I Tried to Quit My Smartphone for a Year, Here's What Happened

00:17:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh5CYvi5E40

Summary

TLDRThe video centers around the creator's experiment of quitting their smartphone for a year to explore whether it would lead to a better life, enhance mindfulness, and reduce digital distractions. The creator transitioned from a regular smartphone to a minimalist Light Phone, initially embracing the idea of simplifying their digital life. However, challenges arose, such as missing out on useful smartphone functions and dealing with the clunkiness of a minimal device. Throughout the journey, they discovered improvements in sleep, reading more, feeling less stressed, and avoiding digital rabbit holes. Ultimately, they adopted a balanced approach, minimizing smartphone use to essential functions, and concluded that smartphones are beneficial when used moderately. They emphasized that the issue lies in social media's role in distraction and stress. The overall takeaway is that consciously limiting smartphone use can lead to subtle but meaningful life enhancements.

Takeaways

  • πŸ“΅ Attempting to quit smartphones can lead to increased mindfulness.
  • πŸ“˜ More time for reading and sleeping better was a noted benefit.
  • πŸšΆβ€β™‚οΈ Engaging more with real-world interactions was significant.
  • 🌐 Social media was identified as a major source of stress and distraction.
  • 🧠 Reducing smartphone use led to calmer, less chaotic thoughts.
  • πŸ” Searching for unimportant information decreased, enhancing focus.
  • πŸ“± Minimal smartphone use provides essential function without overload.
  • πŸ’€ Improved sleep patterns by avoiding phone use at night.
  • πŸ’¬ Enhanced communication through intentional, meaningful interactions.
  • 🧩 Avoiding rabbit holes on the internet was a positive outcome.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The speaker embarks on a year-long challenge to quit using a smartphone, citing reasons like depression, distraction, and a desire to enjoy real life more. He switches to a Light Phone which only supports basic functions like texting and directions, noting concerns about losing the convenience of certain apps. However, he is initially optimistic and finds some benefits like better sleep and more focused thoughts without frequent phone usage.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    By Day 73 of the challenge, the speaker reflects on the ups and downs of living with limited phone capabilities. He shares that while it is frustrating not to instantly satisfy curiosity, it prevents time-consuming rabbit holes. The lack of social media reduces stress, highlighting that decision fatigue was significant before. Although tempted, he modifies his approach by using a minimalist smartphone to retain some functionalities, indicating the struggle for balance between minimal life disruption and the benefits experienced thus far.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:17:28

    Throughout the journey, he struggles with limiting smartphone use and admits to indulging selectively. Social media still poses issues, albeit now limited to computer browsing. By the conclusion, he acknowledges that smartphones provide numerous benefits when used wisely, and social media, more than the device itself, is the culprit of distraction and stress. His experience suggests that moderating smartphone use, rather than an outright ban, yields improvements and encourages thoughtful engagement with technology.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • Why did the creator decide to quit their smartphone?

    The creator wanted to see if quitting the smartphone would make life better and explore its effects on mindfulness and personal time.

  • What device did the creator switch to initially?

    The creator initially switched to a Light Phone, a minimalist phone designed to minimize distractions.

  • What were some difficulties faced with the Light Phone?

    The Light Phone was too clunky for daily use, such as text typing and app navigation for essential tasks, leading to missed texts and inconvenience.

  • Did the experiment lead to productivity changes?

    Yes, the creator found that not using the smartphone reduced rabbit holes and increased their mental presence and focus on real-life interactions.

  • What benefits were noticed when the smartphone was less used?

    Less smartphone use led to improved sleep, increased time for reading, better mindfulness, and less stress from social media use.

  • Did the creator fully quit using their smartphone?

    No, the creator returned to using a minimally functional smartphone, finding a balance that leveraged its benefits without excessive distraction.

  • What was the creator's conclusion about using smartphones?

    Social media and unlimited information access can be stressful, but smartphones can be beneficial when used moderately and intentionally.

  • What was criticized about smartphones?

    Smartphones contribute to distraction, decision fatigue, and stress, especially through social media access and constant notifications.

  • What did the creator plan after the experiment?

    The creator plans to continue using a smartphone in a balanced way, avoiding rabbit holes and maintaining focus on essential activities.

  • Is the smartphone seen as a problem in itself?

    No, smartphones aren’t deemed inherently problematic; instead, how they're used, particularly in accessing stressful content, is the concern.

