I bought a dumb phone but not for the "usual" reasons. | A Classical Experiment | COMMON MOM 

I believe it!

After I read Digital Minimalism a few years ago, I would take a "tech fast" and would only use texting for logistical purposes like you mentioned. I did think it was a healthy way to use the tech option.

Ha! Please! I've already seen a few double-takes when people realize that yes, yes, I am talking on a flip phone. May the fun abound!

Next step ... two tins cans and a string!

Thank you! I'll be back with more observations for those points soon!

So happy to have you here, Meredith!

Thank you, Stephanie!

I should probably just say, "It's my phone"! Had I been wiser at the tail end of college, I would have waited to see exactly how smartphones impacted and changed those around me, and then decided if I wanted one. But here we are!

Your video made me think, "JUST DO IT." Thank you for the far away push! So far, loving it.

@@thecommonplacehomeschool Yes, "just doing it" was the best decision I ever made! Glad you went for it!

I think a lot of people are on the edge! We know this isn't what we want or need, but we have those small protestations about Google maps and Spotify and the Target app. I say: DO IT. Just give it a whirl. The smart phone and the modern world will always be waiting to bring us back in... *wink*

@@thecommonplacehomeschool yes, I think I will. It seems like such a big decision, but at the end of the day it's a little bit like moving the furniture - you can always move it back ;)

@@0723Katiebutler Hahah, exactly!

Thank you, Sarah! I'm excited to see how it goes.

So far, I'm a fan!

Those formative years really do matter! They shape your norm in deep ways!

Ooh. Best lesson learned?

@@thecommonplacehomeschool yes I learned a ton about myself. I want to do it again!

So glad!

You're not alone in ANY of that. Whew! So many similarities with me. Digital minimalism was the most helpful resource for me to find the "wise" way through the tech world. I've talked through it in Patreon and, I think, even have a bibliophile post in there about it!

It maaaaay be worth a try then. *wink*

It's been interesting to note these changes!

Oh yes. The use of normalized technologies is something I think Christians should be asking more questions about!

Thanks!

I could speak in Dwight Schrute and C.S. Lewis exclusively should the need arise. A little humor, a lot of wisdom.

Well done you, Linda! Never owning one! I can't imagine being wise enough to have questioned it in 2011 when I got my first iPhone. I find people are annoyed too, but then they see how much fuller our interactions are without the machine and they actually appreciate it.

@@thecommonplacehomeschool When they first came out, I remember telling my husband that they were going to be a very negative thing. I am 55 yrs old, so I know what life was like before much of the technology we have today existed. My children(20 yrs old and 17 yrs old) have no interest in having a smart phone. I am thankful! Keep interacting with people. It will be worth it!!

Wow, thank you, Melzie! Such kind encouragement. The book I mentioned is Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport) and it's excellent. I'd also like to add Amusing Ourselves to Death (Postman) for you to consider. It's from the 80s but he explores how the medium of communication (oral, print, television) change discourse, intellect, appetites, and more. Basically, the medium demands a form that demands a response from you (which, in turn, forms you in a particular direction). Television created the "Age of Show Business" where everything became about entertainment, including education, religion, politics, etc. We're even farther downstream now, and we think we can learn something true or about truth and reality (The whole book is about epistemology.) in a 4-second TikTok. This would have never been acceptable in an oral or print culture. I'm on a ramble now but I think you would enjoy it!

Great questions! I am the audiobook around here. We mainly use them on long car trips (and still can with my husband's phone), but we've stopped using them while at home. They were a rest time option, but now I just do those read alouds too. School needs: I play those playlists through the speakers from my computer, yes. I used to do this through my phone so the kids weren't looking at a screen/having one on the table, and I plan to do the same via the computer.

Yes! Same. But I don't want to prioritize convenience, you know?

