#SmartphoneFree: Almost Irresistible

"...the machine is here, and its corrupting effects are almost irresistible."

#SmartphoneFree: They Were Controlling Us

"If there's any addiction that we have today as individuals and as a family, we (the parents) perpetuated it," Mr Clarke told the BBC. "They're cool devices, but we began to feel like they were controlling us and not vice versa."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-50830944

#SmartphoneFree: An App To Pretend To Meditate

"Mostly, I became aware of how profoundly uncomfortable I am with stillness. For years, I’ve used my phone every time I’ve had a spare moment in an elevator or a boring meeting. I listen to podcasts and write emails on the subway. I watch YouTube videos while folding laundry. I even use an app to pretend to meditate." 

Great article in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/business/cell-phone-addiction.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes

#SmartphoneFree: A Poem

Inspired Rabindranath Tagore's 'Where The Mind Is Without Fear':

Where My Mind Is Without Distraction

Where my mind is without distraction, and my thoughts are free

Where knowledge is my own

Where communication has not been contracted to shards

By disconnected moments

Where what is seen is what is true

Where I no longer seek validation in baseless affirmations

Where I am present, where I am real

Out of the endless seas of irrelevant information

Where my mind’s eye is clear

And it sees, more than before

And it knows. It knows.

#SmartphoneFree: How To Ditch Your Smartphone

Cartoon by Manu Cornet (http://ma.nu/)

This is not a blog post to convince you to go smartphone free. It's not even a blog post about my experience of going smartphone free. It's a blog post about how to go smartphone free.

So, you've realised you want to ditch your smartphone - smart move! The robots aren't quite in control of you yet. But how do you do it? It's basically a massive 'find and replace' exercise. Let's start with what you'll need to get rid of and what you'll need to replace.

Lose the smartphone - buy a dumbphone

An obvious step, but one that is easily put-off which makes for a huge fall at the first hurdle. Just go out and buy one. If money's not an issue and you really want to make a statement there are some ludicrously cool, ludicrously expensive handsets out there - usually available through an exclusive Kickstarter campaign or similar. But they are totally unnecessary and they spoil some of the side-benefits of going smartphone free (i.e. how cheap it can be). Get yourself to the supermarket and pick up something dirt cheap - my SIM-free Alcatel 1066G (the name must be a wry reference to how not-up-to-date it is) does the job perfectly and it cost me £14 - you can get it on the supermarket's own network for half that price.

Get a watch

This was a step I took whilst I still had a smartphone to try to reduce number of times I got it out of my pocket to check the time (because that inevitably led to me checking more than just the time). I'd also previously set my smartphone to turn off automatically at 9pm and back on at 7am (another supposed hack to reduce smartphone use) meaning I needed something else that had an alarm. Again, for me, cheap is the order of the day. A £9.99 Casio works a treat - mine's even bright blue. Time + alarm = I don't even need to get my dumbphone out of my pocket anymore.

Take a book

Smartphones are great at providing entertainment in those little bits of time inbetweentimes. But so are books. I find that non-fiction and poetry that can be consumed in smaller chunks (with fiction you lose the plot if you are only reading little bits here and there) are ideal. It makes you look and feel super-intelligent and I reckon they're a better potential conversation starter - no one would dare ask what you were reading on your smartphone but people do strike up conversations about books as they're less personal. Granted, they're often more cumbersome than a phone, but holding a book in your hand instead of the phone that used to be permanently glued there isn't such a hardship.

Get a map

I'm willing to bet that one of the most inhibiting factors for people considering getting rid of their smartphone is the lack of access to GPS/WIFI/data connection-enabled mapping apps (yes, I mean Google maps). When I first got rid of my smartphone I had no map and I made a few errors resulting in us not reaching our destination. Then I bought a road atlas for £2 and we've been fine ever since - all the parts of our 2-week summer holidays that I navigated were done successfully using a paper map. I've gained a better geographical understanding of the places we've been and I, as a map-lover, have enjoyed poring over it whilst planning journeys.


Dig out a digital camera

So many people had one of these before smartphone came around - I managed to find two lurking around the house. I do enjoy taking photos but I've discovered many of the photos I took were for the express purpose of sharing spontaneously on social media - something that without a smartphone you don't really do. At first I took a compact digital camera with me but found I wasn't really using it. On holiday we used the DSLR that my wife has for her business to record those golden family moments. This is a potential expensive outlay but one which might be balanced out by not having those expensive monthly payments for a smartphone contract.