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  • 00:00:00
    - I tried to quit my smartphone for a year.
  • 00:00:03
    Why'd I do it? I know you think you know the answer.
  • 00:00:05
    Yes, there's evidence it makes you depressed,
  • 00:00:07
    sleep deprived, distracted, it's a big time suck.
  • 00:00:09
    It takes you away from enjoying the frigging life you have
  • 00:00:12
    right in front of you instead of the lives
  • 00:00:14
    of other people in a little rectangle.
  • 00:00:15
    Don't get me wrong, rectangle's a great shape.
  • 00:00:17
    Structurally pretty sound.
  • 00:00:18
    Triangle's a little better,
  • 00:00:19
    but the real reason I'm doing it
  • 00:00:22
    is those reasons pretty much.
  • 00:00:24
    Also, I want to just see what happens
  • 00:00:25
    and if it makes my life better.
  • 00:00:26
    And spoiler, this right now is after the fact.
  • 00:00:28
    So you know, I didn't die.
  • 00:00:30
    Also, I can do this now.
  • 00:00:31
    (lasers beaming)
  • 00:00:32
    That might be related. I'm not sure.
  • 00:00:34
    So let's start with day 73.
  • 00:00:35
    Yeah, actually, you know what?
  • 00:00:36
    Let's start with day one when I had grand ambitions
  • 00:00:39
    to replace this phone with this phone.
  • 00:00:41
    It's called a Light Phone. It's not a sponsor.
  • 00:00:43
    All you can really do is text.
  • 00:00:44
    It has some directions on it
  • 00:00:46
    and I think you can listen to music
  • 00:00:47
    and I was pretty excited and not at all worried.
  • 00:00:49
    A little scared, to be honest with you.
  • 00:00:51
    I was a little scared to be honest with you
  • 00:00:52
    because there are a lot of legitimately
  • 00:00:54
    convenient things about this.
  • 00:00:55
    Like my sleep tracking app, my workout app.
  • 00:00:57
    Also, I need an app to charge our car.
  • 00:00:59
    And arguably the best thing about smartphones,
  • 00:01:02
    mobile porn, maps.
  • 00:01:03
    Although the Light Phone does have a map function,
  • 00:01:04
    I didn't use it yet though.
  • 00:01:05
    Also my notes app is really useful.
  • 00:01:07
    How the hell am I gonna take notes?
  • 00:01:09
    I'm just gonna carry around a little notepad in my pocket.
  • 00:01:11
    Oh yeah, that's what I did.
  • 00:01:12
    But also I use a camera on here a lot.
  • 00:01:14
    How am I gonna use a camera when I'm on the go?
  • 00:01:16
    Probably gonna buy a little camera
  • 00:01:17
    that I can carry around in my pocket?
  • 00:01:19
    Oh yeah, that's what I did.
  • 00:01:20
    Problem though, going minimal with the phone
  • 00:01:22
    means going maximal with things in my pocket.
  • 00:01:24
    By the way, I used AI to generate this image.
  • 00:01:26
    Can anyone tell me what the hell is in this pocket?
  • 00:01:28
    Okay, so that was the plan.
  • 00:01:31
    And from the tone of my voice,
  • 00:01:32
    you can definitely tell
  • 00:01:33
    that I went according to plan the whole time.
  • 00:01:35
    (laughs sarcastically)
  • 00:01:36
    Okay, back to day one and then transition into day three.
  • 00:01:39
    It's many hours later
  • 00:01:40
    and I have successfully ported my number over.
  • 00:01:43
    This is my phone now and it feels very strange.
  • 00:01:46
    I'm feeling the urge to go back to my computer
  • 00:01:48
    and check my email
  • 00:01:49
    'cause I am worried that I'm missing something
  • 00:01:52
    and I am almost never missing anything.
  • 00:01:54
    So far, not really that hard at all and enjoyable.
  • 00:01:57
    I've been reading more,
  • 00:01:59
    I've texted back and forth with people.
  • 00:02:00
    It's a little bit more clunky with this thing.
  • 00:02:02
    I haven't really been leaving the house,
  • 00:02:04
    so it hasn't been that much of a challenge.
  • 00:02:06
    But I'm using social media way less.
  • 00:02:07
    The thing that's constantly happening is
  • 00:02:09
    I wanna look something up.
  • 00:02:10
    Someone will mention a celebrity and be like,
  • 00:02:11
    "What was that person in?"
  • 00:02:12
    Or I'll get an idea for a video
  • 00:02:14
    and I'll want to Google what's already out there.
  • 00:02:16
    Oh, now you know my research secrets. I use Google.
  • 00:02:18
