[sedeki]

I want to start doing this too. I bought a flip-phone some time ago, but it never stuck.

My usage is pretty much: listen to music, use (Google) calendar, texting, FaceTime.

Any surfing is plain doom scrolling and not productive.

Recommendations for me? Analog/simpler substitutes?

For ppl that has gone down this path - how do you feel now?

[vitaflo]

Personally it wasn't very hard for me to go down this path because I never found social media (which lets face it is the big driver of phone overuse) to be all that interesting in the first place.

That said I treat my phone mostly like a phone. I have my calls and texts whitelisted. If you're not in my contact list, the phone won't ring or ding. Then if I hear it ring, I know it's someone I know.

I remove most of the apps on my phone and keep it on my desk at all times. No different than a phone you would have hanging on a wall. I treat it the same, so I don't feel the need to really "use" it.

I will take my phone with me when I go places, and use it for music or maps in the car, but because I mostly treat it as a phone, I don't really see it as anything other than that.

When I started doing this I was admittedly pretty bored, but over time I just found other things to do and am never bored now. You just get used to it. Humans are pretty adaptable.

[kayodelycaon]

You could use the parental controls to lock it down.

iOS has Screen Time, which allows you to set limits on how much you can use an app. I'm sure there is some equivalent on Android.

I made the mistake of purchasing FTL (a game) and had to add a Screen Time rule for it. :)

[sedeki]

Yeah, I have it activated. But I want to experiment with the idea to abolish my phone as much as possible.

[overthemoon]

I'd be curious as well. I realized in the last few months that I rarely enjoy looking at anything on my phone. I like it when my friends and family text me. I like the discord group I have with my friends, especially now that we all have kids and have moved away. I started by deleting apps that weren't essential, keeping the utilities or the things I don't do compulsively, or do situationally.

With Twitter in particular, I don't know a better way to find artists, writers, and podcasts. I have never enjoyed Twitter less than I do now, but it is unfortunately the best way I currently know. I guess it's time to start digging.

[nicbou]

I've taken a different approach: I spent about a year silencing anything that grabbed my attention and shouldn't. Ad blockers handle that job just fine. On social media, I just unfollowed everyone, and blocked every related content feed. These websites are empty, but accessible. They can be queried, but not browsed.

It worked great. I sometimes just don't know what to even look at on my phone. It's as exciting as an old flipphone.

That took care of the impulse. Beyond that, it's just a matter of self-discipline.

[hahamrfunnyguy]

All I do is put the phone on vibrate and put it in my pocket. Other than taking out the phone to capture a photo, I never really feel the urge to pull it out and waste time on it unless I am actively waiting and there is nothing else to do. I like to be 100% engaged in what I am doing whether that's socializing with friends, enjoying a hobby or walking somewhere. Maybe that's my secret? The desire to feel fully engaged and present?

All that being said, I work on a computer all day long. I am in front of the computer all day and do a fair bit of "time wasting" there.

[chunk_waffle]

This describes my usage too, I also am on a computer all day long, its also where I waste my time. I see my phone as a less useful computer, with the worst typing interface possible and try to use it as little as possible.

I'd be totally content to replace my physical phone, with a virtual one on a computer, provided I could make calls and send/receive text messages. Maybe I need to look into Google Voice...

[nvr219]

When I attempted this I did a flip phone and transitioned the rest to my laptop. As a result, I just carried my laptop around all the time. Didn't solve the problem!!!

[psychphysic]

Between texting and FaceTime is pretty much the entire functionality of a modern smart phone.