Lately, I’ve become nostalgic for the days before smartphones, when the internet was a place we went to deliberately, and not a place that lived on all of our devices, beckoning to us with a constant stream of notifications, and our own fears of missing out.
For me (and many people who grew up before the 2000s), the internet used to be a place only accessible via a CRT screen connected to a large box in my childhood bedroom. It required a ritual each time to get on, and getting connected to the internet ironically required disconnecting from our phones. We had cell phones, sure, but this was before unlimited calling and texting. Because of this, time spent in the virtual world was short, and it only took place when someone in the house wasn’t expecting a call or didn’t need to use the phone. Loading webpages was slow and tedious, so you had to be deliberate with your time spent online. Nowadays, the glowing rectangles in our pockets keep us chronically online; always connected. It seems impossible to escape from the internet. It's everywhere.
The lines between the digital world and the real world have completely blurred. Almost everything we could want or need to do day to day can be done from our smartphones, from listening to music and keeping up with the news, to finding directions and getting groceries. Smartphones have without a doubt made our lives more convenient, and they save us hours upon hours of time every day…which would be great, if we didn’t end up wasting all of that time we saved working when we’re off the clock, or endlessly scrolling through mindless brain rot. As much as I love the modern conveniences my smartphone provides, I can’t help but feel suffocated by the constant influx of information, and the pressure to always be available at a moment’s notice.
Over the last few days, I’ve taken steps to decentralize my smartphone, and find alternative ways of fulfilling the tasks I’ve come to rely on it for. It’s my hope that in doing so, I can reclaim some of the time and attention it has taken from me, and put it to better use. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. It isn’t my intention to swear off of technology forever and become a recluse. That said, I think there is value in taking a digital detox now and then, stepping away from time to time to reevaluate what is working for us, and what, if anything, is getting in the way of us living our lives with greater purpose.
Below is a photo of some of the Single Purpose Devices I have been using more so that I can use my smartphone less.
I think I will write blog posts detailing each of these things more in depth, but for now, they are as follows: (from left) Magnavox Portable DVD player, Fujifilm X100V Digital Camera, Sony Walkman CD player, iPod (4th Gen Monochrome), AlphaSmart Neo, Physical Books, Typewriter (Royal Arrow), Pen/Paper Journaling, Standalone Calculator, Nintendo Switch