I Dumb-i-fied my iPhone and Got My Life Back (iPod Week 3)

[@diggingthegreats]

Watch Part 4, the conclusion to this series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKuuo2Cqgtdrp7M For a list of tools I used during this month, click here: www.patreon.com/posts/list-of-tools-i-109190506?Link& You can also pre-order the vinyl soundtrack to this series (limited run of 100) here: diggingthegreats.com/products/ipod-series-original-soundtrack-vinyl-limited-edition

[@millia_honey]

3:08 how do I get my phone to look like that? if I delete all but 4 apps my phone screen will look the same but with less, how do i get those three text lines that open the apps? edit: there are apps that you can set as your launcher that do it, i used indistractable

[@milkyjoerichard]

@@millia_honey I believe he used an app called Blank Spaces

[@cjay2]

So how do you be addicted to something and just accept it? You need to wake up.

[@cjay2]

Buy a washer and dryer and find the space.

[@millia_honey]

@@cjay2 maybe he can't afford it tho

[@rampwuff]

You have hit the nail on the head. I have tried to get rid of my smartphone in favor of an iPod, a digital camera and a laptop about 4 times - and every time I have failed within a month. And it’s because of the reasons you stated: friends send me links to stuff and there are many apps that are seemingly required to live nowadays. But there’s one more reason that killed it for me more than those 2: it’s other people’s smartphone addiction. It’s really hard to stick to not using your phone when everyone else is constantly on their phones. It’s one thing for everyone to be offline so you can have a conversation and when you get bored, everyone gets bored and you can do something about it. It’s another to be the only one bored and the only one willing to engage in a conversation, because everyone else grabs their smartphone when it gets boring for even a second.

[@haramaschabrasir8662]

Try turning on airplane mode all the time. If you have to turn it off before using your phone, you will think twice. Sometimes it gets annoying to turn off airplane mode and you'll just think "nah I'll leave th ephone in my pocket for now, I'll check messages later".

[@nhanon67as]

How old are you? Whenever I’m in a group of people to hang out none of us are on our phones. Wonder if it’s a generation thing. We’re millennials

[@maritimemetaldoc6812]

also annoying that restaurants have replaced menus with QR codes to their website.

[@Dumpshock]

@@maritimemetaldoc6812 Far as I'm concerned, any place that tries to do that isn't worth going to.

[@rampwuff]

@@nhanon67asyeah my age group probably doesn’t help (I’m 28). I have seen it happen with more millennial friends as well - but not as frequently.

[@tkahres]

My kid went away to a sleepaway camp for two weeks without her phone, and she came back 3 years younger -- in a good way. Back when she was just a kid that paid attention to everything that was said, engaged to the moment, and so so much happier. It was a really good lesson for her about how we can control our own happiness.

[@tkahres]

Also, this is why I love crate digging so much. Tactile. Every record is considered. So many unknown records with amazing sounds I've never heard before. Spotify seems overwhelming and difficult to find content, but in reality, there is so so so much more music out there -- and on vinyl! -- than we can even imagine. Record collecting has always been a way for me to reconnect to what I love about music. But I also will sometimes use Spotify to hear what a record sounds like (if it's on the app) if there's a line at the player. Some marriage between old tech and new is possible, but it takes a lot of control, friction, and effort. Nice vids, as always.

[@tydendurler9574]

Sweet. And now realize she won't be able to attend a job or cook a decent meal without her phone / Internet.

[@tkahres]

@@tydendurler9574 She's 12?

[@frusenko]

@@tydendurler9574 Why be negative? Do you actually get *anything* out of it beyond a little dopamine hit when you hit the reply button?

[@Programmer1098]

The Internet is still useful, without social media

[@jair.soft.]

your child made you a list of the songs he wanted to listen to… that’s beautiful, it made me happy cry

[@brandycolmer7052]

Especially the handwriting ❤ that’s a keeper.

[@chikyu_vocaP]

I’m 13 and super addicted to my phone, but i love this series so much that i bought an iPod, compact camera, PSP (to play games) and a iPhone 4s. I hate my iPhone 15 so much, it made me so addicted to TikTok, etc, that i forgot what really was important. When i’m goin on vacation later in September, i’ll be trying to only use my “old” tech, and hopefully i can enjoy that week more. And maybe i can continue that when i start school again, but who knows?

[@SaphirBeere]

Good luck to you! I'm a 25 year old and in the same boat, although I don't use social media anymore, I still use my phone way too often. (: Let us have fun rediscovering life without the high tech!