Make some plans

It's very true that you might begin to miss the on-tap social interaction that smartphones provide. The quality of such interactions is questionable - in fact, Science appears to show that social media only provides low-quality social interaction - but that doesn't mean that you won't miss it when you say goodbye to your smartphone. To combat this, send a text or make a phone call arranging to meet up with friends or family in order to enjoy some real face-to-face time. Of course, not all of us live close to our relatives so a phone call might have to suffice. If video-calling is valuable to you and your loved ones (I totally get that it might be) then consider having a tablet device which you don't cart around with you the whole time in order to provide this service.

Revive some hobbies

I've heard absolute smartphone-junkies bemoan the lack of time to do other things that they actually consider to be more worthwhile. The fact that you no longer check your smartphone every 4 minutes (that's the average) and that you suddenly spend literally hours less per day looking at that little rectangle of light means that you can do all those things you used to love before the smartphone robbed you of your time. Get your guitar back out; start work on that book you've been thinking of writing; take those dancing lessons; spend more time with your loved ones - whatever it is, do it more. These kinds of activities will also help you combat the potential withdrawal symptoms.

Replacing other apps

There are other potential replacements, depending on what you use your smartphone for. I would be happy to guarantee to anyone that there will be another gadget out there or just a more traditional way of doing things (even if it's a slower way, there's every chance you'll still actually save time because you'll be able to do it distraction-free) that mean that however much you think you rely on your smartphone in your personal life, you could ditch it forever and not look back. One such example for me was getting hold of a Mighty Vibe audio player which plays Spotify audio on the go (see my review here).

Just do it

You'll never know what it's like until you do it. You'll never know what your personal version of going smartphone free looks like. It takes a can-do attitude (ridiculous that I'm speaking of getting rid of a piece of technology in such strong terms) and not a what-if attitude. You have to just do it - for yourself, and for the people around you who are losing you to all the time you spend with your phone.

#SmartphoneFree Must-Haves: The Mighty Vibe

"Mighty exists to keep the music going in moments when your phone should be in your pocket, left at home, or turned off."

When giving up my smartphone there was one app I was going to miss more than any other: Spotify. I've had a premium account for a couple of years now, ever since my trial premium account ran out - I just couldn't go back to the constant adverts and, more importantly, I loved the fact that I could 'download' the music and listen to it offline - whilst at work, in the car or on my bike, for example.

In my dreams I'd imagined a device that was specifically built for Spotify and when I googled to see if such a thing existed, I discovered Mighty. And when I discovered Mighty, another nail was secured firmly into the coffin of my smartphone. I knew I'd be able to move on.

A disclaimer, upfront: To get the music from Spotify onto the Mighty Vibe audio player, you still need a device - for me, that's an old ipad (which barely does much else these days). The thing with the ipad is that it stays at home most days on a bookshelf and is certainly not something I carry around with me at home or out and about - it is hardly a distraction. The fact that it is decrepit helps - it is too frustrating to use as it is so slow and out-of-date (planned obsolescence FTW).

So, the Mighty Vibe HAS allowed me to go smartphone free, even though I do need some access to a device which has the Mighty app on it. And it's really simple to use.

The Mighty Vibe works by having Spotify playlists loaded onto it via a WIFI connection. The Mighty can be connected to the WIFI using the app and once it is, they are connected. The two devices are also connected by Bluetooth (I'm not sure about the exact technology and how it works, but it does - usually: sometimes it disconnects and you have to start again).

The clip on the back is strong and
features a rubber grip strip which
attaches it firmly to clothing etc

In order to get the music onto the tiny, uber-portable (if not easily lose-able (I have managed to keep a track of mine so far)), you first of all have to have used Spotify to create playlists. In order to add whole albums to the Vibe, I worked out that with a couple of clicks you can create a playlist of an album. Other more traditional playlists containing a mixture of songs as well as playlists created by Spotify and its users can also be added - all playlists are equal. What you can't do is add a song, album, artist's back catalogue if it isn't in a playlist.

The Mighty's Bluetooth capacity also means that it can be easily connected to Bluetooth speakers and headsets. I've only tried it with speakers but have found that once the connection is set up (you need to use the app to do this) the devices remember each other and auto-connect whenever they are both switched on in each other's presence. For users of smartphones and most current technology, the Mighty Vibe might appear a little slow - it does take 20-30 seconds to get started and to make its Bluetooth connections, but once it's all got going, it is so worth it.

Charging and wired headphone listening share an input/output (a regular 3.5mm jack) so you can only do one thing at a time (although you can charge and listen via Bluetooth at the same time). It also means that you'll want to keep a close eye on the (also tiny) charging lead that comes in the box - it is less easily-replaceable than more ubiquitous USB charging cables.

