Ha! So cool. I told my adult children I was leading the way in mental health improvement with my Nokia 3110 but they didn't believe me. Now if someone young (ish ha ha), cool and an influencer as massive as Alex is doing it then I know I am on trend. They bought me a Smart Phone Nokia to force me back inline (online) but since I have turned off every concievable part of it's tech it barely even knows it's a phone anymore and has driven itself crazy by not knowing it's location or purpose in the multiverse... back to the 3110 then!
Dec 15, 2023·edited Dec 15, 2023Liked by Alex Dobrenko`
This made me laugh out loud in an urgent care waiting room like a real weirdo. Thank you.
When I was backpacking around the world (like 10 years ago) I had a dumb phone with TWO SIM cards that I loved. It cost me $25 euros and I had to add minutes to it like the poor person I was. When I came back to the States, I insisted on keeping it for a whole year before buying a new smart phone.
It was such a worthless phone- I couldn’t get group texts so I missed a lot of important work communication. I don’t think it even had emojis. But you know what, I felt free! The dumb phone met its demise when I dropped it and accidentally ran over it on my moped but you know what, it lived a good life and so did I! 😅
Love this comment! It reminded me that I was backpacking around the world 20 years ago. I had no phone at all. I did have a calling card and a Hotmail account. I felt very free and totally safe.
Totally! The thought of leaving my house, let alone leaving the country, without my phone is actually scary. Twenty years ago, I was like, "I'm sure I'll find a payphone and an internet cafe, and everything will turn out fine."
Yes! God bless internet cafes and international calling cards! And kind strangers. Honestly, remembering all of the positive interactions I've had with humans around the world 10+ years ago is the only thing helping me maintain my faith in humanity now.
I told one of my friends the other day that social media is such a distorted mirror of humanity. It's all funhouse optics and violence and weirdness and we forget it's not actually a clear picture of most of us. Ah, well. That's why they say to see the world, I guess! Get outside of our own bubble to remember we're not so different after all.
Kind strangers are everything! Can't tell you how many times I was looking for a phone or an internet cafe, but what I was really looking for was a way to book a hostel or arrange transport, and when I asked a stranger to point me to a phone or internet cafe, a conversation happened, and they just ended up delivering the actual help I needed. And bonus: I got to learn something about a person from another culture. And double bonus: very good feelings about humanity!
lol honestly I'm not sure. I think I'm a better editor when I don't scroll. I have a lot easier of a time cutting stuff. I feel like i'd gotten pretty bad at that of late and am excited to get better at it again
I truly do not know! So maybe the answer is no? I do think there's a broader thing I want to do moving forward that I'll write more about, which is just like write cuz its fun and not cuz it can make me money or CONVERT subscribers people are not inches waiting to become cm
I have thought about getting a dumb phone. My fear is that there are still things I might need the smartphone for, and that I end up with two phones. I don't want that. I'll give you an example. I buy movie tickets online in an app and then I get rewards that yield free popcorn, which isn't technically free because I bought a bunch of tickets, but damn it I love it when someone says something is free even if it isn't, and also I love popcorn, and I love feeling like a baller, and well, the AMC movie app gives me that feeling. So, what I'm asking, tech reporter / influencer guy, is if I can lose the smartphone and retain my AMC baller status? What does that look like logistically? Related: I'm traveling tomorrow. My plane ticket will appear in my phone's "wallet." Turns out the devil's weight has room for a wallet. Could I go dumb phone and still travel like I'm some sort of man from the future, or do I need paper tickets?
As for the low-tech thing you should review next, let me suggest a Thomas Guide. It's a map in book form. Before smartphones, and Yahoo Maps, we used Thomas Guides to get around Los Angeles. Last I heard, the Thomas people were still in the Guiding business. Give them a ring. Ask them if they'd be willing to send you a free Thomas Guide. And if you need help using it, let me know.
dude you'd be surprised at how easy it is to have both phones. just think of the iphone as a lil computer you bring with you when needed. everywhere including AMC and the airport has wifi, so you';d just pop onto wifi with the iphone and bam, you're cruising like a future guy with popcorn for days.
also how often are you seeing movies lets go see some together.
Dude, I’ve love to see a movie together! I’ve got all these AMC points, so popcorn is on me🍿
As for the little computer, maybe what I need is a dumb phone and an iPad with a wireless plan. The little computer’s screen is too much anyway. Why not go for a big “little computer”?
This was the best review I've read in a long time. I'm super intrigued and almost influenced.
In the interest of not having to get a whole new device, are there ways to hack the iPhone to be dumber? Surely I'd think so, and I've done a few myself. Deleting apps, changing settings, etc. etc. Or is it just too enticing and too easy to bring back the addictive Ferrari pocket computer with a few thumb strokes?