[@sunflower_fieldgirl]

Im 32 and I want to be simplify my life. I miss the good old days before social media became a thing

[@jasperpretzle]

wishing you the best luck. the earlier you start to detach yourself from this online hell, tthe greater your chance of healing.

[@addisonkennedy7111]

Good on you! I'm in my early 20s and I did similar experiments when i was 13 and they've been so helpful to find good coping mechanisms and to generally get to know yourself. Tonne of fun to experiment too!

[@natuvampire]

[@TimmyJoePCTech]

I absolutely agree Google is getting worse and worse. If I need a how-to or to trouble shoot something on a computer, or a car or find parts for something it's become 5 pages of sponsored content and I still can't find the answer. Things are going down hill fast.

[@InventorZahran]

Use an ad blocker!

[@TimmyJoePCTech]

@@InventorZahran I do. Ad blockers don't get sponsored ad results out of Google. The actual results are being ruined.

[@olek0019]

Totally agree, it's getting harder and harder to find informations on Google like its used to be few years ago. I found out that im using more DuckDuckGo which nowadays works like old Google Browser

[@CalebCheek]

Use arc search. It uses AI to summarize a webpage or multiple webpages

[@andrewknasiak5290]

Duck duck go

[@CoffeeOnRails]

You've identified one of the biggest frustrations I've had with modern life. Everything is an app. The coffee shop? Use our app! The railway? Have an e-ticket! Everything is all mediated through the little bit of rock in your pocket that we've shocked into "thinking" (is it thinking? I don't know. That's for the philosophers to answer.). As rampwuff has noted elsewhere in here, we've got the frustration of as much as you want to disconnect, everyone else is still buried in their phones. The mind craves stimulation. It yearns for it. The smartphone is always there, always ready, always waiting to give the mind the stimulation it wants, the stimulation it craves. Living in a more disconnected and offline state creates situations where tasks now have a significant amount of "boot up" time. You want to entertain yourself while in a queue? You now have to fish a book out your bag and hold something that may not be comfortable, light or easy to handle while in the line. A phone is just there and can in but a few seconds fill that saem gap. It's the same for everything.

[@yuluking8281]

Hey CoffeeOnRails I agree with you, but as a person who started using dumb phones for a while I discovered that having an ebook is probably one of the best investigations you could ever have since we can not scroll our smartphone that much. I think e-reader is kinda as same as ipod, camera and so on. The function is simple, and it's more lighter than the real book, so if you have any interested in it, you should try it out! :)

[@JSSMVCJR2.1]

"is it thinking?" well, thinking involves brain power. What happened had absolutely 0% brain power.

[@Lma832]

THERES AN APP FOR THAG

[@terminata7755]

just came to say username checks out

[@TheCaitling]

I bought my sister's kindle off her many years ago. It was the old etch-a-sketch kind. It broke a couple years ago and I went on my local fb buy nothing group to see if anyone had one lying around that they would give me. Someone offered me a Kindle Fire and I literally turned it down because I wanted the old black and white caveman kind so I wouldn't start scrolling instead. Someone actually gave me the exact one I was looking for. Its small, lightweight, easy to carry around, and no colors or shiny screen or scrolling!

[@mnstrz0]

Respect for admitting you're the iPad kid.

[@lotsoflovemadelief]

That's responsibility. The majority of parents don't understand that they are the literal example of how their kids grow up. So much respect for this man.

[@karalozano5764]

Thank you for bringing up the fact that every person is now an “iPad kid.” Drives me absolutely crazy when the irony goes straight over heads.

[@booradley4237]

The thing is, people like you and I KNOW HOW to do this because we once lived this way. The big problem is that many have only lived otherwise

[@ultimadum7785]

I'm Gen Z and I had an iPod MUCH earlier than having a smartphone. After switching over it felt like an old friend. Even media that I never experienced in my youth such as Vinyl and cassette feel so much more rewarding than Spotify. The problem is as DTG stated, is that even if you don't operate with a smartphone, the ENTIRE rest of the world does, and it sucks

[@ryeleighlawler]

Agreed. I’m genz and I grew up on the internet, I’ve felt plugged into the internet since I was a kid and it’s tiring.

[@ryeleighlawler]

@@ultimadum7785I’ve never experienced a vinyl player and cassette player until recently because I was curious and wanted to try one and never had one and I really enjoyed it

[@cc8530]

So what. People that goto prison for the first time soon learn to adapt

[@booradley4237]

@@cc8530 but they aren't happy about it

[@Kinomioni]

For a very long time, I've always thought of older and retro technology as fun, and newer technology as just another part of my routine. It's only recently that I'm starting to realize why I love older tech. There's less adds, less things that divide my attention and stress me out. My 3ds still holds up and I love it. I can get entertainment just fine without using social media, and I don't feel like I'm wasting time. Things like flip phones are more interesting to me, simply because they're not designed to get me addicted. So if you feel like technology used to be more lively and fun than today's tech, you're not crazy, it's the truth. They're more colorful and genuine than present day apple or tik tok ever could be. The limitations we had back then led to more creativity and personality.