    I have prevented probably like 50 rabbit holes
  • 00:02:22
    I could have gone down.
  • 00:02:22
    And what I did instead, have my own thoughts.
  • 00:02:25
    And those thoughts are less chaotic and stressful.
  • 00:02:27
    My mind is able to focus on the ongoing conversations
  • 00:02:30
    I'm having with people in my life
  • 00:02:32
    rather than the ongoing conversations
  • 00:02:34
    I'm having with everything happening in the world.
  • 00:02:36
    I actually texted a friend more than I probably would have
  • 00:02:39
    because it's all I could do on this phone.
  • 00:02:41
    It's great. My sleep is better.
  • 00:02:43
    When I wake up in the middle of the night,
  • 00:02:44
    will grab my Kindle and read
  • 00:02:46
    and fall back to sleep pretty quickly
  • 00:02:47
    or I won't grab anything and I'll fall back asleep.
  • 00:02:50
    Well, I will grab something.
  • 00:02:52
    (crowd laughs)
  • 00:02:54
    I mean, I'll grab the covers.
  • 00:02:55
    What were you thinking?
  • 00:02:56
    Oh, you were thinking I was gonna (beep) my (beep)
  • 00:02:58
    I will occasionally think,
  • 00:02:59
    oh, I wanna look something up and then I can't,
  • 00:03:02
    and then I remain in the moment
  • 00:03:03
    and I don't go down a rabbit hole.
  • 00:03:05
    That has happened multiple times a day,
  • 00:03:07
    but decreasing in occurrences
  • 00:03:10
    and I'm perfectly fine not knowing.
  • 00:03:12
    I feel like I'm caught up enough on the news and if I'm not,
  • 00:03:15
    I don't miss it.
  • 00:03:17
    Like if I'm in a situation where I have to wait,
  • 00:03:19
    like in a waiting room or something,
  • 00:03:20
    I'm content either grabbing a magazine
  • 00:03:22
    or just sitting there thinking.
  • 00:03:24
    I feel calmer.
  • 00:03:26
    When you're looking at your phone a lot,
  • 00:03:27
    that consumes energy.
  • 00:03:29
    You only have so much energy in a day.
  • 00:03:30
    There's a thing called decision fatigue
  • 00:03:32
    and it will wear you down.
  • 00:03:34
    I don't feel as worn down.
  • 00:03:35
    I don't know if it's because of this or not,
  • 00:03:38
    but it feels like it might be.
  • 00:03:40
    I don't think I'm ever gonna go back
  • 00:03:41
    to full use of the smartphone.
  • 00:03:43
    However, I don't really like this phone very much.
  • 00:03:46
    I'm going to switch over to a minimalist iPhone approach.
  • 00:03:50
    I thought this is supposed to be
  • 00:03:51
    a quitting smartphone video wheeze bag.
  • 00:03:53
    Yes, yes. I went back to a very dumbed down smartphone.
  • 00:03:56
    That's why I put tried in the title of this video,
  • 00:03:58
    depending on what I titled this video.
  • 00:03:59
    Look, the goal here is the same as the goal I always have,
  • 00:04:02
    to try to make my life better.
  • 00:04:03
    So good in fact that I become the all-seeing,
  • 00:04:05
    all-knowing space baby at the center of the universe,
  • 00:04:07
    pretty lofty goal I think is achievable.
  • 00:04:09
    The dumb phone was too dumb.
  • 00:04:11
    Not because of lack of abilities,
  • 00:04:13
    but because of clunky abilities.
  • 00:04:14
    It was actually making my life worse
  • 00:04:16
    to use just the basic functions.
  • 00:04:18
    I had a few instances of missed texts which caused problems,
  • 00:04:21
    and it was also pretty annoying to type in the thing.
  • 00:04:23
    So I just didn't want to.
  • 00:04:25
    I wish there was an extremely robust dumb phone out there
  • 00:04:28
    that worked as buttery, smooth as the smartphone,
  • 00:04:31
    but without all the extra crap and there just isn't.
  • 00:04:33
    As far as I know.
  • 00:04:34
    I did try to slather the Light Phone in butter
  • 00:04:36
    and although delicious,
  • 00:04:37
    it didn't make it any more buttery smooth.
  • 00:04:39
    And I did drop it a lot and it was a waste of butter
  • 00:04:42
    and it made it higher calorie.
  • 00:04:43
    So what does a minimalist iPhone approach mean?
  • 00:04:45
    Well, I'm just gonna start a sentence
  • 00:04:47
    and then let Craig from the past take over
  • 00:04:48
    'cause I'm sick of talking right now.
  • 00:04:49
    (clears throat)
  • 00:04:50
    I will lock myself out of most things,