One hot tip/small step that gave me a big change was getting a good old-fashioned alarm clock. I leave my phone downstairs at night and it's nowhere near where I sleep which means upon waking in the middle of the night, I can look to my left and see the time without needing to reach for something and then get distracted. And then when it's time to get up and officially start the day, I'm not reaching for my phone first thing. I get a little concerned that if there is an overnight emergency I would have no way of knowing/no one can get a hold of me or I will miss the tornado/apocalypse warning, but c'est la vie I guess????
I hear you on getting through the hard part of it and finding your way to the other side. It takes work but it is possible and worth it!
I got an alarm clock for this exact purpose and it's such a game changer! Actually I got an Alexa Dot for some stupid reason (maybe I thought I'd play music on it? control lights?) but I use it for one singular purpose, which is as an alarm clock.
Okay yes see this brings up my greatest qualm and the reason I will likely switch to a regular ass alarm from Target: you *have* to talk to the Alexa if you want it to do anything. There is no button to turn off an alarm, no button to play the next song or pause. You can bonk it to snooze, you can adjust the volume with a tap, but that's literally it. For other commands, you have to say, "Alexa, turn off the alarm." or "Alexa, stop." It's horrifying! I just woke up, I don't want to talk to anyone much less a fucking spherical speaker robot sitting on my nightstand!
(You can also control settings via your phone but then you have to be on your phone!! Which defeats the purpose! Sorry for yelling I honestly didn't know how much I hate my Alexa until I started responding to you AAHHH!)
Totally here for your yelling and totally align with not wanting to talk to anyone upon waking. Although I talk to my dog because he's immediately begging for breakfast but I like him a lot so that is fine.
I hope you find a nice new place for Alexa to live that isn't your bedroom and that you can protect your sacred silence in the mornings.
yeah its too powerful i can't have it in my pocket i'll die.
the biggest change is probably one i made a long time ago which is that I got a wristwatch. not an apple watch but just a dumb ass watch. I feel like half of my iphone pickups were to check the time. now i dont do that not even a little.
And I'm only "almost influenced" because the barrier is paying for a whole new device. A $300 investment is probably better suited for my kid's savings account or just like the cost of groceries at this point?!
I loved everyone's hacks for making the current iPhone dumber. On my last phone upgrade I got the "mini" iPhone which is basically the size of maybe an iPhone 5 and that has helped a lot with screen time too since it's not like a full sized computer to watch and scroll on.
My GenX is so obviously showing when I’m shocked that people use their phones to wake up instead of bedside alarm clocks. I used to wake up to the “alternative” radio station in high school...Eddie Vedder just howling away. Dumb was alright!
That post has some general advice and a link to a thread specific to iPhones. I followed that and it helped dramatically lower my overall screen time (while also making it easier to prioritise the sorts of things I find legit useful and enriching about smartphones).
I’ve been curious about a light phone but I really can’t do without my camera to take pictures of my kids and maps. I actually have 2 phones. An iPhone with all social media removed (except Substack but I’m going to move that over) and my burner phone with Instagram, Facebook etc on it. My burner phone never leaves the house so my smart ‘dumb’ phone is all I have. There’s nothing to scroll so I don’t!
1. You should review the Wisephone. It's another kind of dumbphone that I hear is a little more user-friendly than the Light Phone. It also has a camera.
2. Already have. It's everything you say it is.
3. Having a camera and Signal messaging
4.
5. Yep, I didn't get a smartphone until I was 18-ish. I was second to last in my family to get one. I read more, imagined more, and was less stressed.
You know, I was just thinking that having a dumb phone would be really nice but I’m disabled and couldn’t leave the house without a map of some kind. And one of my greatest joys is taking pictures. So this Wise Phone may just be the ticket. So thank you! 🥰
I stuck with a dumb flip phone for a very long time. The problem we had was coverage area. The phones I could find only had a subset of the cellular bands my carrier used, so I'd miss calls and texts. I'd get notice eventually, but for family with today's expectations, it was too much. I had to upgrade to a smart phone in 2018, when we had family members traveling to places where things can go wrong. If I had to go back to a dumb phone, I'd miss the coverage area, 5G works pretty well. I'd also miss the good camera, being able to check my email and search/maps. I'm still pretty sketchy about my cellular habits. I don't carry it around with me when I'm at home, so I still miss calls to my cell. It's a different story when I'm out, but I still miss calls. When I'm out and about and active I don't notice the vibrate and I keep the ring-tone set kinda low.
