No smartphoneNo social media
Call me on my
FirstWeek FlipPhonemy 7-day smartphone detox challengebegins First Monday of the month
Laurence Warner, here to warn ya:Back in May 2018, as a techie Fulbright Scholar researching the new phenomenon of youth Smartphone Dependence, I realised I needed to tackle my own tech addiction first, so invited a friend to join me in a challenge to flip to a burner phone for a week.
FirstWeek FlipPhone was so successful at helping us refine what we - not Big Tech - want to get out of socialising online, that I've continued going cold turkey for a week every month since, sometimes with other young people.I myself am now searching for the greatest modern BURNER (or just-smart-enough) phone and vlogging monthly to thousands of digital-minimalists about my experience flipping phones, this year to:Light Phone II (2023)if you're inspired to buy this ingenious little device direct from their website, please use this link to help fund me continuing my vlogs next yearthough 1st timers are encouraged to dig out their proper olde clamshell, if they can still get 3G on it..
If you'd you like to join me doing your own digital detox next month, please reach out, and I'd love to support you by putting ink to a letter and maybe telling your story to inspire others:
Not sure which BURNER phone to use?
Past post-FirstWeek vlogs about these just-smart-enough phones:
INot quite ready to take a smartphone detox? Go cheer on those who have, and find out more about how it's helped them acheive a healthier relationship with tech:
And here's some others high-profile manifestos, aimed at different groups, which might persuade you to give it a go:
| Group | Resource | By | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth | 🍿 The Social Dilemma | Netflix / CHT | 2020 |
| Grown-ups | 📚 Digital Minimalism | Cal Newport | 2019 |
| Techies | 🗣 Humane Tech founding TED talk | Tristran Harris / CHT | 2017 |