  • 00:04:53
    give China the password.
  • 00:04:55
    Not the country China.
  • 00:04:56
    Although they probably already have it these days.
  • 00:04:58
    (crowd laughing)
  • 00:04:59
    You know, hackers everywhere. Oh my god, oh my god.
  • 00:05:01
    What happened to privacy? Oh my god, Big Brother.
  • 00:05:03
    There are just some things about a smartphone
  • 00:05:06
    that obviously unquestioningly make my life better.
  • 00:05:10
    So I'm just gonna take those without all the toxic stuff.
  • 00:05:14
    But in general, I don't wanna be overly dramatic,
  • 00:05:17
    but in some ways it feels like I've got my life back.
  • 00:05:19
    I highly recommend this.
  • 00:05:20
    Well, at least I did on day 22.
  • 00:05:22
    We'll see what happens.
  • 00:05:24
    Did that generate enough interest to keep people watching?
  • 00:05:26
    Do an eyebrow thing? Oh, okay.
  • 00:05:29
    (dramatic music)
  • 00:05:30
    Oh yeah. Such mystery.
  • 00:05:31
    I'm in the middle of a three month YouTube hiatus.
  • 00:05:33
    January, February, March.
  • 00:05:34
    Now that I'm gearing up to generate more video ideas,
  • 00:05:37
    I'm realizing that internet rabbit holes
  • 00:05:39
    were kind of a good source of my video ideas.
  • 00:05:42
    I would often do that in bed, I would come up with ideas,
  • 00:05:45
    along with other things in bed.
  • 00:05:47
    (crowd laughs)
  • 00:05:48
    I mean, I'll grab the covers. What were you thinking?
  • 00:05:50
    Oh, you were thinking I was gonna (beep) really (beep)
  • 00:05:52
    So it kind of makes my day more challenging
  • 00:05:54
    to have to cram in more research.
  • 00:05:56
    Maybe that just means I had trouble turning off my job
  • 00:05:58
    and I shouldn't be working all this much
  • 00:06:00
    and shouldn't be spending that much time generating ideas.
  • 00:06:02
    Just not ruin my bedtime.
  • 00:06:04
    Maybe there's a better way.
  • 00:06:06
    I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.
  • 00:06:07
    Quick interjection here to apologize
  • 00:06:08
    for the whirlwind of pros and cons
  • 00:06:10
    and ambiguity I'm about to stumble upon
  • 00:06:12
    as I try to figure out how I feel on day 73.
  • 00:06:14
    I do enjoy that I'm spending time
  • 00:06:16
    reading books while in bed.
  • 00:06:17
    They just make me sleepy. I fall asleep sooner.
  • 00:06:20
    Occasionally I'll have a I should google that thought
  • 00:06:23
    and then I'm like, well I can't.
  • 00:06:24
    At this point, it's become a little frustrating
  • 00:06:26
    when that happens.
  • 00:06:27
    But think of all the rabbit holes I have avoided.
  • 00:06:29
    Be present in your own life. Have more knowledge.
  • 00:06:33
    And I do notice when I go to Twitter on my computer,
  • 00:06:35
    stress levels increase.
  • 00:06:37
    Not just because of like bad news or arguments on Twitter,
  • 00:06:40
    but just a bombardment of all sorts of information.
  • 00:06:43
    Having full complete thoughts,
  • 00:06:45
    thinking about things in my everyday life
  • 00:06:47
    that I should think about, like parenting,
  • 00:06:49
    household things that need to get done.
  • 00:06:51
    I have brain space to worry about that stuff
  • 00:06:54
    in a full,
  • 00:06:55
    complete,
  • 00:06:56
    useful way.
  • 00:06:57
    But also I'm kind of getting into
  • 00:06:59
    Animal Crossing now on Switch.
  • 00:07:01
    Mid-April, what the (beep)?
  • 00:07:03
    I have loosened my restrictions
  • 00:07:05
    as time has gone on a little bit.
  • 00:07:07
    Once in a while I will look things up on Google,
  • 00:07:09
    sometimes about food or drinks I might order
  • 00:07:12
    to make sure they don't have nuts in them,
  • 00:07:14
    which I feel like is understandable
  • 00:07:16
    'cause I'm allergic to tree nuts.
  • 00:07:17
    Otherwise, still barely using the phone,
  • 00:07:21
    shooting video with it right now.
  • 00:07:23
    But yes, I abandoned carrying around the little camera
  • 00:07:26
    and the notepad.
  • 00:07:27
    It's just easier to use the smartphone for it
  • 00:07:29
    and it doesn't make my life worse.
  • 00:07:30
    I have started to become a little addicted to Twitter
  • 00:07:34