Onto the sound then. I have no issues. I listen to a wide range of genres including Hip Hop, Rock, Acoustic Singer-Songwriter-type-stuff, through to Drum 'n' Bass, Classical and Pop - anything really, as long as it has a good melody. I've used several pairs of cheap headphones - the Apple ones that come with an iPhone, some old Samsung ones (I use these on my bike as they stay in and have those rubber grommets which block out the noise of the wind) and some Skullcandy ear buds. The Apple earbuds probably reproduce the best sound which leads me to believe that, if paired with a more expensive set, the sound would be even better. I'm no audiophile but I believe the Mighty Vibe really does the job.

Being screen-less presents some people with some issues. How can you tell what's what? You can't really, unless you know the music well. A robotic voice reads out the name of the playlist as you scroll through them, but there is no easy way of selecting a particular song that might be embedded in a playlist of, say, 200 songs - you could only skip through until you find it. As a result, the listening experience is very different to the way you used to (or still do) listen to music on an ipod or your phone. I've found that with a weekly update (sometimes I leave it longer) I'm actually giving the music more of a chance, listening to songs more times than I would if I could easily just pick out something new from the whole array of music available online. Because of this I've discovered new favourites - tracks that have grown on me - and have curbed my obsession of always trying to find something new that I've not heard before.

In the UK, the Mighty Vibe costs £79.99 - let's assess what you get for your money. You do get freedom from your phone whilst still being able to listen to all your music - it does exactly what the company have set out to do. The fact that there are workarounds to the issue of having to connect to an app (having a tablet device) has meant for me that I can go completely smartphone free without having to sacrifice Spotify's offer of unlimited music. Given that I'm never going to shell out ridiculous amounts of money for a phone again (my current dumbphone cost me £14 and calls and texts can be had for around £6 a month) I think the price of this awesome little gadget is well worth it.

Without my discovery of the Mighty Vibe, I may not have been able to make the leap from smartphone to dumbphone - that's how much I love my music and my Spotify account. Would I recommend the Mighty Vibe? Yes, mightily.

Mighty say:

"We started Mighty because we love streaming music, but found ourselves lugging our smartphone with us everywhere we went just so that we could listen to our music. We thought, there must be a better way. So we partnered with Spotify, the world's largest streaming service, and created Mighty. Mighty is the first ever portable device that plays Spotify without a phone, screen, or Internet connection.

Mighty exists to keep the music going in the times when your phone should be off or left behind. It's a simple, calm way to listen to streaming music without the bulk and distractions of your smartphone. Some people have told us that Mighty is 'the modern iPod Shuffle' and, well, we agree! The Shuffle was a glorious product for it's time and we view Mighty as the next step in the evolution of the portable music player."

For more info, see the Mighty website. The manual can be found online here: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1198/3830/files/Mighty_User_Manual_2019.pdf?9965418499457754777

#SmartphoneFree: But He Lost What He Had

"He got what he wanted (but he lost what he had)…"

We often seem to think about what we would lose if we had to give up something and rarely think about what we might gain.

With our smartphone use we gained what we wanted.

We got instant access to all the knowledge in the world, an foolproof way to navigate from A to B, increased communication, the ability to shop 24/7 from the comfort of your own home, an endless stream of cat videos and so on. We even got loads of stuff we didn't know we wanted but definitely think we want now we've got it.

But we also lost what we had.

We lost time alone with our thoughts. We lost proper conversations face to face. We lost time spent with our families. We lost the experience of wandering and noticing what goes on around us. We lost time. We lost money. We lost relationships.

Yet we also forget what we lost and think that their replacements are even better.

We think we gained knowledge, inspiration and improvement by being constantly influenced by a multitude of minds through podcasts, vlogs, blogs, articles, tweets and status updates. We think we gained better communication because it is so instant and easy and constant. We think we gained quality family time because it looks so good to our friends on Instagram and Facebook. We think we gained a world-wide perspective because our phone and computers regularly update their home screens with beautiful pictures from around the globe. We think we gained time because we can do things so much more quickly. We think we gained money because it's so much easier to find a bargain or sell on our unwanted stuff. We think we gained relationships because we connect with hundreds and thousands of people on a daily basis.

We got what we wanted and we lost what we had. And what we wanted turns out not to be what we really needed. And what we had, in the end, for some us, is what we want again.