[@lotsoflovemadelief]

I so so agree to this! I'm digging up my old 3ds, love it so much!

[@Mayiwe]

The swiss army knife analogy was just perfect.

[@stevecarter8810]

Except a Swiss army knife is controlled by the wielder. The smartphone is updated by corporations to drive the holder's behaviour.

[@tescoessentialssoup]

for my sixteenth birthday i was given a sony handicam so i could film a video diary of sorts. for the past year i've been documenting fun times in my life and it's been fantastic. surprisingly though, my parents insisted i just use my phone for a long time, even when i was talking about using birthday money from my relatives to buy a second hand camera on ebay or someplace. but now that i have it, all my friends adore it - i took it to germany on a choir tour and my choir friends often tell me how happy they are that i documented our trip in this way. old tech is just so much more fun.

[@lealextn]

As a content creator myself, I gotta say, these videos are a MASTERCLASS! The storytelling is well structured, hooking us up until the end, but never using any cheap tricks. The editing is *chef"s kiss*, and the points you are bringing up in your experiment are actually super well thought out. Can't wait for week 4!

[@ilTHfeaa]

I really like this guys editing for sure!

[@lotsoflovemadelief]

AGREED! As a content creator, are you on any social media platforms and can you split your private accounts versus you job? I'm still figuring that out for myself.

[@graymcmic1419]

"The editing is *chef"s kiss*"??? Why couldn't you just say 'fantastic' or 'top quality'?

[@lealextn]

​@@graymcmic1419 There are hundreds of things I could’ve said. In that particular moment, I opted for a little visual flair by adding an action description that implied I was so impressed, I had to perform the famous « al bacio » gesture of a chef’s kiss, (suggesting the editing is so good I’d have to kiss it). Of course, this being a comment section on a website, I didn’t have access to the same formatting options I would if I were to write an actual script with a clear way to differentiate dialogue vs action description. So I had to resort to the popular shortcut of using asterisks around the action. Thank you for taking interest into my creative process of this comment I posted… *checks the comment’s date*… 2 months ago. Here at Alex Dornier’s KZbin Comments, we take the crafting of each of our comments very seriously.

[@lealextn]

@@graymcmic1419 There are hundreds of things I could've said. In that particular moment, I opted for a little visual flair by adding an action description that implied I was so impressed, I had to perform the famous « al bacio » gesture of a chef's kiss, (suggesting the editing is so good l'd have to kiss it). Of course, this being a comment section on a website, I didn't have access to the same formatting options I would if I were to write an actual script with a clear way to differentiate dialogue vs action description. So I had to resort to the popular shortcut of using asterisks around the action. Thank you for taking interest into my creative process of this comment I posted... *checks the comment's date*... 2 months ago. Here at Alex Dornier's KZbin Comments, we take the crafting of each of our comments very seriously.

[@callumwilcox4761]

While it is in fact an algorithm that shows me these types of videos, I am so glad to see so many people out there choosing to not be phonaholics and slaves to social media. This is so refreshing, and I hope this trend of being more mindful with our tools and technologies continues to spread/

[@parthl]

this guys storytelling is so satisfying. every idea and example is so clear and ties together effortlessly. dont even get me started on the drawing map and swiss army knife thing!

[@fluxoteen]

Casey Neistat aesthetic but with a chilled vibe . I dig it

[@tydendurler9574]

Yeah, he is so intelligent & eloquent, he should also become president and the father of your children.

[@katielowen]

@@fluxoteenI think you mean Van Neistat style. (Casey’s brother)

[@NathanaelPotoski]

You know, as a 42 year old man born without the internet, this video series has resonated with me so deeply. I'm glad to know I'm not crazy in my own thinking. When I got my LG V60, I made a point of switching to music I personally buy, for hi-res better sounding audio. The lack of quality audio led to me not wanting to listen to music for years. The switch was amazing. I started enjoying music again. Truly enjoying music. I found out that I can hear things I never noticed before and sound became more colorful. Around the same time I started removing doom scrolling and intentionally sought out content on KZbin that was educational, informative, and long form. This meant actually setting aside time to watch this stuff and learn, not just eating small bites and running. I found myself problem solving better. And then I got crazy and started using the pen feature on my phone. What a difference it makes writing things down. Even if it is digital ink, just the act of physically writing with intent makes a difference in how your brain stores and processes information. I haven't gone the full analog dive that you have, but it is refreshing to see that someone else has discovered, in deeper ways than I have, that technology can only do so much for life before taking the color and experience out of life.

