Is your phone becoming a time suck? Try a boring phone

Summary

Life Kit Episode Summary: "Is your phone becoming a time suck? Try a boring phone"

Release Date: August 7, 2025
Host: Marielle Segarra
Guest: Jose Briones, Author of Low Tech: A Guide to Mindful Digital Minimalism

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Introduction: The Battle with Smartphones

In this episode of Life Kit, host Marielle Segarra delves into the pervasive issue of smartphone addiction and explores mindful ways to reclaim time and sanity from our digital devices. Marielle opens the conversation by sharing her personal struggle with excessive phone use:

“I am in a constant battle with my phone because I don't want to live inside of a device... but I, like so many of us, spend so many hours scrolling through stuff on my phone.”
— Marielle Segarra [00:18]

She highlights a common scenario where an innocuous task leads to prolonged device usage, creating a "black hole" of lost time.

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The Allure and Impact of Smartphones

Joining the discussion is Jose Briones, who introduces himself and his book:

“The allure of smartphones. It's essentially you went to your smartphone, you opened it up to do something and you end up doing something else.”
— Jose Briones [00:55]

Jose shares his personal experience of being tethered to screens for 12 to 13 hours a day post-college, which led to increased stress and anxiety. Recognizing the negative impact, he sought a solution by reducing his smartphone reliance.

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Embracing Digital Minimalism: The Boring Phone

Jose advocates for a transition to a "boring phone" or a simpler device that lacks the myriad functionalities of a modern smartphone. He explains:

“Anything with an app store would be a smartphone to me, and anything without would be a simple phone or a transition device.”
— Jose Briones [01:50]

Marielle and Jose discuss the concept of digital minimalism, emphasizing the benefits of a less hectic and more human-centered lifestyle. This involves using phones primarily for essential functions like messaging, alarms, GPS, and photography, while eliminating distractions.

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Assessing Your Relationship with Your Phone

The conversation shifts to self-reflection and recognizing when smartphone usage becomes detrimental:

“I felt stressed, I felt anxious in a way that I hadn't... I was a little bit shorter, angrier.”
— Jose Briones [05:45]

Jose emphasizes the importance of being attuned to one's physical and mental state to determine if phone use is excessive. He shares his strategy of taking regular walks with his dog to decompress and reassess his daily life without constant digital interruptions.

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Practical Steps to Transition to a Simpler Device

Marielle outlines actionable steps for listeners considering a switch:

1. Reflect on Digital Minimalism
   Consider what draws you to reduce phone usage—whether it's for personal well-being, increased calm, or better time management.

2. Decide Your Level of Minimalism
   Determine whether you want to use a basic phone full-time, alternate between devices, or modify your current smartphone.

3. Inventory Essential Apps and Find Alternatives
   List the apps you use daily and identify alternative methods or separate devices to handle those functions.

4. Set Expectations with Your Social Circle and Employers
   Communicate your new boundaries regarding availability and response times.

5. Implement Gradual Changes if Needed
   If switching entirely feels overwhelming, consider reducing your smartphone's addictive elements through software or hardware modifications.

Jose provides detailed insights into selecting suitable devices:

“You have the smartphone, you have access to all the apps. Then you have what I call simple phone... something that is lifestyle change oriented.”
— Jose Briones [08:54]

He recommends reliable basic phones like the Sunbeam F1 for those ready to make the switch and offers tips for those who need to maintain certain smartphone functionalities for work or personal reasons.

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Navigating Challenges and Setting Boundaries

One significant hurdle in reducing smartphone dependence is managing expectations from others, especially in professional settings. Jose advises:

“I'm going to do an experiment... I just want to do this for maybe a week or two... I am doing this for myself. I am maybe slowing down in my communication practices and I want you to respect that.”
— Jose Briones [16:23]

Marielle reinforces this by emphasizing the importance of setting clear communication boundaries:

“Set expectations with friends, family, and employers about what they can expect from you. Now, you know, how quickly can they expect you to respond to messages?”
— Marielle Segarra [17:04]

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Cost Considerations and Alternatives

For those concerned about the financial aspect, Jose explains:

“The cost of a simple phone can go all the way down to $20 if that's what you really want... I personally recommend a few devices. Like, for example, the Sunbeam F1 is a flip phone.”
— Jose Briones [17:36]

He also offers alternatives for gradually reducing smartphone dependency, such as using screen time controls, software blockers, and introducing friction in accessing certain apps to discourage overuse.

