Post Reports

Could you give up your smartphone for a month?

10 snips
Nov 22, 2025
Brittany Shammas, a local enterprise reporter for The Washington Post, shares her transformative experience of swapping her smartphone for a flip phone for a month. She initially questions her phone habits after noticing her baby's imitation and an overwhelming seven-and-a-half-hour daily screen time. Through the experiment, Brittany discovers the joys of being present, reading more, and experiencing a slower pace of life. Though she misses some conveniences, she ultimately returns to her smartphone with a mindful approach, reducing her screen time and rethinking her tech habits.
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ANECDOTE

Signing Up Was Hands-On

  • Brittany Shammas joined a Month Offline program and switched to a flip phone for a month.
  • She agreed to join after calling the toll-free number and being told she needed to experience it firsthand.
INSIGHT

Make Habit Change Time-Bound

  • Organizers framed the challenge as a time-bounded experiment to lower the perceived cost of change.
  • A month limit made trying a flip phone feel manageable and reversible.
INSIGHT

Friction Has Value

  • 'Friction' can be valuable because it forces conscious decisions and social interactions.
  • Removing friction via smartphones often substitutes thinking and connection with passive scrolling.
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