@@thecommonplacehomeschool oh definitely. If I stop and think about it. If I took the time to plan meals and recipes ahead of time, to put that amount of care into it, could go a long way. Not just to deprioritize convenience but to save money and lower frustration

@@jacobjohannes7123 this is part of my question too: it seems like a "cost" to this (like I have to print directions and QR return codes) will be far less than the "cost" of my "convenience" on a practical and spiritual level. I might learn to pay better attention and live contentedly within my limitations.

I used to meal plan right in the middle of the grocery store aisle. I realize now how silly I must have looked, staring at my phone, probably impeding other shoppers unintentionally because I was distracted. Now that I have three kids, I simply have to figure it out before I go to the store, and I shop faster with three young children than I did by myself because I know what I’m buying beforehand.

I've had to write down directions before leaving the house-ha! But we've made it!

Buy a Garmin gps. I am thinking of going this route too.

Keisha, You could get the Wisephone!! It has gps, camera, and even alarm!

​@@hayyyitstay do you have one? I love the looks of it

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

So happy to hear it! It's been nine-ish months and you couldn't talk me back into a smartphone!

@@thecommonplacehomeschool Are you still using the same dumbphone? Id like to make the switch but dont know which one to chose

@@Beemgee I am! Just the $20 flip phone from AT&T!

Oh, it's super frustrating to anyone that doesn't love you. (I do things like this to my friends all the time. God bless them.) But if they love you, then they may find, like mine did last year, that being forced to call you or answer your calls means better conversations and connection!

@@thecommonplacehomeschool exactly what I told them, to actually have better connection and relationships you have to disconnect from them! But they are all supportive anyways so that helps!

@@samanthaborlaug8854 good friends are a gift!

We did this while traveling through Europe a few years ago and I thought it was such a nice middle way: access to tech when we needed it out and about via wifi but unplugged most of the time!

Okay, so this was one of my husband's points and it's a good one. HOWEVER, I'm curious to see if being more present overall means more in my memory bank than flipping out the camera on occasion on an otherwise distracted day? I know, for me and maybe for others, that being interrupted when I'm in thought, reading a book, or doing a chore is more natural and less frustrating than being interrupted when I'm on any kind of screen. I don't remember the statistic but it takes a number of minutes to "re-engage" reality after being on a screen (This doesn't happen when interrupted while reading, thinking, etc.) With that line of thinking, I'm curious to see if I rely less on quick photos because I'm fully engaged/present *all* day long. Will report back!

Prior to getting my first smart phone (circa 2014), I would just carry my “dumb” phone plus a little Canon Digital Elph in my purse. It wasn’t that much of a hassle to use as opposed to a smart phone.

@@summercarter4738 I've also considered bringing a camera places!

My phone broke so I just have a tablet now which I don't use for pictures. I use my big camera so much more and I love it, the pictures are so much nicer and it's not as distracting when I take it out (and I not constantly filming like with a phone!)

I had a dumb phone for a year and the ONLY thing that I didn't like about it was that I have close to no photos at all from that year of my life. It really taught me the value of having photos to look back on.

Welcome, Joy! Maybe we'll be a pretty big club in 6 months' time. I'm not using my smartphone. I think if I hopped on my house wifi it would act like a basic iPad? Not sure; not going to find out!

Hold the line, Erin!

It's the AT&T flip phone from Target! No idea what it's called. It cost me $20!

I am! And I have zero desire to go back! I will have an update video soon now that I've crossed the year mark!

@@thecommonplacehomeschoolahhh I’m really looking forward to it! Thank you :)

No GPS on my dumb phone but it really hasn't been a problem! We do get lost quite a bit but we've also figured it out just fine.

I develop my film at a local camera store in my city. It's so tough to text on my phone. I do resort to quick calls or I send very brief texts.

Thanks so much ❤

Lovely! I'm about to hit my one year mark!

I did something similar for awhile! The Apple watch made it possible for me to leave my phone on the bookshelf (I hated having it in my pocket/pulling it out to check it/having the kids pull it out of my pocket/etc.) but still be aware of any important calls/texts from my husband. Ultimately, I didn't like having a piece of wearable tech, but it was a necessary step (for me) to break the idea that I needed to be "available" constantly.