[@xXDarthBagginsXx]

I have TikTok blocked on my home internal network for my son's iPad - I'm fortunate he likes to consume a little then within 5mins run outside jump on the trampoline, play soccer, have me pitch the wiffleball to him etc. This series has allowed me to check out new artists within the recommended from the content within the series - music is always a release and a focus adder for me since I was a kid (I'm 42 as well). I have never shifted to taking digital notes, writing it down locks it into my head better than inputting it into a digital notepad which - working in IT there are alot of things I never shifted to for work/personal life and it was due to knowing what habits I've had and know work to hold onto knowledge. YT I use as a mix of entertainment and knowledge - I ditched FB years ago, I don't use Netflix as I host my own media/movie server.

[@shyofthemoon1175]

It's like using cheats in a video game. At first it's a whole lot of fun, but after a while it sucks all the fun out of it and you stop enjoying the game, sometimes without even realizing it. It just ruins everything. But if you stick with the vanilla version you have to work hard in the game and that is much more satisfying and satisfying for much much longer.

[@XEinstein]

In a much less dramatic fashion, i bought a tablet at the beginning of this year and removed social media, news apps and KZbin from my phone. I put those apps on my tablet instead. My tablet stays home, i never take it with me, unless i go on holiday. So when i am out,i have my phone, with offline music, but also streaming apps, I have Google Maps, Tripadvisor, QR app, weather app and other stuff that i use in daily life, but no social media and news apps that draw my attention. I leave social media, news and KZbin for when I'm at home.

[@DuckIsProductive]

I’m gonna try this out

[@kaorisity4962]

This is so good! I did this too after the ads were just too much and I burned through my data in the first week of the month by using social media without wifi. So now all of that is at home like the PC back then. Check all of it in one hour or two and then go do other things. It’s fun :)

[@rishameyers5278]

This is so smart! It’s so easy to be distracted. I might try this out myself :)

[@DMIwriter]

This is why I think detoxing from technology is something everyone should evaluate for themselves. Everyone's going to be addicted to different apps and devices in different ways and have different needs and goals. For example, I don't use social media at all anymore, and I've started rebuilding a physical media collection of CDs and movies to replace streaming services, but I do still allow myself podcasts, audiobooks, and KZbin on my phone. I work 14 hour shifts and I think it's perfectly acceptable to keep podcasts and background KZbin videos to pass the time. I've just implemented rules that I'm not allowed to listen to anything shorter than 15 minutes

[@roxie818]

Thank you for this MAGNIFICENT post! 🌿🙌🏽🕊️ I went to a restaurant last week WITHOUT MY PHONE. They had no menus. I was told I needed to use my phone to access their menu. When I stated I didn’t have my phone, they had no alternative and they suggested I go home get my phone and come back! 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@alekcartier]

ITS HORRIBLE!!! the amount of times I've had to begrudgingly ask the table next to me If I could please borrow their phone to access the inconvenient QR CODE menu. I understand my elderly grandparents now, things WERE better back then

[@cjay2]

That's when you go to another restaurant.

[@davidoreilly7328]

Brandon, I want to very quickly thank you. After watching your first video in this series, I started doing a Spring Cleaning with my social media’s, unfollowing people and things. I went from following up 900 accounts, to less than 200. I’ve even started using a pen and paper for taking notes, or just writing my own personal thoughts. I genuinely don’t think I’d have attempted this if not for you starting this experiment. Thanks man

[@KristovMars]

I love my pen and notebook - it's so far superior to every "high-tech" alternative I've tried.

[@Phyclone]

When you said the internet had gotten big and boring is exactly how I feel and have been canceling subscriptions brick by brick and you hit the nail on the head of what I have been saying for years about how social media is not social anymore and as someone who is about to be a cybersecurity grad, I rather be a ghost of the machine. It's not worth the headache

[@HexlGaming]

The swiss armyknife reference is spot on. took me a second, but now way I'd always choose all the seperate tools over a swissarmyknife unless I really had to. 100%

[@LinhThuy-vg6qu]

This video has inspired me so much. I've been in depressed state for months because lack of motivate. But watching your video help me find a new direction and inspired me to try new ways to get out of this situation. I spend whole night declutter everything and set my phone to black and white, just like you did. Thank you and looking forward to next week😊

[@ant1ne248]

Physical media of any sort will always connect a person to the art, better than any technological upgrade will. Thanks for making this video and bringing it more to light for every generation to see.. CDs, DVDs, real cameras, etc. are better simply for the fact that you OWN it. It's yours. You can hold it in your hand. The physical connection between you and the art, triumphs over synthetic modernism. Keep up the great content. One love.

