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A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

nytimes.com

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Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#71

Post by 15457345234 »

goosejuice wrote: post #67
15457345234 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's pure gaslighting 'it isn't the drug that's addictive, it's the user that has issues' lol no sweetie

Hardly 'pure gaslighting'. Both can be true. The user is a part of the equation.

The user is more likely to turn to a drug or their phone if they find their life unsatisfying but that doesn't alter the fact that the drug/phone can be far more stimulating than any experience they'd encounter 'organically'

That's the issue; the real world can only offer up so much so fast. Drugs and the scroll can offer it faster. Expecting people to turn away from that even when it's visibly harming them isn't reasonable; we know for a fact it doesn't happen, people overdose on fentanyl and then immediately go back to buy more.

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#72

Post by darth_avocado »

XorNot wrote: post #46
lethologica wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is like saying to addicts “Just stop smoking crack”. Everyone knows smoking crack is bad for you. A lot of people want to quit but are unable to no matter how much “self discipline” they have. And app developers have teams of people dedicated to making sure you stay on these apps longer and longer. Now imagine your dealer is in your pocket 24/7.

Your smartphone is in absolutely no way like smoking a physically addictive hard narcotic. Again: learned helplessness. You've picked a comparison to ensure that you have maximally separated any notion of your own culpability. Drug addicts who get clean start by recognizing that they made the choice to start, and need to be mindful of the choice to quit, outside the physical addictions which drive it. The answer for…

Addiction to smartphones, porn, shopping, eating, coffee, gambling etc. all work on the same neurological pathways. While it’s not the same as a drug addiction, “just don’t do it” isn’t that straightforward. People have to go to therapy and rehab to get rid of some of these, but somehow when it comes to smartphones, the opinion is that “it’s not that hard”.

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#73

Post by davesmylie »

hilux wrote: post #60
wintorez wrote: post #55

The strategy that has worked for me so far is to delete all any addicting app (entertainment, social media, etc) that has a web version. I still can access them with browser, but the experience is not the same, so after a while, I get bored, and close them.

I do this too. Of course, the companies fight back, e.g. Facebook messaging isn't (last I checked) available through the Facebook-in-the-browser; it requires the Messenger app.

https://mbasic.facebook.com - at least for now a cut down version that still allows messenger designed for those with low bandwidth.

I would be curious to hear your experience - it's been functional for me for quite some time, but just recently it's had a banner declaring that it was going away....

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#74

Post by nequo »

laweijfmvo wrote: post #43
darth_avocado wrote: post #6

It is unfortunate that the phone hardware companies have an interest in you using their phone more, otherwise they'd make it easier to manage your phone usage better. The screentime app in iPhone for example is so easy to bypass as a user even when you were the one who limited certain apps usage. I want an app that strictly locks away my access to an app and also suppresses notifications. Is that so hard to build? It…

I never found Screentime usable because something like turn-by-turn navigation would count against the global screen time, with no option to exclude it. worthless.

Apple Maps can display directions on the lock screen. It seems to also work with turn-by-turn navigation. Does this count toward the global screen time?

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#75

Post by Apocryphon »

Syonyk wrote: post #62
Apocryphon wrote: post #48

As important as this issue is, I have to wonder if it has eclipsed desktop addiction, after all both are just manifestations of browser, or rather internet addiction.

Oh, absolutely. A desktop is far, far less "fanged" than a phone. It's not with you all the time, and it generally can't send notifications if you don't have a webpage open (I know there are the "web notifications" every shady site wants to use, but they're off by default, vs on by default for phones). Going back to a desktop computer that you turn off regularly (so there's some friction waiting for it to boot) is on…

Yeah, but these days almost all white collar workers are on a desktop at least eight hours a day, and when you go home at night wouldn’t you prefer the form factor of a larger screen rather than a handheld one?

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#76

Post by Apocryphon »

code_duck wrote: post #58
Apocryphon wrote: post #48

As important as this issue is, I have to wonder if it has eclipsed desktop addiction, after all both are just manifestations of browser, or rather internet addiction.

