I gave up on my phone for a week and it was nothing like the videos said it would be

All those posts and videos talk about how ditching your phone makes you super mindful and connected to the real world. So, last month, I left my phone in a drawer for seven full days, using just an old alarm clock and a paper map. Honestly, it was mostly just annoying. I missed a vet appointment for my dog because the reminder was on my calendar app. I got lost twice trying to find a new coffee shop downtown, and I had to keep asking strangers for the time. I felt less connected, not more, because I couldn't quickly check in with my friends or share a funny thing I saw. The quiet moments were nice, sure, but the hassle wasn't worth some big life change. It just made normal things harder. Has anyone else tried a digital detox and found it was more trouble than it was hyped up to be?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielmason7d ago

Did you see that article about how digital detoxes often ignore practical needs? Your experience with the vet appointment and getting lost is exactly what they meant. The idea is good but the reality is usually just inconvenient.

-1

kim1886d ago

Oh the "inconvenient" part is spot on, but I don't think it means the idea is bad. It just means you have to plan for the inconvenience, like Brian said with the printed directions. The detox part is about the mindless scrolling, not about making your day impossible. You just swap one kind of prep work for another.

brian_ramirez6d ago

Yeah I just started printing out directions and addresses before I leave now. Takes two minutes and saves me from that panic when my phone dies.