I Tried to Quit My Smartphone for a Year, Here's What Happened

31 Comments

1. Use code WHEEZY50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at https://bit.ly/3BqQ0YB!

2. this was one of my favorites 👏

3. The bar isn't a problem, it's the booze. Or maybe Twitter is more like cocaine cut with asbestos.

4. Wjlhat I love is your self control and ability to recogonize hey I get too addicted to the internet so Ill get rid of it. It was like getting rid of everything helped you rediscover which apps were important. But then you also were still ok with being uncomfortable and still keeping some things off your phone after you went to a stupid smart apple phone.

5. Wheezy when are you going to invent a really stupid smart phone? I feel like you'd make so much money .

6. Still killing it after all these years, True tuber!

7. distracted from writing my resume for an overseas job application

8. I watched another video on the same theme, but it was more about reducing screen time on the phone. They had a lock box where you can still answer phone calls, but not pick up the phone constantly. I think reducing phone use to just essentials or beneficial tasks is probably good enough. It’s not just convenience, it’s sometimes just the way the world works now. I do my grocery shopping and budgeting on my phone for example. To do lists, banking, knitting patterns, music, podcasts, kids school stuff, etc. I deleted social media from my phone and only check that on my laptop though. That’s definitely beneficial.

9. Very good, Craig! You're perky again!

10. I think you got it about right. It’s almost impossible to quit the smartphone. Like you say you will only replace them with a camera and a note pad a laptop etc. it’s about gaining control back and not reaching for it when it’s not needed just to search an itch.
    It’s completely ironic that we are all watching your videos, most likely on a smartphone but it’s all about control.
    The biggest killer to us has to be mobile porn though. It shouldn’t be this easy to just watch someone have sex or be naked. Kinda takes away the thrill and excitement of normal life. You can see how people are so easily addicted these days.

11. As long as you pay attention to the real people in your life… the zoo part was interesting…at meals and with friends etc. Seems like you've learned a lot.

12. I think you're right that the phone is just a tool. It's not inherently bad. It's a matter of how you use it. But as someone who grew up long before smartphones — I was 36 when the iPhone came out — I have wondered if young people might not have learned to entertain themselves as well. I love having all these things in my pocket — encyclopedia, calendar, camera, etc — and haven't had a problem with spending too much time scrolling. By the way, I watch you on my 27" Mac desktop. Rarely do I use my phone to watch videos!

13. Fun

14. We have five hammers. Everything doesn’t look like nail.

15. The app that changed my life related to phone usage is: Freedom. I found an amazing lifetime price for it a couple of yrs ago. I use the service in multiple ways for different things on my smartphone and laptop. Strongly recommended. They also have free options for Browser plug-ins.

16. Good video. I paid attention for a whole 17 minutes at a time!

    I actually did something similar phone wise to limit it's use. I degoogled my smart phone (android) and installed fdroid app store, can side load non foss apps, but they might not work well. That's been good for only using it for texting, maps, camera etc. Any social media gets read in the browser, and since I'm using a clunky browser not integrated into the os, they're not so browser friendly I don't read it.

    The problem is all my social media use and rabbit holes just switched to my computer and I wind up staying up till the wee hours and not going to bed. When I'm in a good place were I can stop myself, it's still a couplefew hours to bed, so I keep going and then suddenly it's 3am, and I have no idea what happened to the last several hours.

    That is not to say I was any better about reading, it's hard for me to stay focused unless there's mystery or intrigue, in which case I'd spend the whole weekend in my room finishing a book, hardly eating or sleeping. (Back in the days when books were like a thousand pages) Or just stay up all night… So… It's not just the smartphone. But also some apps etc are made to be intentionally addictive, so that doesn't help.

17. Ur hilarious!

18. I've been steadily decreasing my social media consumption on my phone, but noticed that I still get sucked into tiktok and X/twitter, only allowing myself on those on iPad or laptop. Hoping to instill better phone habits into 2024.

19. So true Craig, I find it easier to quit things entirely than to try and find a healthy balance. I always thought that I had an addictive personality but maybe that’s more common than I thought.

20. I wish there was a simple iPhone too! My 83 year old mother needs something she can operate easily. I need something to operate easily! I am not tech savvy at all and I find most technology these days too complex and offer way more than I need or want. Argh!

21. Checkout the Wisephone.. hope you see this comment.. i cant vouch for the wisephone because I've never had it . But you should look into it

22. I quit Twitter so long ago, best choice. I don’t use IG much and FB for me is a healthy space if I avoid scrolling my feed and mostly engage with my dog podcast group.

23. great video with a much-appreciated nuanced conclusion AND that ad transition + ad read is one of the best I've ever seen

24. 7:53 Me at the zoo

25. Waiting for the " I quit being myself , here's what happened ".

26. I love this guy's other Youtube channel called: Space Ice, it's hilarious!

27. Craig you are a shining star thank you for making such entertaining yet real and down to earth videos

28. I don’t have voice mail and I do YouTube. My mom still doesn’t believe I do not have voicemail and probably thinks I’m lying. I blocked her anyway 😂

29. Did you/do you use your smartphone on the potty? If so, did you notice a difference when you stopped?

30. it is insane we have access to all that stuff right in our pocket. all the information imaginable right there. amazing cameras, music, entertainment.. everything

31. Wheezebag is actually a pretty legit cool name 🙂

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