do it?
@@mya5582 I did not do it. I have found more freedom in setting my phone down and walking away. I've also silenced a LOT of time-suck apps.
“How am I going to take advantage of those tools without those tools taking advantage of me?” Word.
I did this at 17 few yrs ago.....u realize how empowering & productive it is. We're soo focused & consumed with irrelevant topics n chit chat.
I thought this said “I did this 17 years ago” very confused lmao
When I was 17, Internet wasn't even a thing 🤣
@@aydax3812 thats exactly what I read also. HaHa
Anyone thinking of trying this, just find a vintage blackberry storm. They're too old for apps or the internet, but text and call really well.
Do they work with 4G? In Germany they will discontinue 3G soon so my Nokia E65 will not be able to receive calls anymore :(
Sometimes, I wish BlackBerry was still around. I would have taken a BlackBerry the size of the large iPhones.
Full keyboard was a blessing during the early texting days.
@@michaelh.gerloff3659 If i'm not mistaken, the 3G shutdown does not affect calls, only mobile internet won't work anymore on phones that are not compatible with 4G/LTE
@@sarahmarah Thank you, I did not think about this.
There's no way you could figure out how to get somewhere 5 days a week without a smartphone eh? How did people possibly find anything in the past? The world must've ground to a halt every time someone had to find something that was more than a block away from home! How did we survive as a society? Madness I tell you, MADNESS!!
Well, growing up in So. Calif.,( starting 72 yrs ago), Thomas Bros. maps ( there were many of them for areas of each county, etc., in nice, flexible, plastic-covered binder form) that got me around in an unfamiliar area :) If technology goes bye-bye for a while, we may look to "primitive" helps like paper maps. Homing pigeons?! 😁 Thank you for your video.
I used the map in the phone book to get an idea of my route then took off. Got to where I wanted to go every single time.
I used to work for the SoCal Gas Co, and had Thomas Guides for the entirety of So Cal!
I became very intuitive with their use, and could usually find any location.
Printing out the directions is really no big deal and often times more direct and quicker than relying on GPS.
Man that printing out a map brings me back when I rode motorcycles. Benefits are that you actually memorize the roads better than using a navigation device
The other day i drove around Sydney just using the road signs and got everywhere i needed to go!
Watching this after 6.4 earthquake in Croatia. Thank you for your positive energy Matt.
Sending you love, stay safe
The Universe is not in a hurry. You are. It’s why you’re tired, it’s why you’re anxious, stressed, and disappointed. Trust that what was meant to be yours, will be yours Unrush yourself. Hope our channel helps you on your journey !
Nice words
@@MateoLeonViana Thanks Mateo ❤🙏
I still have my smartphone, I just keep it in the car as my work and navigation phone. I use my flip phone for everything else. Best decision I've ever made
I keep my phone in a different room (not my bedroom) in a drawer and make an effort not to open that drawer for at least the first hour I'm awake. This helps me focus on what I want to accomplish that day instead of thinking about my phone.
I then set specific times to check my phone and answer texts, and then set my phone down right before dinner/family time.
It helps keep me refreshed and not enslaved to the screen
2-3 hours per day?! That would be most people's goal for reducing smart phone use lol.
It’s my goal for 2021
i just hit three hours/day, hoping for less than 1 hour/ day by the end of 2021😅
My Screentime is 9 hours 😬
I have 2-3 hours a day on my phone too, but then again I’m on my PC for the rest of the day so I don’t think that counts...
@@avelyseodle9278 same... 😓😓😬😬
moral of the story: develop self discipline and put your smartphone down sometimes
@Pete Melon All people, not just young
@Pete Melon okay boomer
@@arifhussain926 as a gen z myself, phones are making us miserable but it still helps us to be "unmiserable". its one of the reasons why phones are addictive, tbh the newer the generation the worser
@Pete Melon In older generations most people lack the ability to self-reflect on their own habits, doesn't make them better that they simply haven't been accustomed to this particular habit.
@Pete Melon my parents use the smartphone more than I do. It's not just the younger generations.
It's a persistent problem across all generations.
Maybe you have developed self control. It's too tough for me to do it.
Next best option is to throw away my smartphone. Works like a charm, helps me to improve my life.
i miss how life was pre-smartphones. maybe its because i was a little kid, but the 2000s really seemed like the time to be alive. it felt like the perfect middle ground of convenience and inconvenience in terms of tech
I remember being able to memorize the keyboard and would be competitive with friends on who can type the fastest on our little flip phones 😭 Then when the sliding keyboard came out it was game over
i still can type fast and even blindtype on a flipphone i used to text so much a can't forget it😁😁😁😊😊
I've started limiting my cell phone usage over the last few days, only checking social media once a day in the evening and more on my computer versus my smartphone; similarly, I'm checking email in detail only on my computer. It's not too bad, but smartphone dependency is certainly an interesting habit to break. I definitely was checking it way too much previously, and as you said, getting too caught up in and spending too much time on social media, news, TH-cam, etc. and not enough time doing "real" activities (not passively staring at a screen). Liking the experiment. Thanks for this video, and the initial one from a month ago in which you mentioned this challenge.