Ah, see there are these things that have become so commonplace, you really run the chance of inconveniencing everyone else or having a barrier to "entry".

It’s tricky but I’ve contemplated going back especially since I disabled instagram and Facebook. Tricky to figure out that balance. Excited to see how it works out for you.

@@thecommonplacehomeschool came back to say I am back on the dumb phone, I found a way to make group text work which was a necessity for our current life, and the fact that the design of my flip phone makes it near impossible to hear me unless I hold the phone in the shape of a V is just something I will deal with to enjoy the many benefits of being without instant everything.

#1 question (or maps) but I have a small 35mm film camera and I take that along with me on special occasions or intentionally on a random day to capture "life as it is".

@@thecommonplacehomeschool- do you mind sharing what camera you have? How do you store the photos? Do you have a system for this? What did you do with your photos from your smartphone? The camera is my biggest question on possibly doing this. Thank you!

@@heather48692 The camera is a hard one to give up! I use my 35mm film camera and I print my photos and keep them in Semikolon photo albums. It's all very old-school but the quality of the photos is far better than anything on an iPhone. I take my film camera to all big events, trips, etc. but then also to random Tuesdays on the trail or a walk to the library. The form demands intentionality, consideration of light, angle, beauty; and more, and I think that's another humanizing perk over the iPhone. My real camera requires craftsmanship; the iPhone does not.

@@thecommonplacehomeschool - I'm impressed! When you say a 35mm film camera, are you referring to a full size 35mm manual film camera, or a point and shoot?

Yep! Manual film. I've been working as a photographer for the last decade (and originally learned on film) so that transition wasn't too difficult!@@heather48692

Make tiny steps as you can!

Can definitely see the connection. Have you ever read Amusing Ourselves to Death? It's from the 80s but I think it might strike your fancy based purely on these two life decisions!

Oooh, I did slide the sim car into my AT&T dumb phone but it didn't transfer any of my contacts. I manually added about 10 people and that's all I have in my phone!

@@thecommonplacehomeschool wow, mind blown! were you previously at&t or were you verizon? I'm so frustrated to be set back a whole week because of silly sim issues. ha! thank you

@@rachelclarkephoto AT&T since the beginning!

I have the same phone

This is impressive. What kept you from switching originally? So curious! And yes, I was surprised to be paying $30/mo for a plan that still includes data even though I kept saying I didn't want data!

@@thecommonplacehomeschool Several reasons I never switched 1) I was and still am disturbed by the idea of spending my life with a screen glued to my face. I can struggle with wasting to much time on my computer so I didn't even want to put myself in a place with that temptation. 2) I often use my phone as a watch and timer and a smart phone wont fit in my pocket while I am out in the garden. 3) I also just like doing things diffenently and going against the flow. I like being weird. My poor husband doesn't get why I will not switch.

​@@jessicaolson717 #1: Have you ever seen the photographs of people in ordinary life situations (standing in the yard, resting in bed, at the park with kids) looking down at their phones...but the phones have been removed? It's disturbing. I used to tell myself I was using the phone for "good things" (ie. not social media, the bad bogeyman) but realized the medium is the same no matter what I'm using it for...and what is the medium doing to me? Well done for being aware of that on the front end. #3: Ha! I live with a contrarian and the world needs ya.

@@thecommonplacehomeschool No I have not seen those, but I can imagine! Very disturbing.

Perhaps! But I'll always give a high-five when someone realizes they've gone down the wrong path and are in search of an about turn, as Lewis would say, so they can head in the right direction. Further up and further in!

Still love it.

Welcome to the club.

Is that the name for a dumb phone? A feature phone?

@@thecommonplacehomeschool Yes I think it's more used in the EU but I prefer saying that over a dumb phone. especially sense I use a kaios phone.

I think yes to both!

Oh fantastic. I love hearing people talk about this from different angles and anecdotally.

Thanks for watching!

Okay, so, I know of a guy (The librarians told me about him. The librarians and I are tight, you know.) who carries his printed spreadsheet catalogue with him on a clipboard when he's shopping. I think I'm going to try that when I go to sales!

