I’ll eventually return to my inconsistent programming of random craft endeavors, but for now…

I am trying to break up with my smartphone.  I wish I could say to it, “It’s not you, it’s me.”  But that’s not really true, not when the most addictive qualities about smartphones were designed by billionaire tech companies to be addictive.  

My S.M.A.R.T. goal here is pretty simple:  to get rid of my smartphone by the end of 2025 and switch to using a “dumb phone”.

My intentions are more nebulous, but they rest in the feeling that endlessly scrolling on social media apps like Instagram is just a dumb, dumb way to spend my time.  I feel it eating into my desire to do the things I want to spend my time doing.  I want to make things again, to take pictures, to read, to hang out with friends, to keep up on my housework, etc.

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Something I’ve been working on behind the scenes in the last year and a half is finally figuring out how to keep my house clean on a regular basis.  I realize this sounds like a dumb thing, but it is something I’ve struggled with… forever.  But a lot of work reorganizing & decluttering my home, and building new systems for myself has made a huge difference.  This work has also paid dividends beyond a clean house:  I regularly cook my meals at home now because it’s enjoyable to be there; and I finally got my finances in order because I know what I own and I can be more logical in how I spend my money.  It’s all good things.

Early in April of this year, I felt really proud of my progress.  I felt happy that I was “putting in the work” and seeing results.  At the same time, I was frustrated because I had no desire to do any of the “fun” things I enjoy. I had started my housecleaning journey simply because I wanted to give myself a better space to be creative in. But one week, I realized I came home every evening after work, sat down in my living room, and spent the whole evening scrolling through social media.  I kept thinking, “This is stupid!“

I felt like the problem was my smartphone allowed the internet to follow me around constantly like some co-dependent ghost.  Anytime I had a brief pause in life, it was too easy to pick up my phone and find something to capture my attention for the next minutes (and often, next hours).  I have also used the internet through other devices like my home desktop computer, but I always felt like I could break my endless scrolling more easily there since it didn’t fit in my pocket.

Now, I know what you’re thinking:  most smartphones have features that allow you to limit your time on an app, or you could just delete the addictive apps from your phone.  And yes, I have tried those features – albeit halfheartedly – over the last couple of years.  I also tried deleting social media apps from my phone.  But I always turned off the timers, and I always re-downloaded the apps.  I am nothing, if not persistent.

So, I decided to work towards getting rid of my smartphone and replacing it with a “dumb phone”.  My choice seems drastic, but it gives me a firm goal to work towards.  And I usually do better with clear expectations in place.

Now, a few months on, I’m still not quite to my goal.  I have made a lot of progress, but I still have a smartphone.  This is largely a result that my research into which “dumb phones” (or “minimal phones”, as they are sometimes called) I wanted led me to choose a phone called the Light Phone III.  I have a pre-order out on it and I am waiting for it to arrive. But I’ll admit the extra time before it arrives and I fully commit to a “dumb phone” has some benefits.  So I will keep on keeping on until it gets here.

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Side note: yes, I know the Light Phone III is pretty expensive. No, it’s not necessary and I could have chosen another dumb phone option and been plenty happy (probably). But I saved for it and I want to treat myself to a shiny reward for the progress I’ve made on all fronts in the last couple years.