Has everyone but me forgotten about GPS thingies like TomTom? It sounds like that would solve a huge portion of the convenience problem.
Yes exactly!
Those are really cheap now too.
I thought that too. But the problem still exists if you need to walk somewhere.
Still use it, idk i like it xD
You know you’re old school when you find out you still have a map in your glove compartment. 😂
In the end it's not the smartphone thats the problem, it's social media
It's no even social media, it's ourselves thinking social media is everything we need to focus on. Those are just apps, people are the ones making everything seem more relevant than what it actually is lmao
@@annnlvbb291 have you seen a social dilemma? You overestimate your abilities haha
Yes, but also news apps, and having Google available to you 24/7 creates in your brain a dependence on being connected all the time. This has rewired our brains in unhealthy ways, because now we feel the need to constantly be available and connected.
you don’t understand how tempting this is to me.
"I feel like I'd miss out on memories in photographs" - you could argue, you'd be more present. So you may experience more memories. Quite a cool experiment and I'm tempted to try it myself. I'll be deleting social media Tomorrow (NYE), as I've found it to be overwhelming. A flip phone may help me
Good luck to you! Would love to hear how your experience goes.
Spot on. I don't tend to Photograph memories and loathe the whole concept of Selfies.
@@cocteaufan oh same, however, i never used to feel that way. A younger me always took photos, nights out with friends was spent on my phone taking photos, instead of being present. I've learnt since then, and I'm glad I did! Maybe it's a sign of how our society is realising the uses, and flaws in the technology we've developed.. or I've just matured.. I'll take either haha
@@michaelhorvath165 Thanks, the only "social" media I intend on keeping is youtube, purely to watch specific creators. It'll be hard to avoid the youtubes algorithm of "controversial" news outlets, but we'll see how it goes :)
Absolutely. It would be interesting to see how many more long term and treasured memories are made when there's no way to selfie it.
One definite down side to using google to get around. My kids have no idea what direction they are driving in. They also don't know how to get places so don't see sights that may be interesting. Their memory is no longer challenged. They say, "mom, how do you know where everything is?" And I think, their brain cells are starting to die at such a young age. Plus, who used to be on the phone all day long talking to people? We were allowed breaks to be alone and ponder our thoughts in our own heads.
When I explained to the seventh graders I teach how we used to text on flip phones they were HORRIFIED. I feel like I used to be really good at it though 🙃
😁😂 I can only imagine their reactions... they must think of it as the dinosaur 🦖 times 🤣
Brave of you to try sistah 🤣
Next video: I used a walki-talki for 30 days
😁😂🤣 made me laugh out loud
0:45
Matt: “2 or 3 hours today”
Me: “WAIT WHAT? I usually have 5 or 7 hours..”
Yeah, same! :D
10 hours 🌚
My goal woud be to only spend 2 to 3 hours
Me: 0 hours
I used to spend 2-3 hours before the pandemic. Now my average is also 5-7 😐
"It's hard living like it's 1990"
I didn't get a smart phone till like 2014 or 2015. It wasn't that difficult. You still have your laptop to do most of what your phone already do now. Texting with a flip phone has really become a lost art. I remember writing paragraphs worth of notes on my old flip phones with ease and everything. I remember even watching a full season series on my phone off youtube before getting a smartphone waiting for the bus to and from work.
I SAID 4M DOLLARS *dramatically closes flip phone*
y E
😂🤣 so funny!!
I want interview footage of everyone you sent “k” to this month 😅
Yes please!
Eh 😅
We need a Smart Flip Phone: Simple phone with minimal useful quality apps (Maps, Photos and Video, WhatsApp / Telegram / or similar texting App, Email and not much more) good camera and keyboard.
This should be next innovation 🤙
I agree! Besides, there are some apps that already come with the phone and I cannot delete them, like TH-cam. If I didn't have TH-cam in my phone I would be less addicted to it, and I would only watch videos on my computer.
You know every smartphone has a dumbed down version of the OS that does exactly that right?
You should check out the Light Phone 2, it offers precisely what you're looking for
@@axillv1736 what is called? I really want to know
I think the best way is self-discipline or doing so many activities after work that you literally don't have time to look at the phone.
I admit I use the phone quite a lot but I have imposed myself to not look at messages while still in bed...and that already saved me 30 min as you said.
After work I study Japanese, go to the gym, play the piano, enjoy movies (when I have time)...so basically I am reducing the time I look at the phone by doing other things.
