Life Without a Smartphone

Written on October 5, 2023

A few months ago I switched from a smartphone to a feature phone and honestly, it was one of the smartest choices I've made recently. For reference, I use the Nokia 150 with a subscription to calling and texting only — no internet — and have been using this setup for about 3 months now.

For those who are thinking about doing this as well, I highly recommend trying it. It is a stream of peace that comes over you. Normally, every time I had the time I would grab my phone and start idly scrolling on whatever platform was available. I didn't realize it at the time, but this causes stress.

A person is made to have regular rest, to think about nothing for a little while and to heal themselves through meditation. This never happens if you're constantly on your phone during every break you have. You never give yourself the break your body and mind need and you are constantly busy with preoccupying yourself with things that are nothing but a distraction.

Just like everything else in life, everything is okay as long as it is in moderation. If there is something you genuinely need a phone for — or if there is something you like doing on your phone — there is nothing wrong with that. The problems come with addiction and almost everyone these days is addicted to their phone to some extent, which is not surprising, because this is what smartphones — and their apps — are designed for.

The longer you use your phone, the more data they will collect and the more money they will make. This is what platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are made for. They bombard you with content that they expect that you will want to continue watching, such as content that scares you, makes you angry or that you want to know more about. You don't even have to necessarily like the content. In the meantime, they collect all kinds of private data about you and you will later be forced to watch their personalized ads on their platforms.

You can trust me when I say you won't miss these distractions. In fact, even the opposite. I wouldn't want to go back to those rushed and stressed days of constantly checking updates for things that are actually so unimportant that now that I no longer have a smartphone, I don't even look for them anymore. They are just distracting you of the things that are actually important in life.