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Personal Transformation Through Digital Minimalism

Reflecting on his journey, Jose shares the positive changes experienced after shifting to a simpler phone:

“I was able to get a sense of calmness and better habits for my life... Reading books, just taking time, better sleep, exercising, walking, just going out and thinking about my day and having better relationships.”
— Jose Briones [20:45]

These benefits highlight the profound impact digital minimalism can have on one's overall well-being and daily life.

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Key Takeaways

1. Reflect on What Appeals to Digital Minimalism:
   Identify your motivations for reducing phone usage, such as seeking more personal time or reducing stress.

2. Decide on Your Level of Minimalism:
   Choose whether to switch entirely to a basic phone, use two devices, or modify your current smartphone usage patterns.

3. Inventory Essential Apps and Find Solutions:
   Determine which apps are necessary and explore alternative ways to access their functions without relying solely on your phone.

4. Set Expectations with Your Social Circle and Employers:
   Clearly communicate your new boundaries regarding availability and response times to ensure understanding and support.

5. Implement Gradual Changes if Needed:
   If a complete switch feels daunting, start by introducing barriers to reduce smartphone dependency, such as using screen time limits or software blockers.

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Conclusion

This episode of Life Kit offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges posed by excessive smartphone use and presents practical strategies to embrace digital minimalism. By transitioning to a less distracting device or modifying current usage habits, listeners can reclaim valuable time, improve mental health, and foster more meaningful relationships.

For more insights and episodes on managing digital lives, visit npr.org/lifekit.

Transcript

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[Marielle Segarra]

You're listening to Life Kit from npr. Hey everybody, it's Marielle. I am in a constant battle with my phone because I don't want to live inside of a device, right? I want to live in the world, among the trees and the sky and the people. Okay, only sometimes the people. But I, like so many of us, spend so many hours scrolling through stuff on my phone. And often it starts like this. I pick up the phone to look at something for work. I see, oh, my friend texted, oh, I have an email. And then I'm sucked into a black hole.

[Jose Briones]

That's the allure of smartphones. It's essentially you went to your smartphone, you opened it up to do something and you end up doing something else.

[Marielle Segarra]

And it's hard to quit because my phone plays so many roles in my life. It delivers messages. It's my alarm clock, my gps, my camera. It's what I use to quickly get a ride to the other side of town. But we have learned there is a path forward here to something less hectic, less all consuming and more human.

[Jose Briones]

My name is Jose Briones and the title of my book is Low Tech A Guide to Mindful Digital Minimalism.

[Marielle Segarra]

Jose is the guy to talk to about this. He had this problem himself right after college. He realized he was spending 12 to 13 hours a day tethered to screens, especially his phone. What he needed was for his phone to be less interesting. He needed a boring phone. Yeah, a boring phone or a simple phone as opposed to a smartphone.

[Jose Briones]

They look like a smartphone, but they don't have access to all of the apps that a regular, non filtered, non customized smartphone will have. So essentially, anything with an app store would be a smartphone to me, and.

[Marielle Segarra]

Anything without would be a simple phone or a transition device. On this episode of Life Kit, we're going to talk about how to make that shift from a smartphone to a simpler device. This may be the kind of thing where you split your time between two devices or you might transition completely. It depends on your needs, but you have options. And if you decide you don't want to buy another phone, we have tips for you too. There are lots of ways to strip down the one you're using and reclaim some of your precious time.

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[Marielle Segarra]

Message comes from Charles Schwab with their original podcast Choiceology. Choiceology is a show about the psychology and economics behind people's decisions. Download the latest episode and [e-mail] podcast.

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[Marielle Segarra]

Okay, Jose, why might someone who currently uses a smartphone want to get a more basic phone?

[Jose Briones]

There are many reasons. I think one of them is you just want a simpler lifestyle. You want to maybe take a break from the digital world and maybe you don't want to do it all the time. Maybe you just want to do it in the evenings or over the weekend. Maybe you're tired. Maybe you're actually experiencing difficulties by using smart technologies in your life and they are insurmountable. Maybe they're affecting your health, physical or mental health, and you just need a change of lifestyle that allows you to integrate something slower, something simpler, something that is more humane.

[Marielle Segarra]

Yeah, let's talk about that for a second. Like, because I think a lot of us, we move so quickly through this world that we don't even realize how we feel in our bodies. We're not in touch with our bodies. We're not in touch with like whether we're fatigued by something or what's making us feel bad. How can people check in with themselves and decide if their current smartphone usage is too much or if it's weighing on them.