[@Jessevancoller]

So I started doing this a lot more, my my first step was to go through all my music that I have and turn off all notifications from my phone. Last night I asked my partner about his favourite album that he would recommend for me to listen to. We spent about 2 hours laying in bed talking about music. Afterwards he literally said to me that just that discussion has made him really enjoy music again and it felt good to talk about it and all of the intention that comes with having to make a choice about what you are buying, rather than just streaming music. Suffice to say, I am loving this series of yours, and it has really placed into perspective on how I consume media.

[@Corleone1891]

This is so, SO good. I basically got rid of every social media app that I had (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc) and that was a billion percent improvement in my life.

[@JSSMVCJR2.1]

"The best thing in my life and in planet earth after Sex!"

[@tydendurler9574]

People can't life their life on their own anymore because of the Internet. They see a video of a dude on the Internet who tells them how to better life their life with less Internet. They praise the dude they saw on the Internet.

[@frusenko]

​@@tydendurler9574 You're a living embodiment of the "yet you participate in society, curious" meme. Go be a prick somewhere else, it's possible that people who saw this video will actually learn from it.

[@AnnikaVictoria24]

Same omg. I suddenly have so much more time in my day, space in my brain, I was happier and more engaged with what I actually wanted to do!

[@Corleone1891]

@@AnnikaVictoria24 Annika, you took the words right out of my mouth. It literally feels like breathing easier.

[@mimibaka5082]

the part where your kids gave you recommendations is so sweet. it reminded me of the times where i used to write down my favorite songs.

[@ANON-fl5sl]

Facts he should keep that list for when they get older

[@NeilABullock]

I’m currently trying to be on my phone a lot less, I started a few weeks before the first video in this series and it’s actually been super inspiring, thanks for making this series!

[@3d1k3]

10:17 .....man, this is so true. The internet seems big and boring.....in the early 2000's - the early 2010's the internet definitely seem smaler and more exciting. So true

[@EggTamago7]

The algorithm brought me to your last video, which is deeply ironic. But, I'm invested - curious to see what the next episode brings. I've spent a lot of time thinking about this stuff, dipping into the nostalgia of my youth via my old Walkman/iPod, and drew a few parallels. Here's what I arrived at: Smartphones are honestly amazing, extremely useful, but contrary to the nostalgia-KZbinr narrative - we do have a choice in how we use them, what we do on them, and how much we use them. I've pretty much just figured out what I liked about "the good old days" and figured out ways to keep the same process going on my phone. It's honestly worked out great.

[@audibletapehiss3764]

Exactly right. For me, figuring out what I like about the good old days is the easy part. Figuring out which of the worms are eating my soul and how to sort them and kill them (excepting the ones that can't be killed) is the difficult part. My boredom and anxiety keep letting them back in.

[@anachronismic]

This is definitely an important point, especially for people who can't afford buying a specialized device just for music (and don't want to go delving through like CDs lol). Full power to you for having figured out how to keep the process you want while using your phone. Having a separate device makes it much less of a temptation for me personally though. I definitely think there's validity in using a restricted tool vs self-restricting the tool, even separate from the nostalgia tinted glasses.

[@macallan3933]

I got a phone advert while watching this the algorithm knows this video is against ot

[@EggTamago7]

@@anachronismic The other danger is also basically feeding your desire for materialistic novelty by buying a bunch of new things - solving tech-addiction with more tech basically. I can be a bit more specific about how this worked out for me: - Social media has no place on the Home Screen. Reddit is my main issue, so it stays in the app drawer. I try to limit its use to when my brain is half-offline and I don’t have the energy to be doing anything better anyway. - Immediate notifications are limited to calendar and messages. I let a few others get filed away into a daily summary. But, my phone generally doesn’t bug me unless I want it to. - I use Apple Music basically the same way I used to use my iPod (just with the wrinkle of lack of ownership of content thrown in). I don’t like being served up stuff from random sources. I hated the radio as a kid for this reason, and always sought out music from people I knew, new finds at the record store, or later more organically online (Wikipedia in particular). So, I just open Apple Music up to my library page and largely ignore all the other stuff unless I explicitly want to see it. I’ve found Apple Music makes this much easier than Spotify. - I fill my Home Screen with the things I actually care about. I replaced Reddit with the Kindle app - now I read way more during my commute or lunch hour. The rest is essentials - music, messaging apps, calendar, notes, maps, photos, finances. The final part is really just letting myself deeply feel how fundamentally gross scrolling for more than a few minutes on Instagram feels. I like seeing updates from friends, or maybe music recommendations from other artists I like, but it quickly just devolves into ads, engagement baiting “content”, and an overwhelming sense of feeling myself getting emotionally manipulated and stupider by the second. Once that feeling kicks in, I’m out.