I dig the idea; why not just remove the extraneous apps from the phone you already have? I don’t have social or games on my phone.. I suppose I could remove gmail and... Substack and I’d more or less be in the same place.
I hear ya; I’ve actually searched for a way to make it impossible to download games on my phone, so strong is the pull from these ridiculous diversions. YouTube is my latest problem.
Parking up the IPhone for few hours, sometimes a few a days at a time is definitely good for your mental health. Not so much for those trying to contact you, but those that know you well know the score, and those that don’t probably never will. And that’s ok. I think. Kids can’t compete with attention grabbing devices. And they know it. For that alone it’s worth what you are attempting Alex. Great stack. Thanks man.👏✍️
Dec 15, 2023·edited Dec 15, 2023Liked by Alex Dobrenko`
you are so BRAVE - I know I’m addicted to my iPhone and I feel pretty awful about it i know it’s not healthy (and it drives my family crazy) but now that I’m writing on Substack I have to check my “activity” every three minutes after posting a new essay (does anyone “like” it? or the holy grail, a new “comment”?) pathetic i know (leaving out the periods and a few caps to practice Alex speak) I know I should re-think this behavior THANKS Alex, truly, for a great report on your new light phone INSPIRING
THE DEVIL’S WEIGHT
That one made me spit out my coffee.
Ha! So cool. I told my adult children I was leading the way in mental health improvement with my Nokia 3110 but they didn't believe me. Now if someone young (ish ha ha), cool and an influencer as massive as Alex is doing it then I know I am on trend. They bought me a Smart Phone Nokia to force me back inline (online) but since I have turned off every concievable part of it's tech it barely even knows it's a phone anymore and has driven itself crazy by not knowing it's location or purpose in the multiverse... back to the 3110 then!
hahahaha yea just tell ur kids Alex dobrenko says its cool
This made me laugh out loud in an urgent care waiting room like a real weirdo. Thank you.
When I was backpacking around the world (like 10 years ago) I had a dumb phone with TWO SIM cards that I loved. It cost me $25 euros and I had to add minutes to it like the poor person I was. When I came back to the States, I insisted on keeping it for a whole year before buying a new smart phone.
It was such a worthless phone- I couldn’t get group texts so I missed a lot of important work communication. I don’t think it even had emojis. But you know what, I felt free! The dumb phone met its demise when I dropped it and accidentally ran over it on my moped but you know what, it lived a good life and so did I! 😅
Love this comment! It reminded me that I was backpacking around the world 20 years ago. I had no phone at all. I did have a calling card and a Hotmail account. I felt very free and totally safe.
Right? It's funny how you can feel both free and safe, whereas I feel like today the idea is you have to pick one. Hmmm....
I think we can still feel safe and free! Freedom is safety in many ways. XO
Totally! The thought of leaving my house, let alone leaving the country, without my phone is actually scary. Twenty years ago, I was like, "I'm sure I'll find a payphone and an internet cafe, and everything will turn out fine."
Yes! God bless internet cafes and international calling cards! And kind strangers. Honestly, remembering all of the positive interactions I've had with humans around the world 10+ years ago is the only thing helping me maintain my faith in humanity now.
I told one of my friends the other day that social media is such a distorted mirror of humanity. It's all funhouse optics and violence and weirdness and we forget it's not actually a clear picture of most of us. Ah, well. That's why they say to see the world, I guess! Get outside of our own bubble to remember we're not so different after all.
Kind strangers are everything! Can't tell you how many times I was looking for a phone or an internet cafe, but what I was really looking for was a way to book a hostel or arrange transport, and when I asked a stranger to point me to a phone or internet cafe, a conversation happened, and they just ended up delivering the actual help I needed. And bonus: I got to learn something about a person from another culture. And double bonus: very good feelings about humanity!
its funny how tragic we feel it is to 'miss a few group texts' - i feel the same but like....who cares?
Alex, this is a pleasure to read. Every word.
Can you notice a difference in the clarity of your thoughts now after a few weeks of less scrolling?
lol honestly I'm not sure. I think I'm a better editor when I don't scroll. I have a lot easier of a time cutting stuff. I feel like i'd gotten pretty bad at that of late and am excited to get better at it again
Alex, DO you notice clearer thinking?? Would really like to hear
I truly do not know! So maybe the answer is no? I do think there's a broader thing I want to do moving forward that I'll write more about, which is just like write cuz its fun and not cuz it can make me money or CONVERT subscribers people are not inches waiting to become cm
I "hear" the clarity of his writing voice. So funny and kind.