Wait, I just saw the 10,000 volumes. (Your whole comment didn't load in my RU-vid Studio comments.) INSANE. It'll be a big pile of papers, me thinks.

Hey there! I see what you're saying, but I'm finding-as I continue these observations-more to question about the smartphone in and of itself. There are certain convenience things that do add to the quality of life, yes! (I don't have a dishwasher but do love my indoor plumbing.) But every time we accept a new technology, life is, inevitably, shaped to fit the technology's "needs". What starts as a helpful thing can make demands on us years later that make life worse. (Think cars. Great idea to get us from A to B faster but now we live in a world that fits to the car. We live far from where we work, we shop far from where we live, we spend time in traffic/polluting the air, etc. Its arguably ruined-or, negatively impacted-local communities, commerce, norms, and more.) The smartphone is forcing the world to be fitted to it, and I feel this much more now that I can no longer use one. There are "barriers to entry", things I cannot do, because I can't use the smartphone. What began as an innovative convenience is now shaping a world in its image and I can't see how this is going to end well. As we have more research/findings from generations raised in the smartphone world, we see we're losing the ability to communicate, maintain interpersonal relations, overcome anxiety, use a map, etc. I think when we invite any technology into our life we have to question its capabilities, because they will, eventually, made demands on us and how we live. I have more to this series if you want to check it out!

Oh, yes, I can see this too. But I do wonder if to not be absorbed is to use the smartphone as if it was dumb...so then is there a point to having it?

Hahaha, I believe it. It's very hard to text on the dumb phone keys.

I agree you can easily replace the things lost from the smartphone through other tech options. For my experience, I don't have those extra tech pieces and I've purposely avoided fighting the new limitations of my dumb phone. I've accepted them rather than circumvent them. (I have an update video that shares some early observations on convenience!)

Yes I do! Update forthcoming.

Well, modern speak would say it doesn't "do" all that the smart phone can do, and by contrast is dumb. But we know we judge the goodness of a thing by how well it does what it was made to do. This little phone makes perfectly good phone calls. Good phone.

Hey there! As this series has developed, I've been able to narrow down some definitions that I definitely didn't have at the start (and, I've been reading a lot of Marc Barnes. Highly recommend.). So, a tool is something that allows you to better do your work. Like your axe. I like tools. Usually more helpful than hurtful when used the right way. (Axe to tree, not axe to leg.) A machine is something that does your work for you, removing the human element to creating. Not as comfortable with removing the human element/still very curious how that forms us-what makes us human? Why do we, honestly, prefer the machine when it comes down to it? Now, you could push back on things like washing machines (I press the button as the activator, but I'm not doing the work.) and I will concede you have a point and I like my washing machine. As Wendell Berry says, you can't draw a perfect line around your ideals. However, the smartphone is crossing into machine territory in ways I see the cost being too high. You're probably right about the social media. I agree with you. But let me throw out one idea that I didn't have at the time this video was filmed: The world is made in the image of the technology we adopt and make normative. Take the car. Our world is now as such one must (almost) have a car (or the use of public transit). What seemed like a great technological advancement so we could travel so far (!) has now, arguably, ruined local communities. We no longer work, shop, school, grow our food, etc. near our homes. We know not our neighbors. Or, at least, we don't need to depend on and support each other as in the days of old. We pollute, waste time, crash into each other, etc. while, yes, driving to beautiful places, seeing friends, going to a dream college, etc. But what was the cost? Are communities doing better? Mental health and connection and rootedness on the rise? Do we want a world made in the image of a smartphone? Still going with a big no. *Oh, but do read The Machine Stops: www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~koehl/Teaching/ECS188/PDF_files/Machine_stops.pdf

Indeed, I had to.

Bummer.

I can handle that sort of down vote.

When they added those little popper things on the back to help hold the phones, it did highlight we might be headed in a silly direction.

Oh, thanks so much! Happy to have you with us!