Help me break my smartphone addiction
From everyday questions to more complex problems, we’re asking the experts to lend us a hand. Throughout the series "Professional Help," we’ll hear some direct advice, for us not-so-direct Minnesotans.
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If you have New Year’s resolutions, congratulations on finishing the first full week of working towards your goal! Many people have resolutions that involve getting better sleep, deepening their relationships, working on their mental or physical health, or starting new hobbies.
All of those goals and more can be supported by one big change — loosening our grip on our smartphones.
MPR News producer Ellen Finn took it on with the help of an expert for our series, Professional Help.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: Did you make a New Year's resolution? Well, if you did and you maintained it, congrats on finishing your first full week of working towards your goal. And if you didn't, that's OK. They can often be short-lived. Many of you might have resolutions that involve getting better sleep, deepening your relationships, working on your mental or physical health, or maybe starting new hobbies. All of those goals and more can be supported by one big change. MPR producer Ellen Finn took it on with the help of an expert for our series "Professional Help."
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELLEN FINN: If you're like me, you pick up your smartphone about eight times an hour. I look at my phone when I get a notification and scroll on social media when I'm bored or tired or want a distraction. All that distraction on my phone doesn't deliver much for my well-being. But it does take up a lot of my time, hours every day that I could spend focused on endless other things that make me happier.
But our phones are so addictive, and many people struggle to break the cycle of turning to our phones every spare moment. Studies show less time on our phones means more mindfulness, better mental health, and less loneliness. How do I break this cycle? I asked an expert.
AUGUST LAMM: You have to get a dumb phone. So that's the first step.
ELLEN FINN: That's August Lamm, a writer and artist. And yes, her take might seem pretty extreme. She believes that if you're one of those people that blazes through the time limits you've set for yourself on your phone over and over, the only way to break the habit is to go cold turkey and get a flip phone.
I know. I also thought it was taking things way too far. But before you scoff, it's actually a growing trend that has a lot to teach us phone addicts. August wrote a detailed pamphlet called "You Don't Need a Smartphone" with clear instructions on how to navigate the year 2025 without a computer constantly at your fingertips.
AUGUST LAMM: I cannot even begin to describe the effect that it has had on me. It's absolutely life-changing. And everyone I've spoken to who's downgraded feels the same about it. This might sound very obvious. But to anyone who's millennial and younger, it's hard to remember, hard to conceive of just being entertained by the world and not having something to look at and distract you and stimulate you all the time.
So I've just noticed that my attention span is amazing. I can read long, difficult books. And it actually becomes more obvious to you once you've made the switch how much it affects your friends and how much it affects your time with them.
ELLEN FINN: Before she quit her smartphone altogether more than two years ago, August tried countless apps to limit her screen time. But her draw to her phone was so strong that she always figured out a way to get around the apps.
AUGUST LAMM: It never went away. I'd be out with friends or on a date or at a yoga class or something, and I was still thinking, my phone's right there. It has everything in it and on it. I can access this whole world if I want to. And so I would. And the amazing thing about downgrading is you think you're going to be out and about and just thinking, OK, well, I can still check my email at home. I'm still worried about this work thing. I still wonder what people think of me. But you don't. You go out. And when your phone's not there, you forget that social media even exists.
ELLEN FINN: A big reason it's so hard to put our phones down is because they often represent our connection to other people. That's why August encourages people who want to use their screens less to enlist the help of friends and family to take intentional time together away from their phones.
AUGUST LAMM: Everyone has stories to contribute about how it's taken away from their lives and what they want to change. And I like the idea of small social experiments. Like, what if we had a no-phones dinner? What if we went on a walk without our phones? You left them in the car or something.
You can have no-phone parties, no-phone events. And it's fun because you see people sitting around and really engaging with each other and not relying on this crutch. If you go to a phones party, which is just a normal party, you'll notice that people, when a conversation lags for a few seconds, they'll pull out their phone not necessarily because they're bored, but because they feel awkward.
ELLEN FINN: If you're ready to take the leap and try out life without your smartphone by your side, August has lots of tips. Most businesses, jobs, and even our government assume you'll constantly have the internet at your fingertips. August sees many of the same concerns when she's helping people quit their smartphones.