    when I'm on my computer now though, maybe more so.
  • 00:07:37
    That is something I need to work on.
  • 00:07:39
    But what else am I gonna do? It's horrible out here.
  • 00:07:41
    Okay, yes, I'm talking about not using my phone
  • 00:07:44
    while talking to my phone,
  • 00:07:45
    but hey, how am I supposed to do this?
  • 00:07:46
    This is my job doing video and this,
  • 00:07:48
    I'm making a video about not using my phone.
  • 00:07:49
    And this is the camera to use.
  • 00:07:51
    The point is I'm sitting here at the zoo
  • 00:07:53
    and Zelda just came out and I just put a video out.
  • 00:07:56
    I have thoughts and ideas about upcoming videos.
  • 00:07:59
    There's so many things
  • 00:08:00
    that I would be reading about on my phone.
  • 00:08:02
    I'd be reading about Zelda on my phone 'cause it's amazing.
  • 00:08:05
    I love it. I'd be reading comments from the latest video.
  • 00:08:07
    I'd be reading about the ideas
  • 00:08:09
    that are coming to my head about future videos.
  • 00:08:11
    But I'm at the zoo, we just had a meal,
  • 00:08:13
    and I'm sitting here waiting at the table for
  • 00:08:16
    them to get ice cream and bring it back.
  • 00:08:18
    People watching, enjoying the weather.
  • 00:08:19
    The beautiful, finally beautiful Wisconsin weather.
  • 00:08:22
    Looking at the birds and whatever animals I can see.
  • 00:08:25
    There was a bird, but it's gone.
  • 00:08:26
    Enjoying my time in the outside.
  • 00:08:29
    Whereas I know I would be just staring
  • 00:08:31
    at my phone this entire time.
  • 00:08:33
    We'd leave and then I would feel like I was barely here.
  • 00:08:35
    Part of me is like, I really wish I could read some comments
  • 00:08:37
    and respond to some comments or get some work done
  • 00:08:40
    while I can on a Saturday at the zoo.
  • 00:08:42
    But it's so much better to not,
  • 00:08:45
    it's so much better to just sit and enjoy
  • 00:08:48
    'cause I'm giving myself permission to do that.
  • 00:08:50
    If I didn't have this phone limit,
  • 00:08:52
    I would feel like I didn't have permission.
  • 00:08:56
    I'd feel like, well, I am able to do the work,
  • 00:08:58
    so I should do it.
  • 00:08:59
    There's some negative feelings about it.
  • 00:09:01
    Little bit of stress about not knowing how my video's doing
  • 00:09:03
    or what people are saying or how I can respond.
  • 00:09:05
    But this, not doing that, is better.
  • 00:09:08
    Having time is better.
  • 00:09:11
    And yes, I'm taking the time to do this video.
  • 00:09:12
    Of course, that's counter to what I'm saying.
  • 00:09:14
    Part of the problem, maybe.
  • 00:09:16
    But I'm able to do this while thinking
  • 00:09:17
    and looking around as if I'm just talking to another person.
  • 00:09:20
    So we're fine. We're fine here, okay.
  • 00:09:22
    I don't consider this using my smartphone.
  • 00:09:24
    If I would've stuck with the dumb phone
  • 00:09:26
    at the beginning of the month,
  • 00:09:26
    I would've been carrying around a separate camera
  • 00:09:29
    and that would've been bulky and made my life worse.
  • 00:09:31
    So this is the right way. This is the right call.
  • 00:09:33
    It's been a while since I checked in.
  • 00:09:34
    I'm not using social media at all on the phone.
  • 00:09:38
    I have made exceptions here and there for other things.
  • 00:09:41
    In some ways I'm failing,
  • 00:09:42
    but I still don't feel like I'm failing.
  • 00:09:44
    We went on a trip to California.
  • 00:09:46
    I downloaded the New York Times Games app
  • 00:09:48
    so I could play Wordle and the Spelling Bee
  • 00:09:51
    and The Crossword and the Sudoku.
  • 00:09:54
    And I still have been going in
  • 00:09:55
    and playing those games occasionally, sometimes in bed.
  • 00:09:57
    I know you're not supposed to use your phone in bed.
  • 00:09:59
    And I believe it actually helps me fall asleep.
  • 00:10:01
    It calms my mind.
  • 00:10:02
    But the blue light, blah.
  • 00:10:04
    I know blue light's
  • 00:10:04
    supposed to have an effect on your sleep.
  • 00:10:06
    I think it's more the stimulation from the phone
  • 00:10:08
    than the blue light in my experience.
  • 00:10:09