Mobile devices have hooked a lot of people who weren't interested in desktops or laptops. They also created the ability to use the internet or play games in places people would have been unlikely to use computing devices before, like at a restaurant or on the bus. I’d ask how much it’s related TV, but on the other hand I often see people doing both at once.

That’s fair, and I’m sure compulsive use in public isn’t great, but it feels like such addiction is comparatively less time spent than an office worker who’s on a desktop for the majority of the day.

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#77

Post by tvb12 »

BeetleB wrote: post #29
allthecybers wrote: post #15

I'd love to quit my smartphone and have looked at options like Lite Phone to replace it. The only issue is my smartphone is now my GPS, my payment method, my home lighting controller, my car/house key, and my health tracker. Plus, was a convenient way to keep tabs on work messages. Half a decade ago I eliminated all my social media. Then about a year ago I started by removing work email and messaging from my phone.Th…

> The only issue is my smartphone is now my GPS, my payment method, my home lighting controller, my car/house key, and my health tracker. If you use GPS only for navigation in a car, get a Garmin or something similar. Payment: Is it that hard to use a CC like most people do...? I only recently used my phone for payments (lost card and was waiting for replacement), and did not find it any more convenient than using a…

I like my Garmin, but map updates are surprisingly expensive.

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#78

Post by goosejuice »

15457345234 wrote: post #38
karaterobot wrote: post #7

I just checked the Screen Time statistics, and my average daily screen time last week was 18 minutes, the week before that was 22 minutes. I've never been in danger of becoming addicted to smart phones, just like I've never been in danger of being addicted to alcohol or gambling: none of them really appeal to me that much. But there are plenty of things I know I am addicted to, and I'm pretty sure the way to treat th…

> the way to treat that addiction is to address the underlying issue Given that a very very large number of people are _visibly_ addicted to their phones, what would that look like, what action would you propose, what resources would be deployable? Are you saying that a majority of the population have an 'underlying issue' that needs to be addressed? What is that issue?

There are many making money using manipulation and I certainly don't condone that. Hopefully we can push for regulations where it makes sense.

Even still there will always be obstacles in life to overcome. CBT has been helpful for many so it may be a place to start. CBT can help one understand the underlying issue and replace the vice with a healthier coping mechanism.

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#79

Post by yunwal »

XorNot wrote: post #25
darth_avocado wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People don’t want to quit smartphones, they want to quit what’s in them and that can be hard. Sometimes you just have apps that are a time sink. You can obviously delete them and call it a day, but sometimes you want to keep it around for a small use case, but then want to limit your usage to a minimum, which can be hard because these apps are literally designed to make you spend as much time on them as possible.

This triggers my "learn some self-discipline" instinct. It's such a learned helplessness statement "oh no, I can't possibly not open the reddit app 30 times a day. Save me from myself." Like, I get it, it's not easy but it's also a pretty basic part of being an adult. Like brushing your teeth, eating healthily or doing exercise (which is to say: if you think "I have problems with those too" then the problem really is…

I’m not sure what your point is here. The adult thing to do if you’re an addict is to move as far away from your addiction as possible. That is what self discipline looks like.

Re: A practical guide to quitting your smartphone

#80

Post by BeetleB »

vel0city wrote: post #61
BeetleB wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only issue is my smartphone is now my GPS, my payment method, my home lighting controller, my car/house key, and my health tracker. If you use GPS only for navigation in a car, get a Garmin or something similar. Payment: Is it that hard to use a CC like most people do...? I only recently used my phone for payments (lost card and was waiting for replacement), and did not find it any more convenient than using a…

Not OP, but in a similar place for the phone somewhat dominating on the go stuff. Its just incredibly freeing leaving the house with only my phone. These days it can handle payment most places. It is my library card. My bus pass. My car key. My camera. My paperback novel. My guide. My gym pass. It lets me know when my bus or train is running late. It lets me know when that store is going to close, or if its even open…

And what do you do if you run out of batteries? Or lose the phone? Or it gets wet and won't turn on?

You can't even drive your car?

My phones have failed me on multiple occasions over the years.

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