I have thought about getting a dumb phone. My fear is that there are still things I might need the smartphone for, and that I end up with two phones. I don't want that. I'll give you an example. I buy movie tickets online in an app and then I get rewards that yield free popcorn, which isn't technically free because I bought a bunch of tickets, but damn it I love it when someone says something is free even if it isn't, and also I love popcorn, and I love feeling like a baller, and well, the AMC movie app gives me that feeling. So, what I'm asking, tech reporter / influencer guy, is if I can lose the smartphone and retain my AMC baller status? What does that look like logistically? Related: I'm traveling tomorrow. My plane ticket will appear in my phone's "wallet." Turns out the devil's weight has room for a wallet. Could I go dumb phone and still travel like I'm some sort of man from the future, or do I need paper tickets?
As for the low-tech thing you should review next, let me suggest a Thomas Guide. It's a map in book form. Before smartphones, and Yahoo Maps, we used Thomas Guides to get around Los Angeles. Last I heard, the Thomas people were still in the Guiding business. Give them a ring. Ask them if they'd be willing to send you a free Thomas Guide. And if you need help using it, let me know.
dude you'd be surprised at how easy it is to have both phones. just think of the iphone as a lil computer you bring with you when needed. everywhere including AMC and the airport has wifi, so you';d just pop onto wifi with the iphone and bam, you're cruising like a future guy with popcorn for days.
also how often are you seeing movies lets go see some together.
Dude, I’ve love to see a movie together! I’ve got all these AMC points, so popcorn is on me🍿
As for the little computer, maybe what I need is a dumb phone and an iPad with a wireless plan. The little computer’s screen is too much anyway. Why not go for a big “little computer”?
This was the best review I've read in a long time. I'm super intrigued and almost influenced.
In the interest of not having to get a whole new device, are there ways to hack the iPhone to be dumber? Surely I'd think so, and I've done a few myself. Deleting apps, changing settings, etc. etc. Or is it just too enticing and too easy to bring back the addictive Ferrari pocket computer with a few thumb strokes?
One hot tip/small step that gave me a big change was getting a good old-fashioned alarm clock. I leave my phone downstairs at night and it's nowhere near where I sleep which means upon waking in the middle of the night, I can look to my left and see the time without needing to reach for something and then get distracted. And then when it's time to get up and officially start the day, I'm not reaching for my phone first thing. I get a little concerned that if there is an overnight emergency I would have no way of knowing/no one can get a hold of me or I will miss the tornado/apocalypse warning, but c'est la vie I guess????
I hear you on getting through the hard part of it and finding your way to the other side. It takes work but it is possible and worth it!
I got an alarm clock for this exact purpose and it's such a game changer! Actually I got an Alexa Dot for some stupid reason (maybe I thought I'd play music on it? control lights?) but I use it for one singular purpose, which is as an alarm clock.
Yes! I love that this has worked for you too. Mine is a groovy little Target find but maybe Alexa can play you a calming soundtrack upon waking up?!
Okay yes see this brings up my greatest qualm and the reason I will likely switch to a regular ass alarm from Target: you *have* to talk to the Alexa if you want it to do anything. There is no button to turn off an alarm, no button to play the next song or pause. You can bonk it to snooze, you can adjust the volume with a tap, but that's literally it. For other commands, you have to say, "Alexa, turn off the alarm." or "Alexa, stop." It's horrifying! I just woke up, I don't want to talk to anyone much less a fucking spherical speaker robot sitting on my nightstand!
(You can also control settings via your phone but then you have to be on your phone!! Which defeats the purpose! Sorry for yelling I honestly didn't know how much I hate my Alexa until I started responding to you AAHHH!)
Totally here for your yelling and totally align with not wanting to talk to anyone upon waking. Although I talk to my dog because he's immediately begging for breakfast but I like him a lot so that is fine.
I hope you find a nice new place for Alexa to live that isn't your bedroom and that you can protect your sacred silence in the mornings.
Here's me being an influencer with the hopes of making your Target run an easy experience. I have this clock and 10/10 recommend: https://www.target.com/p/digital-mantle-alarm-clock-lark-finish-capello/-/A-51539729#lnk=sametab
<3<3
This is a thing of beauty. And it's $13?! I'm sold. Thank you, friend.
yeah its too powerful i can't have it in my pocket i'll die.
the biggest change is probably one i made a long time ago which is that I got a wristwatch. not an apple watch but just a dumb ass watch. I feel like half of my iphone pickups were to check the time. now i dont do that not even a little.
lol i love that you're 'almost influenced'
I love a good ole watch. Such a great hack!
And I'm only "almost influenced" because the barrier is paying for a whole new device. A $300 investment is probably better suited for my kid's savings account or just like the cost of groceries at this point?!
