The Myth of Convenience

Humanity's Greatest Tool

I used to believe that the convenience of my phone made it indispensable. It let me check the weather, take photos, authenticate my identity, get directions, Google anything at any time, contact friends, family, and work, send money, buy train tickets, listen to endless songs, and these are just the apps on the first page. This utility meant that my life became increasingly intertwined with my phone, to the point that it felt impossible to live without it.

This is not a unique experience, and as soon as social media companies noticed, they saw an opportunity. Since we have our phones on us all the time, why not offer a fun little distraction for when we have a spare five minutes? Check on your friends, see what they’re up to. Then, why not spend billions of pounds training these distractions on human behaviour to make them even more engaging? Why not turn them into the perfect attention-capturing machines? Collect massive datasets, build detailed profiles, and deliver an endless stream of personalised ads. Social media companies have taken one of the greatest tools humanity has ever built and reengineered it into the perfect attention sink. Like many others, I lost the attention battle to these mega-corporations, and I needed a solution.

So I started to analyse how convenient my phone actually was. The answer? Nowhere near as much as I thought.

Debunking the Myth

When I wake up, I usually sit in bed scrolling Twitter for ten minutes before finally checking the weather to decide what to wear. But do I really need my phone for that? I already own a radio alarm clock. One quick switch, and I wake up to a weather report and some news. I still start my day informed, but without being angry and confused about what strangers on Twitter think about the world.

When driving, I connect my phone to the car and follow the directions, even if it is a trip I’ve done countless times. But guess what? If I try a little bit, I can usually remember how to get there and when I don't, I can just follow the street signs. My reliance on GPS had eroded that confidence. In fact, it's been shown that constant GPS use weakens spatial memory and navigation skills, see here.

Photos? My partner uses a digital camera she bought at a car boot sale for £1. Endless songs? I mostly listen to the same albums on repeat anyway, and by buying them directly I support the artists. Authenticate my identity? I can use a YubiKey or set up 2FA on my laptop. Google anything anytime? How I Met Your Mother demonstrated why this sucks over a decade ago! Contact friends, family, and work? I can just text or call. And without email in my pocket, I can actually disconnect from work. When it’s urgent? They'll call.

I came to the realisation that my phone wasn't that convenient, especially when I was paying for that convenience with my data, attention, and autonomy. Every task it made easier came with a hidden cost: surveillance, manipulation, or distraction. It became obvious to me that most of what I thought I needed my phone for could be done better, and more consciously, without it.

The Solution?

The prospect of getting rid of my smartphone was scary. I tried five years ago and only lasted three months. Could I stick with it this time?

After some research, I came across what felt like the right compromise: the CAT S22 Flip. It runs Android, but on software this outdated, with hardware this underpowered, and a screen this small, good luck getting any social media apps to run properly. Crucially, it still supports WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, so I can stay in touch with the people I normally message. It even lets me hotspot to my laptop, something I heavily rely on when I’m travelling. So far, I love it.

Rethinking Convenience

Most people I talked to about this decision said the same thing: “Just delete the apps.” And like anyone who's struggled with phone overuse, I’ve tried that. But they always creep back in. Twitter on Safari when I’m bored on the toilet, Instagram just to see what my friends are up to, and before long, I’m right back where I started.

The problem isn't the apps, it's the device. It's having this perfectly designed attention sink in your pocket at all hours of the day. Switching to a dumb phone hasn’t made me feel less connected. If anything, I reply to my friends more now that my phone doesn't have all the other distractions. Sure, some things are less convenient. But I took back my time.

Acknowledgements

This Eddy Burback video for inspiring me to think about my phone again. This is a highly enteraining watch that I thoroughly recommend.

The r/dumbphones subreddit for being an amazing resource for people looking to get rid of their phone.

Disclaimer

Obviously, it is not feasible for everyone to get rid of their smartphone, and for many people they provide critical functionality that goes far beyond convenience. However, if you have read this far and resonated with my experience, then I encourage you to think about your relationship with your phone, and whether you'd be better off without it.