[Jose Briones]

This happened to me when I had around 12 to 13 hours of connected devices and smart devices use. I felt stressed, I felt anxious in a way that I hadn't, and that was difficult. I started to notice differences in the way that I acted with my friends, with my family. Maybe I was a little bit shorter, angrier. So what I have done since I switched to a more basic phone is I go for walks every two to three hours. I have a dog that is quite active and he helps me in this. So I go on a walk with my dog in the neighborhood and I just take that time to recompose, think about what's just happening in my life and processing all of the different aspects of it.

[Marielle Segarra]

Yeah, it's almost like I don't know if people know they're allowed to do that.

[Jose Briones]

I think that we have adopted a new default of life. We are defaulted to online behaviors. Let it be searching the web, let it be responding to emails, let it be working from home. We all have this screen in front of us most of the time. And then our offline life is relegated to a secondary place. But the reality is that as humans, we have lived in the offline default for so long that we crave it, we miss it. We need to realize that once again. And maybe a return to a more boring phone will be the start of a different journey for you. Or maybe it's just turning off your phone. When was the last time that you actually turned off your phone?

[Marielle Segarra]

Yeah. Well, because when you have this phone, especially if you have a lot of apps that are connected to your job, but any social media messaging, it starts to feel compulsory. You pick it up because you feel like someone might be contacting you and you owe them an immediate response. And so you have to take this thing with you everywhere, because if you don't answer, then people are like, are you dead? Or they're gonna be like, are you mad at me? So part of this is about saying no?

[Jose Briones]

Yes, absolutely. No is a very important word. And you have to create that boundary with yourself, with your employer, with your. And you also have to explain, I have had a lot of people that say, I want to switch, but because of my family, because of my friends, I can't. And I tell them, well, you need to advocate for yourself. You need to say, this is something that I'm doing for me, for my health, and I'm going to try to do this so I can change my Lifestyle for the better. I can actually focus on my tasks instead of being distracted every other minute because I'm having a conversation in the seventh group chat.

[Marielle Segarra]

So takeaway one, reflect on what appeals to you about digital minimalism. You know, why do you want a boring phone? Do you want more time to take care of yourself, more calm in your life? Answering that question will help you set the boundaries you need. So we talked about what is a smartphone? What would a more basic mobile phone be like? What kinds of capabilities do those have?

[Jose Briones]

So you have the smartphone, right? You have access to all the apps. Then you have what I call simple phone. So you will get an old Nokia device, maybe with 4G LTE. That's a very important portion nowadays because a lot of providers like AT&T or T mobile will not activate older 2G or 3G devices. So you need at least 4G LTE. But a Nokia device, a flip phone device, something like that will be extremely basic, something that is lifestyle change oriented. And then you have a transition device, something that may look like an older phone or a boring phone, like a flip phone, but it still has access to a few apps or something that is customized, maybe maps or maybe music or even email. It is allowed.

[Marielle Segarra]

Okay. And with the simple phones, those can access the Internet?

[Jose Briones]

Some of them can in two different capacities. There are some simple phones that have a browser, but it's not that usable. It's very basic, essentially a Google search, something super simple. There are other devices in the transition category, like the middle category, which essentially do have more smartphone like features, but because they have a small screen, you probably will not be tempted to speak, spend as much time in them.

[Marielle Segarra]

All right, so let's talk about the how to do this. When people make the switch, do they generally switch to using a basic phone all the time and like never use their smartphones or is it a, you know, 6040 kind of thing? What device I bring depends on the situation.

[Jose Briones]

A lot of them do use simpler phones all the time. Others what they do is they just select the phone and that actually allows them to get the job done for the day. So for example, when I go on international trips, I recognize that a smartphone is extremely useful because I'm in a new place, maybe I don't know the language, so I'm going to bring that. And it's usually a week, maybe a week and a half. So it's not that big of an issue. But when I come back to the states, when I come back to my house, I know how my environment works. Some People completely switch others half and half or sometimes even 80, 20. I'm going to use it for the most of the week. I'm going to use my smartphone and then during the weekend I'm going to use a more boring phone.

[Marielle Segarra]

So how do you actually do that split, practically speaking, because do you have to have. Do you have to pay for phone service on two different phones?

[Jose Briones]

Then you don't have to. I choose to. So I have a work device and I have a personal device. You can have two different phone numbers and pay for two different plans. Or what you can do is just switch your SIM card and just experiment and see if that works for you.