    I know a lot of people are gonna be angry
  • 00:10:10
    that I'm not actually quitting my smartphone.
  • 00:10:12
    I still feel like I am.
  • 00:10:13
    I'm not getting drawn in when there are other people around.
  • 00:10:16
    I have allowed looking up random facts back into my life
  • 00:10:19
    and then put the phone down.
  • 00:10:20
    I'm not going down rabbit holes.
  • 00:10:21
    And that is the goal, the non rabbit hole goal.
  • 00:10:24
    But what I think I'm learning is that
  • 00:10:25
    most of the time the smartphone is not making my life worse.
  • 00:10:29
    It's the social media that's making my life worse.
  • 00:10:32
    I also don't think social media is all bad inherently.
  • 00:10:34
    When it started, it was a source of joy and being social,
  • 00:10:37
    what it has become is a huge source of stress
  • 00:10:39
    and being aware of all the things people hate.
  • 00:10:42
    No matter what good things are out there,
  • 00:10:44
    there are people that hate them,
  • 00:10:45
    and no matter what bad things are out there,
  • 00:10:47
    there are people that love them.
  • 00:10:48
    Also, good and bad is relative, but you get my meaning.
  • 00:10:51
    I'm getting drawn into it and reading about it.
  • 00:10:53
    And also the 24 hour news cycle on TV does the same thing.
  • 00:10:57
    I just don't think it's good for anybody.
  • 00:10:59
    And this gives you easy access to it.
  • 00:11:00
    Well, I'm not doing that stuff on it now, and it feels good.
  • 00:11:04
    In general,
  • 00:11:05
    I have a much healthier relationship with this phone
  • 00:11:08
    and I am not sorry for the times that I'm using it.
  • 00:11:13
    So there.
  • 00:11:13
    Whatever I title this video,
  • 00:11:14
    it would be hard to explain it all in the title.
  • 00:11:16
    I quit my smartphone, but then I made some exceptions.
  • 00:11:19
    You wouldn't have clicked on that.
  • 00:11:21
    So I'm making click bait so you click,
  • 00:11:22
    am I part of the problem?
  • 00:11:23
    Yeah, maybe.
  • 00:11:24
    Hello. Still going.
  • 00:11:26
    I have, one of the best ways for me to fall asleep
  • 00:11:28
    is to do Sudoku on my phone in bed.
  • 00:11:31
    It's just numbers.
  • 00:11:32
    It keeps me engaged just enough to shut my brain off
  • 00:11:35
    along with other things in bed.
  • 00:11:37
    (crowd laughs)
  • 00:11:38
    I mean, I'll grab the covers.
  • 00:11:39
    Oh, you were thinking (beep)
  • 00:11:41
    At this point, yes.
  • 00:11:42
    A lot of things have bled back in.
  • 00:11:43
    The Games app, not making my life worse.
  • 00:11:45
    Occasionally I am looking things up,
  • 00:11:47
    not making my life worse.
  • 00:11:48
    China and I did the video where we cooked at home every day.
  • 00:11:50
    We used the app Paprika for recipes,
  • 00:11:53
    not making my life worse.
  • 00:11:54
    But no Twitter, no social media.
  • 00:11:57
    But also I'm kind of coming back around
  • 00:11:58
    to the idea that the smartphone is not all bad.
  • 00:12:01
    I think we might be overdoing the blame
  • 00:12:03
    because it's the thing we are using the most
  • 00:12:06
    so it's easy to blame.
  • 00:12:07
    I didn't expect that by this point in this video
  • 00:12:10
    I was gonna be defending the smartphone.
  • 00:12:12
    But I think like all things,
  • 00:12:13
    it's not really the tool itself, it's how you use it.
  • 00:12:17
    I don't notice a gigantic improvement in my life,
  • 00:12:19
    to be honest with you.
  • 00:12:20
    Maybe I already had not too unhealthy
  • 00:12:22
    of a relationship with my phone, but also I don't crave it.
  • 00:12:25
    I don't think, oh, I can't wait for this year
  • 00:12:27
    to be over to go back.
  • 00:12:27
    I won't go back. I just won't.
  • 00:12:30
    I'm only gonna check Twitter on the browser,
  • 00:12:33
    and even that I'm trying to limit.
  • 00:12:34
    I think I'm still doing that too much.
  • 00:12:36
    I don't know, someday maybe I'll convince myself
  • 00:12:37
    to delete it.
  • 00:12:38
    Then again, there are useful things about it.
  • 00:12:40
    A lot of good things with my career
  • 00:12:41
    have happened through Twitter.
  • 00:12:43
