Just started reading Smartphone Nation by Dr. Kaitlyn Regehr, and honestly it’s already reminding me just how bad my own smartphone addiction really is.
A week ago I shipped my Mudita Kompakt back to Poland for repairs, so I’ve been using my old Cat S22 Flip. The problem is that because it’s still an Android phone, all my old habits came flooding back. I found myself installing a browser, checking email constantly, wasting time online, and even spending way more time on my laptop than I had been.
The difference in my mental health has honestly surprised me. When I was using the Kompakt, I felt calmer, more present, and like my brain wasn’t constantly searching for the next thing to look at. Since switching back, I can actually feel the anxiety and compulsive behaviour creeping back in.
It’s funny because before this happened, I never would have considered buying a Light Phone 2. Now I’m actually thinking about it, even though it probably doesn’t make financial sense for me right now. That’s how much of a difference I’ve realized a minimalist phone makes in my life.
I used to think dumbphones were just a cool idea. Now I realize they’re a tool that genuinely helps me become a happier, calmer, and more present person.
It’s amazing how quickly those old smartphone habits can come back. Hopefully it does not take the Mudita team too long to fix my Kompaxt and send it back because honestly I really don’t like living with a smartphone again.
I have the LightPhone 2 as well as the Mudita - I sometimes switch to it, it’s so tiny
Prefer the Mudita though on the whole, despite trying to get people to send me texts or call, I just can’t persuade the family to move away from WhatsApp.
I tried to convince a friend to use Session, but he complained, “WhatsApp is more than enough as an alternative to SMS/MMS.” Unfortunately, he gives up a lot of privacy with WhatsApp vs. Session or Signal:
Dear @Minimalmann79 - you’ve mentioned you have a child, perhaps you have children. I am wondering would you rather raise children to be familiar with their screen time on a Kompakt (or similar type minimalist phone) or a full featured internet accessing smartphone?
