Quick Win: How to dumb down your phone with Ryan Shelton
Jul 10, 2024
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Comedian Ryan Shelton traded his iPhone for a flip-phone, feeling smug and experiencing increased creativity and clarity. He later modified his iPhone to reduce distractions. Topics include the benefits of using a basic phone and adjusting to life without constant connectivity.
Switching to a flip phone increased creativity and clarity of thought.
Resetting iPhone to essential tools helped minimize distractions and enhance productivity.
Deep dives
Benefits of Using a 'Smug Phone'
After switching from an iPhone to a flip phone with limited functionality, Ryan Shelton noticed a significant improvement in his creativity and clarity of thought. He found that the absence of constant digital distractions allowed him to generate more creative ideas and appreciate in-person interactions. Despite the advantages, Shelton eventually returned to the iPhone due to the inconvenience of messaging on the flip phone, feeling disconnected from others. To replicate the benefits of the 'smug phone' experience, he reset his iPhone to factory settings, removed unnecessary apps, and only retained essential tools without any entertainment features.
Modified iPhone for Minimalism
To recreate the focused and minimalist experience of using the flip phone, Ryan Shelton implemented strict criteria for the apps on his iPhone, allowing only essential tools such as calendar, maps, weather, and messaging apps. By limiting the entertainment options and focusing solely on practical applications, Shelton aimed to minimize distractions and enhance his productivity. While he still struggled with habitual phone checking, the simplified setup enabled him to reduce the time spent on his device, fostering a more mindful and intentional approach to smartphone usage.
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Exploring the Impact of Swapping to a 'Smug Phone'
When Ryan Shelton traded in his iPhone for a flip-phone with no internet connectivity, he took to calling it his SmugPhone, because he felt so smug watching the rest of us stare down at our little pocket computers all day every day.
He was smug for other reasons, too: the new level of silence allowed for more clarity of thinking, and he quickly noticed he was having more creative ideas more often. He also began to appreciate his in-person interactions more now that he wasn’t entertained by podcasts, music, movies and social media at every moment of the day.
So why did the comedian and podcast host go back to the iPhone in the end?
Ryan shares why he’s no longer using his flip-phone, and explains how he modified his iPhone to give him the same benefits without the drawbacks.
Connect with Ryan on Instagram or listen to The Imperfects podcast