[@anachronismic]

@@EggTamago7 Nice! You're very right about having to be careful to make sure it's not buying something new for something new's sake. As someone who does a lot of music discovery (enough to spend a good amount of my free time DJing lol) I'm not that interested in completely removing the streaming service listening style out of my life (though it's less what the algorithm says and more the sheer amount of digging that can be done by following through related artists and user playlists). That said, while trying to be productive, active listening can be really distracting, which is where a separate device that is not network connected actually helps me out. It's definitely something I can figure out without a separate device, but I see no problem with buying a tool and using it for its purpose, so long as your clear-eyed about it. Having the mp3 player (and CD player beforehand) has certainly kept me more focused than my attempts to do so just by mental willpower. There's too much optionality that I still want to tap into sometimes (eg I don't want to condition myself to not do). All this to say you're right to encourage an approach that doesn't involve a new piece of tech in your life. Even if someone wants to get an ipod or mp3 player there's middle steps you can do to make sure you're not doing it for novelty. That said, I think it definitely has its uses still. And for people who didn't live through music listening having friction, it's harder to enforce the boundaries than have hard boundaries. Hell, I came of music-listening age in the limewire age and it's still tough to break out of that mindset sometimes, let alone growing up with spotify. I have a similar relationship social media, no disagreement from me there lol.

[@kwamekarobia9723]

You have shown people to not just say 'I'm taking a break from Tik Tok', and then they fold after short amount of days because of holding the phone and how it just makes you start searching for stimulation. But you lead by example how to efficiently depart from your phone by going all out. I appreciate. Thank you.

[@How_am_I_supposed_to_know]

I haven’t used TikTok in a couple months and haven’t regretted it. (If ur having trouble move the app to an annoying place/harder to mindlessly get on the app)

[@Carlito_Sway]

I feel like every DTG video is better than the last- I really admire the commitment to improving on a thing even when it was already great!!! It's great, too, to gain a window into your life as a gigging musician (the wedding gig gave me flashbacks to my own tenure drumming in a wedding band)! Keep up the great work!

[@KristofferLislegaard]

I thought a little bit about this and while it is perceived as going backwards I think it is more how you don't realize what you have until you loose it, or how you are not able to judge your home town before moving out. I think the swiss knife example was exelent because it showed that this is about going for the specialized dedicated tool vs the dummed down half-version. It is not about being an old boomer, it is about giving photography and music listening the love and attention it deserves if you actually want to connect with it.

[@tydendurler9574]

Thing is, they who'd call said people "boomers" don't want to connect. They don't want anything other than dopamine-stimulation in the easiest way possible, which is via Apps. That is all they ever learned. That, and where to look up stuff. At the most.

[@billiedoesbeats]

I'm a millenial turning 40 in a couple weeks. I pretty much live this way already lol. No social media, religiously use notebooks and pens, I do have an iphone but it's a 7 so it's pretty much bricked. I use corded headphones/earbuds, have never owned airpods. My final step is selling my high tech 2023 car as I just inherited a 2003 honda CRV with a 6CD changer and cassette deck. I CAN NOT WAIT to bust out my CD case that has hundreds of CDs in it. This life is WAY BETTER, and yes you may be left out of some things or be subject to a jab here or there, but if you have true self-confidence, you'll know you're not missing out on ANYTHING of value. I taught my daughter this way of life and she's intellectually and emotionally light years beyond young adults her age. She's in India right now experiencing a new culture and way of life, in the meantime her counterparts are laying in their room scrolling through IG. I'm proud.

[@ACE-p7b]

A bit of advice: Take out the 6 CD changer and replace with one that only takes one CD at a time. Otherwise you'll load 6 CDs into it and listen to only those same 6 CDs for the next year. :)

[@billiedoesbeats]

@@ACE-p7b 😂 oh no. I have hundreds of CDs I haven’t listened to since the 2000s. I’m so excited to put 6 in, listen, then take them all out and rotate 6 new ones. I never had a 6CD changer. It was something only the flashy guys had back in the day 😆.

