3 Lessons Learned From A Painful Digital Smartphone Detox
(It revealed why I got dumber. You should try it, too.)
Did you feel “sharper” in high school?
I did.
Learning new words and applying them to my writing, for example, used to be an effortless endeavor.
I could rattle off definitions from dictionary pages verbatim, and retain new information without exerting myself.
(Fellow classmates can attest to this as they were the “quizzers” crowding the table with a dictionary in hand, challenging me with random words. And probably gobsmacked because they thought I was a novel breed of nerd.)
Today, that sharp focus and memory feels like it has faded.
Compared to the times when I could, to the surprise of schoolmates, “snort” a definition, formula, fact, or name and then recall it without friction, my working memory appears laughable.
This gnawing observation forced me to question why I’ve felt dumber, and why others may also feel this way. Naturally, my suspicions turned towards the smartphone.
Are smartphones really that bad for our brains? If so, what can you and I do about it?
Why I got “dumber”
Thinking back to my dictionary-reciting days, I’m convinced that a certain rebellious streak was responsible for my then noticeable focus and memory.
Why would a rise in detentions and negative parent evening reports be a good thing?
Because due to my in-class escapades (like climbing out of school and sprinting past the gates and guard of a neighboring factory to buy a burger), I was grounded.
I was also deprived of my PS2 (remember them?) phone, and all other gadgets and forms of entertainment — with the exception of the following:
- An old computer with a bulky monitor (no internet access)
- A selection of books
- And an MP3
This narrowed my options for entertainment down to reading, writing, listening to music or absent-mindedly daydreaming. (A hard knock life for sure!)
It seemed like I was paying an excessive penalty for my infractions at the time, but I’m now grateful for the lack of entertainment and “distractions”.
This quiet isolation was a defining and formative stage.
It forced me to acquaint myself with boredom, and consequently discipline myself to learn more, channel my focus, and enjoy productive forms of entertainment.
As I’ve aged, and despite copious amounts of reading and writing corollary to life as a content strategist/copywriter, I’ve sensed that my ability to focus on tasks and remember information has dwindled.
While I can’t deny other possible causes, I blame the on-demand frothy distraction that a smartphone provides for clouding my focus. You know what this looks like:
- Over-indulging on YouTube videos
- Slipping into never-ending social media rabbit holes
- Itching to learn new things, without, you know…actually learning anything
Fed up with ruminating my lost faculties and blaming things like aging, lifestyle, and the accompanying responsibilities (a wife, child, and job) I decided to take action.
Inspired by the likes of Alex Becker, Thomas Oppong, and NY times columnist, Kevin Roose, I challenged myself to a 7-day smartphone detox from the 9th-16th of January 2021.
Ahead, I’ll share three of my biggest insights from the challenge and explain why anyone involved in work that is remotely demanding and focus-driven should try this challenge.
(Important caveats: I used my phone when exercising in my home gym and to complete Spanish lessons on Duolingo.)
Insight #1: Smartphone “withdrawals” are frighteningly real
Think you’re not addicted to your smartphone?
Think again.
I didn’t realize the impact that having a pocket-sized portal to attention-stealing YouTube videos, in-depth articles and endless notifications were having on me until I distanced myself from them.
“Withdrawals” were almost immediate.
On days one and two, for example, after (reluctantly) handing my phone over to my wife, I felt a phantom buzz in my pocket throughout the day, despite there being no smartphone in the same room.
I also developed a craving to consume content about topics beyond my usual interests. (My typical content binges involve topics such as marketing, self-development, SEO, and fitness.)
This craving became a positive, eventually. As I’ll explore in the next subhead, I had more time to consciously direct and invest my attention.
Insight #2: The powerful value of micro-moments
After the first couple of days, I noticed significant benefits from distancing myself from my smartphone. One of the biggest benefits was being present enough to “smell the roses”.
As cliche as it sounds, you realize how much of your day-to-day life becomes a blur due to a boredom-triggered constant state of consumption.
With this key door to perennial distraction closed, I didn’t have to exercise herculean levels of self-control to sit down and write, conduct research, or generate ideas for personal projects.
In short, breaking the “flow state” barrier was easier.
And work, from start to finish, became more engrossing and dare I say, entertaining.
Unsuspectedly, the quality of my social interactions also improved, adding more color to the conversations that I had with others in my household.
Instead of half-distracted head-nods and grunts to express acknowledgment while staring at a screen, I enjoyed deeper debates and palaver with my peeps.
Abstaining from the comforting lure of my phone also afforded me more time.
Previously, 5-minute breaks would often snowball into 15–20 minutes chunks disappearing from my day. During the smartphone challenge, this was no longer the case.
Pockets of time were used in a more productive manner. When away from my desk, I’d comfortably transition into daily Duolingo lessons, complete urgent chores, and in general, feel less anxious.
I’ll admit, I watched two YouTube videos during my detox, but these weren’t consumed willy nilly on my smartphone.
They were intentional viewings (on my laptop) that occurred during a work lunch break because I found myself curious about one topic and in need of information on another.
And because I had a purpose behind viewing these videos, I paid more attention, and retained more information — I wasn’t passively listening to a voice while scrolling through the comments.
Insight #3: Smartphones can be toxic for sleep hygiene
Studies show that show people who don’t charge their phones in their bedrooms are significantly happier than those who do.
Keeping your phone away at bedtime also counters the urge to instinctively pull out infinite stimulation from under your pillow.
If you get up to grab your phone, your actions are intentional.
This extra step forces you to consider why you’re reaching for your phone when you know you shouldn’t.
If you struggle with sleep, or have some kind of insomnia, like me, detoxing from your smartphone helps.
While I wouldn’t label nor expect smartphone abstinence to be a complete cure — I still deal with symptoms despite slashing pre-sleep screen time — I can honestly say it’s improved my sleep.
I challenge you to a 7-day smartphone detox
And that concludes the top 3 things I learned from my smartphone detox! Combined, the most noticeable benefits were:
- More focus and time throughout the day
- Less anxiety related to being productive and appearing busy
- Better sleep
- An enhanced sense of overall wellbeing
- More engaging social interactions
If you’re reading this, you’re probably on the fence or curious about the whole smartphone detoxing process. And you’re probably wondering if stepping away from your smartphone will enhance your productivity.
The only way to find out is to experiment for yourself.
Put your phone down for seven days or (limit your usage to what’s completely necessary) and observe how you feel by the end of your own experiment.
If you’re looking for some advice on how to get started:
- Get a “brick” or flip phone. You’ll still need to make and receive calls.
- Give your phone to somebody else in your household to hide in an obscure place. It’s much harder to succumb to temptation this way, and there’s an extra barrier that’ll create peer pressure and hold you accountable.
- Replace the habit. Where you would normally check your phone, invest your time into something else. Read. Stretch. Meditate. Play with your kid (you’ll enjoy it more because you’re 100 percent present).
- Ask yourself why you’re picking up your smartphone. If you feel you have to pick up your smartphone, ask yourself why? Is it related to work that can’t be avoided, or an important task or goal you’ve set for yourself?
Could you use a computer app in lieu of a smartphone app? (Towards the end of my experiment I discovered that Duolingo can be accessed via desktop, doh!)