AUGUST LAMM: Navigation is a big one, how to get around. Audio is big. A lot of people bemoan the loss of Wi-Fi calling and WhatsApp. Cameras, a lot of people take smartphone photos nonstop. Dual-factor authentication, things that really hold people back and are confusing, and these technological hurdles that can cause you to just give up.
ELLEN FINN: The vast majority of these issues, she says, come down to thinking about how people moved through the world 10 or 15 years ago. Maybe that means busting out that old iPod or digital camera sitting in a drawer somewhere or deciding to forego that entertainment while taking the bus or waiting in line altogether. In terms of navigation, many cars have their own map systems you can use. But August insists that it can be useful to go back to basics by using memory and paper maps, too.
AUGUST LAMM: People's ability to navigate and look for context cues, it's all decreased so much in just the past 15 or so years as people have adjusted to having maps in their pocket. People will tell me all the time, I can't downgrade. I have a horrible sense of direction. It's like, well, why do you think you have a horrible sense of direction? Could it be because you've spent your formative years, from high school on through adulthood never having to navigate?
ELLEN FINN: The rest of the fears that August tiers around ditching smartphones, like QR codes at restaurants or dual-factor authentication for logins, just take a little more proactivity.
AUGUST LAMM: Going into a restaurant and saying, I'm sorry, I don't have a smartphone. I can't do the QR code menu. Can you give me another option? And you'd be surprised. Dual-factor authentication is a tricky one. You can sometimes do SMS instead where they just text you a code. And that involves just asking your IT department at your institution, your university, your whatever, and seeing if they can override it and give you another option.
ELLEN FINN: This all might seem like a lot, but it can be done even just for a day when you feel like you've had too much phone time. Just remember.
AUGUST LAMM: When you're downgrading, there are the technical aspects of it. And then, there are the emotional and psychological aspects of it. And they're often intertwined. And I've seen a lot of people go through this where they hit their first technological hurdle, and they just give up. Keep your eye on the prize.
Remember why you're doing this. Remember what you'll gain from downgrading. And those things are harder to quantify than the little inconveniences. You have to remind yourself, I'm going to have all this time back, and I'm going to have all this presence and focus. It will change my mind. I'll be happier. I'll sleep better. My relationships will be stronger. I'll have less anxiety. It's worth it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
NINA MOINI: That was writer August Lamm talking to NPR producer, Ellen Finn. To listen to our entire "Professional Help" series, go to mprnews.org.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELLEN FINN: If you're like me, you pick up your smartphone about eight times an hour. I look at my phone when I get a notification and scroll on social media when I'm bored or tired or want a distraction. All that distraction on my phone doesn't deliver much for my well-being. But it does take up a lot of my time, hours every day that I could spend focused on endless other things that make me happier.
But our phones are so addictive, and many people struggle to break the cycle of turning to our phones every spare moment. Studies show less time on our phones means more mindfulness, better mental health, and less loneliness. How do I break this cycle? I asked an expert.
AUGUST LAMM: You have to get a dumb phone. So that's the first step.
ELLEN FINN: That's August Lamm, a writer and artist. And yes, her take might seem pretty extreme. She believes that if you're one of those people that blazes through the time limits you've set for yourself on your phone over and over, the only way to break the habit is to go cold turkey and get a flip phone.
I know. I also thought it was taking things way too far. But before you scoff, it's actually a growing trend that has a lot to teach us phone addicts. August wrote a detailed pamphlet called "You Don't Need a Smartphone" with clear instructions on how to navigate the year 2025 without a computer constantly at your fingertips.
AUGUST LAMM: I cannot even begin to describe the effect that it has had on me. It's absolutely life-changing. And everyone I've spoken to who's downgraded feels the same about it. This might sound very obvious. But to anyone who's millennial and younger, it's hard to remember, hard to conceive of just being entertained by the world and not having something to look at and distract you and stimulate you all the time.
So I've just noticed that my attention span is amazing. I can read long, difficult books. And it actually becomes more obvious to you once you've made the switch how much it affects your friends and how much it affects your time with them.