I loved everyone's hacks for making the current iPhone dumber. On my last phone upgrade I got the "mini" iPhone which is basically the size of maybe an iPhone 5 and that has helped a lot with screen time too since it's not like a full sized computer to watch and scroll on.
There exist apps that put your phone in "dumb" mode! I used to use an app called "minimalist phone" on my android. Would recommend!
My GenX is so obviously showing when I’m shocked that people use their phones to wake up instead of bedside alarm clocks. I used to wake up to the “alternative” radio station in high school...Eddie Vedder just howling away. Dumb was alright!
Oh yesss. I miss my radio alarm clock! 98.5 FM "the best of the 80s 90s and today" was my go-to. Dumb was indeed alright!
Niiice. I guess Alexa could play it but just not the same!
Re: dumbing down an iPhone, I followed some advice on r/dumbphones: https://www.reddit.com/r/dumbphones/comments/zpw77o/state_of_the_dumbphone_2023_read_this_first/
That post has some general advice and a link to a thread specific to iPhones. I followed that and it helped dramatically lower my overall screen time (while also making it easier to prioritise the sorts of things I find legit useful and enriching about smartphones).
I’ve been curious about a light phone but I really can’t do without my camera to take pictures of my kids and maps. I actually have 2 phones. An iPhone with all social media removed (except Substack but I’m going to move that over) and my burner phone with Instagram, Facebook etc on it. My burner phone never leaves the house so my smart ‘dumb’ phone is all I have. There’s nothing to scroll so I don’t!
this is a great idea !
Really laughed out loud at the first time a Jew celebrating Christmas line. You’re definitely an influencer. Hit Up Tesla!
Wait on second though... maybe not (?)
1. You should review the Wisephone. It's another kind of dumbphone that I hear is a little more user-friendly than the Light Phone. It also has a camera.
2. Already have. It's everything you say it is.
3. Having a camera and Signal messaging
4.
5. Yep, I didn't get a smartphone until I was 18-ish. I was second to last in my family to get one. I read more, imagined more, and was less stressed.
6.
7. Pretty evenly split on calls versus texts.
You know, I was just thinking that having a dumb phone would be really nice but I’m disabled and couldn’t leave the house without a map of some kind. And one of my greatest joys is taking pictures. So this Wise Phone may just be the ticket. So thank you! 🥰
I stuck with a dumb flip phone for a very long time. The problem we had was coverage area. The phones I could find only had a subset of the cellular bands my carrier used, so I'd miss calls and texts. I'd get notice eventually, but for family with today's expectations, it was too much. I had to upgrade to a smart phone in 2018, when we had family members traveling to places where things can go wrong. If I had to go back to a dumb phone, I'd miss the coverage area, 5G works pretty well. I'd also miss the good camera, being able to check my email and search/maps. I'm still pretty sketchy about my cellular habits. I don't carry it around with me when I'm at home, so I still miss calls to my cell. It's a different story when I'm out, but I still miss calls. When I'm out and about and active I don't notice the vibrate and I keep the ring-tone set kinda low.
In any case, bravo to you! Brave soul.
I dig the idea; why not just remove the extraneous apps from the phone you already have? I don’t have social or games on my phone.. I suppose I could remove gmail and... Substack and I’d more or less be in the same place.
i'd just redownload them or go on the chrome version of them addicts get what they want one way or another
I hear ya; I’ve actually searched for a way to make it impossible to download games on my phone, so strong is the pull from these ridiculous diversions. YouTube is my latest problem.
This reminds me of the famous scene from Five Easy Pieces when Jack Nicholson just wanted toast. Hehe.
Parking up the IPhone for few hours, sometimes a few a days at a time is definitely good for your mental health. Not so much for those trying to contact you, but those that know you well know the score, and those that don’t probably never will. And that’s ok. I think. Kids can’t compete with attention grabbing devices. And they know it. For that alone it’s worth what you are attempting Alex. Great stack. Thanks man.👏✍️
thank u for reading Kevin
you are so BRAVE - I know I’m addicted to my iPhone and I feel pretty awful about it i know it’s not healthy (and it drives my family crazy) but now that I’m writing on Substack I have to check my “activity” every three minutes after posting a new essay (does anyone “like” it? or the holy grail, a new “comment”?) pathetic i know (leaving out the periods and a few caps to practice Alex speak) I know I should re-think this behavior THANKS Alex, truly, for a great report on your new light phone INSPIRING
if that behavior is pathetic then I don't wanna be whatever the opposite of pathetic is aka i do all that shit too.
Inspiring!
I have a dumb phone. An iPhone and an Android too.
Is the comparison Ferrari / Corolla, or more like Corolla / horse?
both are true