[Marielle Segarra]

Takeaway 2 Decide on how minimalist you want to go. Maybe you want a more advanced work phone and a simpler personal phone. Maybe you just want to turn your smartphone off on the weekends and use something simpler. Then Jose has a free quiz on his website, josebrillonis.org or dumbphones.org and you can use that to get recommendations based on your needs. You can also talk to your provider about how this would work for you. Right? Can you swap out your SIM card easily or would you need to have multiple plans? Making the switch is a lot to think about because a lot of us rely on our phones as a camera, as a gps, as a music player, as an alarm clock. You know, we used to have separate devices for all of these things. And so now if I'm going back to a more basic phone model, how do I think about which of those functions I need my phone to provide?

[Jose Briones]

I think you start by making an inventory of everything that you actually use and that is actually essential in your life. And then you start looking for solutions that may integrate most of those aspects. And maybe you need to carry a small camera with you or an MP3 player just because it's going to be a better experience. Or an old school GPS like a Garmin or a TomTom. Whatever it is that you want, you will find a workaround because you want to be untethered from one single device doing all of these different things.

[Marielle Segarra]

What about the apps that a lot of us have come to rely on? Ride sharing apps like Uber or Lyft. Those can be kind of a lifesaver if you can't catch a cab or you're in the middle of nowhere. Are there any more basic phones that have those apps on them or what's the workaround here?

[Jose Briones]

Luckily, in the United States there are a couple options. Yes, there are transition devices that you could buy that do have the ability to install Lyft, Uber, some of those tools. But there are also services you can call an Uber. There's actually a phone number, 1833. Use Uber. And if you call that number, you are able to get an Uber via talking to a real person. There is another company called Tremp, and that one you can text and you can call and they will get an Uber for you. And of course, if you live in a bigger city, you can always use public transport at the same time.

[Marielle Segarra]

That's good to know. Another app that I was thinking about is WhatsApp, because if you have friends or family in other countries, it's an easy way to message, and that seems like a bummer to give up.

[Jose Briones]

Yes, if you're seeing a boring phone or something super simple, you probably will not have access to WhatsApp, but you can have access to it on a different device, something like a desktop or maybe a tablet. And that's what I see a lot of the community do. They don't have to have WhatsApp access all the time, because most of the time, if you're talking to somebody outside of the country, they may be in a different time zone or they're living their lives and they're not really integrated with the things that you have to do. So you can relegate those conversations to a certain segment of the day, like we used to do with landlines.

[Marielle Segarra]

Hey, everybody. Popping in here for a second to say, I have since learned that Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, is an NPR sponsor. I didn't know that when I asked the question. Okay, back to the episode, I was thinking, also, a lot of people's jobs require them to have a smartphone with an authenticator app, to log into the company's intranet or email, or even just on your laptop. What can we do in that case? Like, if you don't have a smartphone as your primary device, this is one.

[Jose Briones]

Of the areas where people can learn to advocate for themselves. So there are different solutions like hardware security keys, so you can ask your IT department if they have the possibility of enabling that for you, or if they will be willing to consider a hardware token instead of an app for you to access all of these services that you need for your work. And two, factor authentication, et cetera, et cetera.

[Marielle Segarra]

Okay, takeaway. Three, make an inventory of all the apps that you use on your current phone and then come up with solutions so they're not all on one device. You know, get a GPS or a physical authenticator token. Download WhatsApp on your laptop, buy a journal to take notes in. In general, if you make this switch, how can we navigate the pressure, especially from work, to be reachable at all times on apps like Slack or email?

[Jose Briones]

That's an excellent question. And it's such a reality. Essentially, the way to talk to your employer about it is I'm going to do an experiment. I just want to do this for maybe a week or two, and I want to see what happens with my productivity, what happens with my mental space, what happens with my relationships at work. If everything improves, that's an argument to use and say, hey, it is improving my mental health, my productivity, my clients are more satisfied. I am personally more satisfied. I'm going to continue in this direction. This is a moment where you kind of have to say, I'm doing this for myself. I am maybe slowing down in my communication practices and I want you to respect that.

[Marielle Segarra]

Takeaway 4. Set expectations with friends, family and employers about what they can expect from you. Now, you know, how quickly can they expect you to respond to messages? What hours will you be available and how can you be reached? I just took Slack off my phone. I took Outlook and Gmail off my phone and I let people know, like during the day you can reach me on Slack because I'll be on my computer. But after work hours, if something is urgent, call me or text me.