ELLEN FINN: Before she quit her smartphone altogether more than two years ago, August tried countless apps to limit her screen time. But her draw to her phone was so strong that she always figured out a way to get around the apps.
AUGUST LAMM: It never went away. I'd be out with friends or on a date or at a yoga class or something, and I was still thinking, my phone's right there. It has everything in it and on it. I can access this whole world if I want to. And so I would. And the amazing thing about downgrading is you think you're going to be out and about and just thinking, OK, well, I can still check my email at home. I'm still worried about this work thing. I still wonder what people think of me. But you don't. You go out. And when your phone's not there, you forget that social media even exists.
ELLEN FINN: A big reason it's so hard to put our phones down is because they often represent our connection to other people. That's why August encourages people who want to use their screens less to enlist the help of friends and family to take intentional time together away from their phones.
AUGUST LAMM: Everyone has stories to contribute about how it's taken away from their lives and what they want to change. And I like the idea of small social experiments. Like, what if we had a no-phones dinner? What if we went on a walk without our phones? You left them in the car or something.
You can have no-phone parties, no-phone events. And it's fun because you see people sitting around and really engaging with each other and not relying on this crutch. If you go to a phones party, which is just a normal party, you'll notice that people, when a conversation lags for a few seconds, they'll pull out their phone not necessarily because they're bored, but because they feel awkward.
ELLEN FINN: If you're ready to take the leap and try out life without your smartphone by your side, August has lots of tips. Most businesses, jobs, and even our government assume you'll constantly have the internet at your fingertips. August sees many of the same concerns when she's helping people quit their smartphones.
AUGUST LAMM: Navigation is a big one, how to get around. Audio is big. A lot of people bemoan the loss of Wi-Fi calling and WhatsApp. Cameras, a lot of people take smartphone photos nonstop. Dual-factor authentication, things that really hold people back and are confusing, and these technological hurdles that can cause you to just give up.
ELLEN FINN: The vast majority of these issues, she says, come down to thinking about how people moved through the world 10 or 15 years ago. Maybe that means busting out that old iPod or digital camera sitting in a drawer somewhere or deciding to forego that entertainment while taking the bus or waiting in line altogether. In terms of navigation, many cars have their own map systems you can use. But August insists that it can be useful to go back to basics by using memory and paper maps, too.
AUGUST LAMM: People's ability to navigate and look for context cues, it's all decreased so much in just the past 15 or so years as people have adjusted to having maps in their pocket. People will tell me all the time, I can't downgrade. I have a horrible sense of direction. It's like, well, why do you think you have a horrible sense of direction? Could it be because you've spent your formative years, from high school on through adulthood never having to navigate?
ELLEN FINN: The rest of the fears that August tiers around ditching smartphones, like QR codes at restaurants or dual-factor authentication for logins, just take a little more proactivity.
AUGUST LAMM: Going into a restaurant and saying, I'm sorry, I don't have a smartphone. I can't do the QR code menu. Can you give me another option? And you'd be surprised. Dual-factor authentication is a tricky one. You can sometimes do SMS instead where they just text you a code. And that involves just asking your IT department at your institution, your university, your whatever, and seeing if they can override it and give you another option.
ELLEN FINN: This all might seem like a lot, but it can be done even just for a day when you feel like you've had too much phone time. Just remember.
AUGUST LAMM: When you're downgrading, there are the technical aspects of it. And then, there are the emotional and psychological aspects of it. And they're often intertwined. And I've seen a lot of people go through this where they hit their first technological hurdle, and they just give up. Keep your eye on the prize.
Remember why you're doing this. Remember what you'll gain from downgrading. And those things are harder to quantify than the little inconveniences. You have to remind yourself, I'm going to have all this time back, and I'm going to have all this presence and focus. It will change my mind. I'll be happier. I'll sleep better. My relationships will be stronger. I'll have less anxiety. It's worth it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
NINA MOINI: That was writer August Lamm talking to NPR producer, Ellen Finn. To listen to our entire "Professional Help" series, go to mprnews.org.
Download transcript (PDF)
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