So you’ve now got yourself a dumb phone. You bought an e-reader for reading and an old iPod for them tunes. You’ve deleted Candy Crush—I worry that reference is old as fuck now—and instead you’ve gotten yourself a small gaming handheld, be it a vintage Game Boy or one of those cool new AliExpress ones. You jot down whatever’s important on trusty old paper, in that little book you’ve got in your back pocket. Along with it you obviously got a pen. A special pen, perhaps one you meticulously picked out. It might even be a fountain pen.
Granted, doing this has made your phone more minimal. But you’re now toting around a ton of crap in your pockets, or you’ve picked up a sling, because all that weight in your pants was kind of unpleasant.
I get it, because I’ve been tempted by all of it. Many hours have been spent watching content and comparing dumb phones. I never pulled the trigger on one, though. I do own a little Game Boy-like device. When it’s not in a drawer somewhere, it lives in the bathroom. I also own an e-reader. Books are heavy and reading on e-ink is way easier on the eyes than a phone screen. I never bring it along with me. I wouldn’t want to carry more. I already resent the objects I’m required to carry. A wallet for my ID and keys for the car and the house.
Ultimately I came to the conclusion that this whole digital minimalism thing is just a way to get you to buy more crap. I have a single device in my pocket that does everything. That’s minimalism. As for losing yourself on that one device, here’s what actually worked for me: get off social media. Just quit it all, delete the apps, and stop caring about it. All it takes is a little self-control. Only ever open your phone for a proper reason, and be aware of why you’re opening it. You wanted to make a note. So you ignore the texts, open the notes app, take the note, press the power button, and put the phone back in your pocket.