[@charlottesimss9853]

I've watched a lot of dumb phone videos but this is the best I've ever seen. Amazing pacing and storytelling while still being fully real about it. Everyone forgets about the laundry.

[@AleksanderJBL]

I haven't seen a video this comprehensive on a subject in a long time. Quality production. Thanks man !

[@chi.pachii3937]

I loved this video! I ended up running into a similar problem as you during my 8-month dumbphone journey. Instead of being stuck on links from friends, I found it harder to connect to coworkers and others at my new job. New lingo and references to whatever viral video went right over my head, and I could never offer up my social media handles if someone wanted to continue to talk. Even with the few phone numbers I had, it was obvious that the others were a bit closer.

[@jonlarmee7485]

Our situations overlap a bit. I've got two young kids (one still with fat feet!) and I've been struggling with the want to distance myself and them--plus all my students--from slipping into screens in every spare second. All the same issues come up. The book might be more than you want to get into, but The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt calls the gravitational pull of conformity a collective action trap. The truth is tech use is seemingly low risk, low investment: no coordinating to plan a meetup, just see someone's joke/announcement/rant when you scroll past it; no weird people you have to share space with; minimal fears of rejection; no weather inconveniences; no any inconveniences. But it's also a system for low rewards. And we're losing so SO much over small risks. Awesome video as always. Particularly great series.

[@hamingnu6610]

That's a very good thing to point out. The things that are worst for us in life are the ones that only show their detriments after long-term abuse and exploitation. It's both unfortunate that we've so openly adopted mass social media at the rate that it developed throughout the 2010's, and that we've only had since probably 2010 to foresee just how those platforms were going to set the trajectory for overconsumption of media, along with a bunch of the other more visible detriments. It's definitely harder to criticize the adoption of a low-reward but low-risk tool, because it'll take a long time before we realize that it isn't low-detriment. There are no big risks for clicking on a social media app a single time, no big risks for scrolling for a minute, but once people do that for 5 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 5 or more years, then that's where we start realizing that our adoption of this 'trap' should have been included a lot more due diligence and scrutiny to the long-term effects. Though, I guess, we're just kind of in a situation where it's either we get over it, or we don't. Either human culture adapts its rapid technological advancements to the long-term sensibilities of the human body and mind, or not. I guess we're just gonna have to see the worst of it before we all determine how to properly use it without letting it be a detriment over the long term. I guess rapid technological advancement fighting long-term human health is just going to have to be something we contend with.

[@kortalicious]

I came across this video on my home page, without watching the first parts. I needed to hear this. I want to be present for this lifetime, I am proud to know that others are taking the steps to change their life and feel empowered to do the same. Thank you!

[@Crushanator1]

i appreciate you went with dumbifying a smart phone vs a dumb phone. I need my smart phone to generate passwords for my work login, and also GPS for navigating by car, bus or train. I also text friends a lot and really like using Signals video chat feature. But i almost feel like a greyscale phone with a simple UI and less than 10 total apps on it is probably going to be something im ultimately much happier with.

[@jbaby362]

I really hope flip phones with just a Teeny touchscreen have a moment, the CAT one is cool because I need some smart, but less temptation would be great

[@peacethefool9770]

As a 25 year old “zillenial”, this has been my favorite KZbin series of videos I’ve seen maybe ever. It’s resonating with me so hard, and what’s crazier is that I coincidentally ordered an iPod video 5th gen off eBay yesterday. Crazy. Love what you’re doing man ✌🏼

[@SunnyGoesIn1D]

ha same. i'm 26. i finally got my dumbphone too. an actual oldie that i haven't fired up yet but will soon and hopefully it should still work on my existing network, or so my research has told me. the other thing i made myself do and this was a long time ago, was ditch digital notes for notebooks and that has been awesome, especially if you like the feel and experience of good stationary and thinking on paper.

[@ariyo781]

Super inspiring going into my senior year! I have a bunch of physical media routes I really should be taking and you’ve inspired me to actually start using them again, my school is going to a new direction with students and their phones (thank heaven) when it comes to phone use school is rough, disconnection is a huge issue and I really don’t want to be one of those kids who shows up only for credit and time to watch their instagram reels away from home. Thanks so much for this video man!

[@mitchelldries6628]

ya know what's great about this video? it's a video. with well informed subject matter based on your real life experience and educated opinions. and i feel compelled to comment and like it because of that. anything else would BE CONTENT and another human like myself would not feel connected to it. please more like this! i look forward to your "last" week...