    I think it's easy to say, quit, delete, and done.
  • 00:12:46
    I think the harder thing to do is to figure out
  • 00:12:48
    a way to make it useful without making it toxic.
  • 00:12:50
    I don't know. Let's keep going.
  • 00:12:52
    Whew. All done.
  • 00:12:54
    I can't wait to get back to
  • 00:12:55
    continuing to do what I've been doing because it's not hard
  • 00:12:58
    and it really is making my life better and I love it.
  • 00:13:01
    I'm going to continue this forever.
  • 00:13:02
    I love not taking my work
  • 00:13:03
    and my social media with me everywhere I go.
  • 00:13:05
    When I'm in bed,
  • 00:13:06
    I'm not reading things that are gonna rile me up.
  • 00:13:07
    I'm just playing Sudoku and getting sleepy or reading a book
  • 00:13:10
    and then when I'm out and about, I'm experiencing life.
  • 00:13:13
    It's great.
  • 00:13:14
    Because I didn't go so extreme with this challenge,
  • 00:13:16
    I've just figured out how to use my phone less,
  • 00:13:18
    but still get all the useful things out of it
  • 00:13:20
    without destroying my life.
  • 00:13:21
    But I'm absolutely confident,
  • 00:13:23
    probably more than any other challenge,
  • 00:13:24
    that I'm going to continue doing the same thing
  • 00:13:27
    that I've been doing.
  • 00:13:28
    However, reducing the smartphone
  • 00:13:29
    hasn't been incredibly life-changing.
  • 00:13:32
    It's subtle improvements
  • 00:13:33
    and I'm not even sure if it would be
  • 00:13:34
    all that helpful to everyone.
  • 00:13:35
    I'm not gonna make wild claims
  • 00:13:36
    that this is gonna turn your life around
  • 00:13:38
    and make your poop smell like chocolate muffins
  • 00:13:40
    and you burp rainbows
  • 00:13:41
    and you're able to rip a phone book in half with your teeth,
  • 00:13:44
    fold a piece of paper in half more than seven times,
  • 00:13:47
    sneeze with your eyes open,
  • 00:13:48
    and you can read everyone's mind and turn invisible,
  • 00:13:51
    able to sit through an entire episode of "General Hospital".
  • 00:13:54
    Seriously, soap operas are boring.
  • 00:13:55
    I don't think the smartphone
  • 00:13:56
    is the source of all the world's problems.
  • 00:13:58
    And in general,
  • 00:13:59
    I think it's probably a net benefit to society.
  • 00:14:01
    I think there's value in being able
  • 00:14:02
    to find out all the information you need
  • 00:14:04
    whenever and wherever you need it.
  • 00:14:06
    Ever since I got a smartphone,
  • 00:14:07
    I have not gotten lost in the woods anymore.
  • 00:14:09
    I used to wander a lot out in the wilderness.
  • 00:14:11
    I'm lost in the woods.
  • 00:14:13
    I mean, look at me. I'm a lumberjack.
  • 00:14:14
    But I don't know,
  • 00:14:15
    if you feel like you're not enjoying things right now,
  • 00:14:17
    if everything's starting to feel blah
  • 00:14:19
    or the same or you're feeling down, change it up.
  • 00:14:22
    Reduce the smartphone and it might help.
  • 00:14:23
    It could be a fun experiment at least
  • 00:14:24
    just to see what happens.
  • 00:14:26
    That's what I do all the time.
  • 00:14:26
    Reducing the smartphone did marginally improve my life.
  • 00:14:30
    That's my conclusion.
  • 00:14:31
    It turns out the smartphone was a factor.
  • 00:14:34
    Thank you Factor for sponsoring this video.
  • 00:14:37
    Are you sick of getting weekly deliveries
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    of piles of stinky garbage saying to yourself,
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    "Oh my gosh, this garbage is so stinky.
  • 00:14:43
    Why do I order this? This doesn't make sense.
  • 00:14:45
    I wish there were other options."
  • 00:14:47
    Well, now you do have other options and did for a while.
  • 00:14:50
    Factor can deliver 35 plus weekly
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    flavor packed, fresh, never frozen meals
  • 00:14:55
    that support a healthy lifestyle.
  • 00:14:57
    But who has time to cook? You don't even have to cook it.
  • 00:14:59
    Well, I guess you do have to take the time
  • 00:15:01
    to put it in the microwave.
  • 00:15:02
    Two minutes, maybe longer,
  • 00:15:03
    depending on how long it takes to hit the button.
