Digital detox.. Dumb phone vs smart phone

[Ethan1]

So Im getting to the point I'm done with having a smart phone. 

Especially with 5G. The endless amount of information to grab attention. Endless amount of games that are more addictive than runescape. Even runescape is on the app store which is wild. Growing up addicted to it. Seeing children growing up with Mindcraft is a bit disturbing. I mean, the kids get commercials that shouldn't be marketed to. 

Distractions everywhere. Endless scrolling on shopping apps. Split testing to make more addictive content. Unlimited amounts of information. Social media scrolling. Click bait content. More addictive content.. Videos and pictures that are being improved on daily. Sitting inside all day. Not getting involved with communities. Giving companies all your personal data. Ads on YouTube are nearly porn and extremely targeted. Impulsivity. Instant gratification from watching content. Binge eating information and not taking time to process because the constant inundation of information being subscribed to dozens of people on YouTube. The apps are designed to keep you on the app. People prefer to be on their phone to pass time. Less connected to nature. Less movement and energy flowing. Distracted in conversations. While at restaurants people hide with their head buried in their phone. Less social interactions. Living vicariously through others. Taking pictures at concerts to talk about the experience later rather to be in the moment. Collecting all of your locations. Google collecting information on maps to know your every movement. 

All it is a little black screen that we stare at. Little pixels on a screen the glow. 

I want a phone to be a phone.

Not too long ago they were meant for only calls and fixed to the wall with a cord. Then texting. Now days people don't even use them for their primary purpose. Video chating. Snapchat. Instagram. Facebook. YouTube. Amazon. 

Yes, discipline and self-control are important. Yet at some time there's deminishing returns and opportunity costs for going without one. 

 

[Michael569]

No phone is going to fix this issue because the problem is deeper than the technology. The problem of social media addiction is a disconnection to one's core and one's purpose. The issue is also that the parts that do not appreciate mastery and growth are weaker than the parts that like fleeting entertainment and distraction. It is an internal problem. 

Given enough internal motivation and drive towards seeking something greater in life you'll start to see social media as a fleeting distraction and it will start losing its magic. Sure you'll get stuck in a Youtube loop every now and then but it will be easier to resist in the first place. They have their usefulness if you are building a business want to connect with an audience, selling products etc but the typical scrolling behaviour is usually being bored (lack of purpose) or procrastinating on facing a more existential question which is "what the f.. should I to do with my life"

Still, getting back to old phones is a good way to start retaining your mind. Dumbphones with WhatsApp seem like a great step away from all this

[Jodistrict]

This is why I am going to the jungle in a few months.  There will be no signals for smart phones and Internet, no electricity, no toxic processed foods.    I am going to detox my body and mind.
 

[no_name]

On 2022-06-30 at 6:02 AM, Michael569 said:

The problem of social media addiction is a disconnection to one's core and one's purpose.

I take social media breaks of about 4-8 months per year. I got my Instagram back early June and since then I feel like my life flew past me without really accomplishing anything. I don’t know if I am highly sensitive, but I can feel myself disconnecting from myself and becoming a 1000 times unhealthier, worried about what other people think and insecure. 

@Ethan1 unless you use Instagram/social media for work, I recommend you deactivate that sh*t. I guarantee you will be a lot calmer of a person and a lot more put together.

[Michael569]

7 hours ago, no_name said:

I don’t know if I am highly sensitive, but I can feel myself disconnecting from myself and becoming a 1000 times unhealthier, worried about what other people think and insecure. 

absolutely agreed