I mostly use the phone to watch youtube videos while cooking or to listen to music when my laptop is not available.
But as for social media I have cut down a lot by just...being busy in doing things I like to do!
Says phones take 2 to 3 hours a day and its bad. Me who spends 10 hours daily: 😭
Awesome! People like you will fall behind, as I build my success instead of being glued to my cell lol
@@annamoore6304 no offence, but what you said was mean and kind of uncalled for buddy
@@julesby1085 Maybe it will serve as a wake up call for this person. They’re wasting their precious and very limited gift of time to waste on passive consumption. (While others build their success). Pussyfooting around the issue and enabling this behaviour won’t help.
@@annamoore6304 maybe it will! I agree that it is an issue and it needs to be addressed, you're right on that. I just think you could have worded that another way, that's all :D
10 hours?? So you’re only 6 hours a day actually doing stuff... wake up man, thats sad
I'm old. Never had a smart phone, or even a cell phone until few years ago. Media and the phone are a trap, and very addictive. Regrets. May go buy a old-school, flip phone, jitterbug. Lol
Next level: communicate via smoke signals
I use radio
Walky talky
Sign language 🤟
I still love flip phones but they really don't meet my lifestyle needs anymore. However, I still can't get used to seeing people using their smart phones to video "everything". I can't get used to not seeing people will real cameras. The truth is, I don't think we should refer to them as phones anymore. I used to have a "PDA" with my flip phone, even a beeper before cell phones.
So, the truth is that what we have are not phones anymore, the phone is just a small part of the entire unit. What should we call it? Maybe go back to PDA, personal data assistant, with a phone too.
As for me, I just can't see giving China more money. No one "needs" the latest phone, TV, or gadget in general. The point of the video, I believe, is just that. We have allowed technology to become an obsession and to control our emotions. Maybe people are just drones, sheep, or mice that follow the sound of a flute without looking ahead.
I have the iPhone 6, I've had it for many years. It does everything I need and if I fast forward to the latest iPhone, I see that the only thing I don't have is a higher pixel camera, a larger memory (quick note, icloud takes care of that), and maybe there's something I'm missing, but if I don't know it, then I don't need it.
I say that people need to put the brakes on technology. All this whining about censorship on Facebook and being booted from Twitter, information being stolen, and yet, like any dumb animal, we keep coming back for more, well I don't, I dumped Facebook after 10 years in one click months ago. Social media, it's just crazy. It's not social. Next time you're at a table with people and their faces are in their phones, slam your fist down on the table, you'll see how engrossed they are by how high they jump.
Something's gotta' give. My advice is to follow Matt's lead, give it a go, cut down your technology wherever possible. I don't need Alexa to lower my thermostat.
On a final note, people have to recognize that strangers know more about them through social media than their own families, there's something very wrong with that.
The companies are data mining, they have so much information about you that they can predict your likes and dislikes before they target you. These are dangerous times, our government is too large and too much a part of our personal lives, but we, the People, have given them permission, haven't we?
Maybe a Blackberry would've been a better option?
One of matt's things I think is to just go head first, usually choosing a more extreme choice rather than a mid-range option.
Yes I love blackberries for some reason I just liked them my grandparents had them
I use a Blackberry which costs £25 and has the advantage over a flip phone in that it has a Qwerty keyboard which makes texting easy.
@@melaniepitt4295 won't you still be abit addicted cause easier typing and you can web browse all socials??
No, because my phone plan does not support any of those.
NEXT CHALLENGE: I went bald.
🤣
I went bald too. Last month. Doing a 1 year hair growth and beard journey. Been taking pictures every other day and gonna make a timelapse slideshow. Start Nov 27.
@@DipMaster20 Bro wow! Great idea, especially in these covid times
😁😂🤣
No more time consumed buying hair products, going to and from a haircut, low to no maintenance. Its very beneficial to go bald.
POV: You're watching this video on your phone in bed
I’m on a chair with my feet on my bed. Does that count?
I hate you for being right lol 😂
laptop in bed
well...what do expect...watching while skydiving?
I've got a flip phone. Had 1 for 5 years now. I love it. I Also have a tablet That I keep at home . Sure, there are drawbacks to a flip phone But I've got a Sonim. It allows group messaging so I don't miss out on that. Driving and just everyday l8fe has become so much more enjoyable. I've become very involved in my community. I volunteer for alot of things now I never even knew existed beforehand. Life is so much simpler with a flip phone and my happiness has skyrocketed.
1 major perk on a flip phone? It'll hold a charge for almost a week. My smartphone couldn't even last a day
I think during the time of the pandemic this was a power video. I talk to a lot of people who are just mindless absorbing screen time or tech without much thought on the impacts of our well-being. Love the way you put this together.
Absolutely. I’m so happy I came across his video with this content. I’ve been thinking downgrading my tech as well !!!!