  • 00:15:05
    Now, if you're trying to quit your smartphone
  • 00:15:06
    during that two minutes,
  • 00:15:07
    you can spend the time staring out the window
  • 00:15:09
    and contemplating life.
  • 00:15:11
    Who am I?
  • 00:15:12
    Why am I?
  • 00:15:13
    If I traveled back in time to change something
  • 00:15:15
    and succeeded, that would eliminate my motivation
  • 00:15:17
    to travel back in time in the first place.
  • 00:15:18
    This is a well-established idea
  • 00:15:20
    called the Grandfather Paradox,
  • 00:15:21
    but it still messes with my head.
  • 00:15:22
    Anyway, they even got dietician approved calorie smart meals
  • 00:15:25
    that are less than 550 calories per serving.
  • 00:15:27
    This is all amazing wheeze bags,
  • 00:15:29
    but surely this is everything
  • 00:15:30
    and you can't add anything to it.
  • 00:15:31
    That would be impossible.
  • 00:15:32
    Nope, they've got 45 plus add-on options
  • 00:15:35
    like smoothies, juices, snacks, samoosas, and snoothies.
  • 00:15:38
    They don't have samoosas and snoothies yet,
  • 00:15:40
    but I will be lobbying for those
  • 00:15:41
    just as soon as I figure out what they are.
  • 00:15:42
    But weren't you pushing HelloFresh before?
  • 00:15:44
    What the Hello happened to them?
  • 00:15:46
    They're still great.
  • 00:15:47
    In fact, they own Factor.
  • 00:15:48
    So both of them give you a wider array
  • 00:15:50
    of options to choose from.
  • 00:15:51
    In fact, I tell you this every single time
  • 00:15:53
    I talk about Factors so you probably already know this
  • 00:15:55
    unless this is the first time
  • 00:15:56
    you've decided to watch the full ad.
  • 00:15:57
    I recommend not skipping them
  • 00:15:59
    because I think ads are my best work.
  • 00:16:00
    Observe.
  • 00:16:01
    I truly enjoy being a benefactor of Factor
  • 00:16:03
    for being a lunchtime compactor
  • 00:16:05
    so I don't gotta be a meal cooking pro actor,
  • 00:16:07
    but in fact a cooking redactor
  • 00:16:08
    and just pop factor into the micro reactor,
  • 00:16:11
    but not so hard that I need a chiropractor
  • 00:16:13
    or cause an explosion and need to hire a subcontractor.
  • 00:16:15
    Steven Root is a great character actor.
  • 00:16:17
    Sorry, I'm being a distractor.
  • 00:16:18
    And I don't wanna be a detractor
  • 00:16:19
    about the delicious factor of Factor.
  • 00:16:21
    Truly, truly, really good. I'm not being an over reactor.
  • 00:16:24
    It really titillates the olfactors.
  • 00:16:26
    Okay, puns done. Done pun.
  • 00:16:27
    So I'm offering an exclusive discount for you.
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  • 00:16:41
    Feel like I wrote a lot for this ad spot
  • 00:16:43
    and it might be kind of long,
  • 00:16:44
    but I might leave it all in because I like it.
  • 00:16:46
    Thank you Factor for sponsoring this video
  • 00:16:47
    and thank you for watching.
  • 00:16:48
    Even if you watched on your smartphone,
  • 00:16:50
    I don't think it's necessarily a problem
  • 00:16:52
    as long as you weren't driving
  • 00:16:53
    or you weren't at a job interview.
  • 00:16:55
    Let me know if you watched this during a job interview
  • 00:16:57
    and how it went.
  • 00:16:58
    Lemme know all the things that I distracted you from
  • 00:17:00
    while you were watching this video on your smartphone.
  • 00:17:01
    I have a Patreon if you'd like to support me.
  • 00:17:03
    I do monthly live streams and monthly banjo faces.
  • 00:17:06
    You might just have to see what they are
  • 00:17:07
    to know what I'm talking about,
  • 00:17:08
    unless you've been watching for many years.
  • 00:17:10
    YouTube's got a video on screen
  • 00:17:11
    that it thinks you might like.
  • 00:17:13
    I'd be careful. I might get naked in that one though.
  • 00:17:15
    I think I remember that I get naked in that one.
  • 00:17:17
    So just watch it behind closed doors.
  • 00:17:19
    I guess that's it.
  • 00:17:21
    (bell chiming)
  • 00:17:22
    (lasers beaming)
Tags
  • smartphone
  • digital detox
  • mindfulness
  • productivity
  • social media
  • minimalism
  • technology
  • mental health
  • distraction
  • personal growth