I went back to a dumb phone and life has been better

A one month review of the Light Phone III and my experience of leaving the smartphone life

Dear readers,

I have often heard, “smartphones are just a tool like anything else. It’s the way we use them that matters.”

The problem for me was, yes, that’s true, and yet I don’t use my phone like I use a salad spinner. 100% of the time I use a salad spinner, I am spinning salad or veggies. With my iPhone, I can confidently state that 80% of the time, I watch YouTube podcasts and follow politics incessantly before bed and in the morning.

I was never able to use the “tools” an iPhone gave me well. Instead, I got trapped in the algorithmic machine that funds big tech companies.

I eventually came to a pretty simple and humbling conclusion: I am not able to use my smartphone well without being distracted or wasting time.

As Jesus says in the Gospel of Mathew, ^“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.”

This wisdom is the opposite of the “technology is neutral” argument. And I was determined to try it for myself.

So I bought a salad spinner equivalent of a phone. It’s called the Light Phone, and it was designed to be used as little as possible. The Light Phone is the definition of a phone as a “tool”.

It has no internet, no email, no app store, and nothing algorithmic or addicting. Instead, it can call and send texts, give directions, take pictures, play podcasts, and document audio notes.

I’ve used it for the past month and a half, and I thought you (our subscribers) might find the experience interesting.

First, I will admit that I am biased. Although this post is in no way a sponsorship or sales pitch, I have followed the Light Company for many years and love the work they are doing. Receiving the phone was like unwrapping a special Christmas gift as a kid, and I was excited to make the change.

I also don’t intend for this article to come off as the magical solution to all life’s problems. It’s not. But I do feel a need to share the good that has come and be honest about it.

So with that, here we go…

Switching back to a dumb phone has simplified life in a good way. Within the first week, I noticed I was just thinking more, discerning, and solving problems I used to push aside. Addressing an awkward conversation or tension with a friend became a more active habit.

I also noticed I was more present to the people around me. As an example, I used to check Substack 5-10 times a day to see if The News Memo got more subscribers. Each notification was like a small dopamine hit. But it meant sacrificing my attention in a conversation or just writing good articles.

One of the most valuable changes, though, has been the ability to read again. After years of arguing with myself to read at night instead of going on my phone, I finally did it. The choice between lying in darkness or reading became pretty simple for me. Reading has now become a source of entertainment for me and I am further along in a book (Father Elijah) than I have been in quite some time.

But even more valuable is the experience of waking up. I have noticed the birds chirping, and my mind is clearer than it’s been in a long time. One of the coolest things about using a dumb phone is not even realizing what I am “missing out” on. Because there is no choice to grab my phone and watch Timberwolves highlights, I just don’t think about it in the first place. Besides, let’s be real, I watched the game the night before, and I don’t need to see the highlights. Instead, I need to give my wife a kiss. To start the day with what really matters.

Because there is nothing fun to do on my phone, I tend to respond to messages and requests I used to dread for some reason. So when I do pull out my phone out of habit, it’s become a time to get back to people and clear my mind. It was common for me to have messages lingering for days in the back of my mind.

I still use the phone as a tool. I manually subscribe to a few podcasts that I can listen to on my commute to work. I often use the directions tool for my way around, and I frequently use the directory tool, which allows me to look up local businesses.

There are times when the phone is a pain. Photos don’t come through clearly, I have to check links from the computer, and I was not able to get into a Twins game until someone used their smartphone to help me in. It’s been harder to complete certain work projects.

But at this point, I am definitely sticking with the Light Phone. It’s more human. And it has genuinely made life a little bit better, and for that I am really grateful.

So far, I can confidently say that it’s a lie that we all need smartphones and that they are a requirement for everyone to have. Why should we let other people decide that for us? I can also say that, at least for me, it’s been extremely helpful to cut out my distraction instead of trying to “manage it.” I, for one, don’t feel confident going against the people with billions of dollars trying to capture my precious time.

Peace,

John