[Jose Briones]

Yes.

[Marielle Segarra]

So, okay, let's say this all sounds good and I'm ready. I want to get a more basic mobile phone. How much might that cost me?

[Jose Briones]

That depends. The cost of a simple phone can go all the way down to $20 if that's what you really want. There are some compromises that you will have to make with a $20 phone versus a $100 phone. So I would say look for the research, I personally recommend a few devices. Like, for example, the Sunbeam F1 is a flip phone. It's a little bit more expensive, but the company is really behind it. They listen to the feedback, they make updates, they make sure that the phone stays up to date. And you're just not going to get that experience with a $20 phone.

[Marielle Segarra]

Okay, and if I'm not quite ready to make the switch, but I do want to make my switch smartphone less enticing, what can I do to strip it down and make it more basic?

[Jose Briones]

Perfect question. A lot of people cannot switch to a simpler phone for whatever reason. Maybe it's work, maybe it's family, maybe it is a health condition. So if you need that app, but you don't want to be sucked in by Facebook and socials and all of the other stuff that is available on your smartphone. There are some methods that you can do. The first one is to trust somebody else with your screen time passcode. So if you want to go into your iPhone and you want to use the app and you set up a screen time limit, maybe it's 10 minutes, maybe it's 15, and you went to it right now, you probably can beat that with two taps. You say, yes, I want more time. Are you sure? Yes, I'm sure. So if you give your screen time passcode to somebody else and they don't give it back to you, then you will have closed that loop for yourself. The second option is to get a software blocker or maybe a hardware blocker. So there are some companies like Clearspace or Onesec, they introduce delays and some reminders to not use your phone. And there's also a puck that I'm holding right now, and it's called Brick, it's getbrick app. When you tap it, you block all of your apps. When you tap it again, you allow yourself to use all of those apps again. So introducing these points of friction, deleting the app, signing out of the app store, that one does wonders. Because if you sign out of the app store, then you don't have access unless you want to put in your password and your email, and then it sends you a text message for confirmation. So again, there's a lot of steps, a lot of friction. The more friction you introduce into your life, the harder you're making it to use all of these services and devices. Your brain is going to say, it's not worth it.

[Marielle Segarra]

Takeaway 5. Digital minimalism isn't all or nothing. If a simple phone is too daunting right now, there are ways to strip your smartphone down to get rid of some of its addictive qualities, add some friction to your device. Okay, Jose, what did you get out of this? Right. How is your life different now that you've transitioned to using a simpler phone? Most of the time.

[Jose Briones]

So the way that my life changed is that I was able to get a sense of calmness and better habits for my life since I switched to simpler phones. And I started on this journey to find out what's the best path for me. I've been able to recover a lot of those habits that I used to have in university. Reading books, just taking time, better sleep, exercising, walking, just going out and thinking about my day and having better relationships. And I was able to, at the same time start a hobby to help people find what's the best path for them. So I guess I gained a lot of skills and a lot of different things during this time period that have made my life more satisfying.

[Marielle Segarra]

Yeah, I love that. That's a long list of benefits. Well, thank you so much, Jose. I hope people are able to do this and carve out some space for themselves in their lives lives.

[Jose Briones]

Thank you for having me. I really appreciate this time and I really hope people do find what's best for them in the digital or the offline one.

[Marielle Segarra]

All right, it's time for a recap. Takeaway 1 reflect on what appeals to you about digital minimalism. Takeaway 2 Decide on how minimalist you want to go. This doesn't have to be all or nothing. Takeaway 3 Make an inventory of all the apps you need or use on your current phone so you can find the workarounds. Takeaway 4 Set expectations with the people in your Life. And Takeaway 5 if you're not ready to switch over completely to a simple phone, there are ways to strip down your current phone as well. For more Life Kit, check out our other episodes. We've got a quiz on how to know if you're spending too much time online and an episode on rethinking your relationship with social media. You can find [e-mail] LifeKit and if you love Life Kit and want even more, subscribe to our [e-mail] lifekitnewsletter. Also, we love hearing from you, so if you have episode ideas or feedback you want to share, email [e-mail] this episode of Life Kit was produced by Margaret Serino. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan and our digital editor is Malika Garib. Beth Donovan is our executive producer and Meghan Cain is our supervising editor. Our production team also includes Andy Tagle, Claire Marie Schneider and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Ted Mebane and Robert Rodriguez. I'm Mariel Segarra. Thanks for listening.

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[Marielle Segarra]

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