If that's you - the one who knows that they want again what they once had - then think not what you might lose from giving up your smartphone, or your social media accounts, but what you might gain. And just do it. It's really not as bad as you think it's going to be.

#SmartphoneFree: Top TIP For Parents

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/parenting/internet-safety-101-top-tips-for-keeping-your-children-safe/ar-AAH8pGZ?ocid=ientp

An article based on an untenable premise.

"It's unrealistic to watch everything your child does..." - probably right, if you're giving them access to devices which can access the internet.

However, what if you don't give them that access? Then it becomes very realistic.

How has it become the norm that children have this kind of access? If parents don't go against the tide on this, society is going to have some problems.

Yes, children are going to rail against a lack of connection simply because 'everyone else does it' - but since when has that been a great argument for doing anything?

Parents need to get wise and articles like this only contribute to the problem.

#SmartphoneFree: Screen Love

'Can you hear me love? It's like you've never seen enough. 
If there's one thing between us, love, it's your screen love.'

A great track from Rel McCoy explaining how smartphone addiction can drive a wedge between loved ones.

Although I do admit to feeling frustrated by others' use of digital devices I eventually had to turn the spotlight on myself. I couldn't change the habits of others, but I could change my own. And, although I'm here evangelising about the #SmartphoneFree way of life (still have to have a hashtag!), I never intend to be preachy, at least in real life. I made my decision for myself, not to try to influence others.

If you find yourself annoyed by how much time your friends and family spend using digital devices, allow that to prompt some self-reflection into your own usage.

#SmartphoneFree: Mind-Forged Manacles

Please forgive me if this comes across as crass, but I'm sure many of you will know what I mean: one of the places you really miss having a smartphone is when you're 'in the bathroom'. I suppose, in all honesty, some of us perhaps spend more time in there than we really need to because of our smartphones.

One of the principles in Cal Newport's book 'Digital Minimalism' (which I discovered 5 months after getting rid of my smartphone) is that when you complete a digital declutter you should replace your digital activities with more meaningful non-digital activities.

I'd already worked this out - in fact, I'd thought of so many things to do in all the time I was going to save by not having a smartphone that I don't have enough time to do all of them - and knew that having something different to read during moments of downtime was going to be a must.

I'd already decided that poetry was something I wanted to get into a bit more and so my copy of 'How Poems Work' by Robert Gullifer and Matthew Jenkinson  made its way onto the windowsill in our bathroom. In this book there are 100 poems, each at around a page long, which are all partnered with another page's worth of brief analysis of the meaning of the poem and the techniques used. I've learned loads about poem structures, literary movements, rhyme schemes and so on, and have absolutely loved getting to know some brilliant and emotive poems.

Many of the poems have struck me for different reasons, but one line in 'London' by William Blake belongs here on this blog:

In every cry of every man,
In every infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear.

With this line Blake refers to the 'mental imprisonment of London's inhabitants'. Blake was writing in the time of revolution - industrial, American, French - but I see his words bearing relevance during today's digital revolution.

As Newport discusses, an oft-given reason for continued overuse of social media and digital devices is that they are useful and that life is difficult without them. This is an example of mind-forged manacles. We tell ourselves that the scant positive gains we get somehow outweigh the negative consequences of our screen addictions. And, actually, this is exactly what the tech companies want - they deliberately design their products to convince us that life is impossible without them.

One more reflection on 'How Poems Work': I always rejoice in intertextuality and I found a great example in three of the books I've read recently or am currently reading. In 'The Way Home', Mark Boyle (the cover of his book alone speaks to me) cites Henry David Thoreau as an influence, particularly his book 'Walden'. Cal Newport, in 'Digital Minimalism' also references and quotes Thoreau:

'The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. They honestly think there is no choice left. But alert and healthy natures remember that the sun rose clear. It is never too late to give up on our prejudices.'

In 'How Poems Work' I not only found Thoreau's 'The Summer Rain' but also Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem 'Walden' about his area of woodland where Thoreau lived in a cabin for two years, two months and two days. Both poems speak of nature's superiority over the man-made although perhaps Thoreau takes it too far when he almost denounces the reading of books - I will certainly be continuing to enjoy the pleasure of reading real paper pages over the shining screen of my smartphone.

Booklist:

The Way Home: Tales From A Life Without Technology by Mark Boyle (Oneworld Publications)
How Poems Work by Robert Gullifer & Matthew Jenkinson (John Catt Educational Ltd)
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (Penguin)

#SmartphoneFree: Before You Turn Into A Clone

"Grab you by your chin while you're staring at your phone, raise up your head before you turn into a clone." - Dynamite MC