[@rejectconvenience]

Love the way this was presented - I've been using a dumb phone and iPod combo for over 2 years and I cannot fathom ever going back. I have a lot more respect for my music and funny enough, I have discovered significantly more music than I ever did using Spotify (and I'm not paying a subscription to do so). Someone commented on my dumb phone video a few days ago and pointed out the potential savings of switching too - I have saved thousands of dollars just in my phone plan alone (now that it's only $5/month). I am working on a new video on the idea of taking back the internet, since I love working with computers, but I'm sick of computers telling me what to do. I want forums, not Discord. I want to browse the web without giving out all my personal information.

[@charlottesimss9853]

I feel you. I went back to iPod and Bandcamp (and some piracy lol) several months ago and it was awesome! But then I wanted to still use CarPlay so I synced my music with my iPhone. But then I started using spotify cuz I was having a country hyperfixation but was struggling to find some sources for music with SoulSeek. And then I got on a Duo plan with my wife. It was good for a minute but I'm back in the algorthm hole that made me quit in the first place. Music is small and controlled and if I skip a song that will affect the shuffle and how I appear in their system. So much fucking pressure if you overthink like me. So today I'm going to cancel it again because fuck that.f I went to sub and I saw that I've seen your dumbphone video before! That vid was awesome and I think I'm going to try and go less smart phone again. Instagram sucks and I have a serious reddit addiction. I think I may block the site at home to help me in search for awesome forums. I miss going on every day and checking my inbox and leaving my comments. It's so cozy and I just need to learn how to be a kid again and just explore for the fun of it. Neocities is a great website too you may want to check out for your video.

[@NunuDaRat]

I been using modded Spotify for a year now 😮 which is free unlimited

[@jameseason8206]

Covid threw all of our screen time rules right out the window. It’s been a long slow battle to reel it back in. Your video is encouraging! Also glad to learn about Light Phone

[@januarygrey]

This reminded me of a quote from a Brennan Lee Mulligan character about Swiss army knives (even before the Swiss army knife segment of this video): "There is a reason Swiss army knives are sold in gift shops. They are trash! When you are buying a tool, you don't want the thing that kind of does it all. ... We're marketing this to people who want top of the line and we're saying here's a f***ing grab bag!" - Brennan Lee Mulligan as a CEO in Dimension 20: A Starstruck Odyssey

[@made.believe]

Loooove the Swiss Army knife analogy! Great piece man, I have been trying to put this all into words and you hit everything right in the end

[@theherbiebrown]

B Shaw, I’m right there with you. I’ve been making actionable steps to being on my phone less. I normally do a 3-month social media fast at the beginning of the year, but that extended to 7 months. While that’s a start, I find myself being on KZbin more. Yes, I’m primarily use it to learn, but I can be on here a lot less. My current work in progress. Also, I have tried to find ways to help our young kids to simply “be” by themselves, without screens. We enjoy when they say they’re bored because, as Questlove said, “Boredom is where the solutions are.” Ultimately, I’m striving to be, myself (especially before the internet).

[@AmbientClassical]

Loving this series. You're putting into words what many people struggle with on a daily basis.

[@abijah]

I love this series so much. I've been saying to people for a while that I think we're gonna see a shift towards decentralization / modularity in the products that we use, and I feel like that's the conclusion you're arriving at too. The swiss army knife analogy was on point.

[@ristyle_x]

Omg! This popped up on my recommendations and I’m sooo glad it did this is absolutely phenomenal in so many ways!! Wow! I love the nostalgia, the pulling back from today’s world and going back to basics! I need to go back to the first episode of this journey lol. Amazing content I really appreciate the efforts and creativity in this

[@us3r11]

These series are the best thing on the internet right now. So much needed.

[@clairewulf]

you have inspired me to use social media less. i just deleted all but the essential apps off my phone and i'm only watching youtube for 2 hours a day. this series has been so eye opening for me, honestly. thank you!

[@Chris-uc9yt]

I never really comment on KZbin videos but my screentime went from 3hrs55mins to 53mins a day since I watched your first video. I bought a 6th gen iPod Classic and it played a major part in it as well. Thanks for the inspiration and the videos were really fun to watch!

[@realistian]

I've been so overwhelmed by social media, consuming so many opinions, this past year or so and watching this video, I felt so mentally calm in a way I haven't done so for weeks. Battling the notion that we need social media to do well in life, meaning I am always on my phone even though I have a heavy desire not to be. My screen time is on average 6 hours per week which I think is okay but I want it to be less. You've inspired me to do this experiment too and I have a strong feeling I'll be much better for it. I'm glad it has benefitted you in so many ways and I hope it can do the same for me

[@EccoH_]

love this series and im watching it w my mom. we both just bought new iPods lmao

[@UnstableInternet]

By any chance could you share where you bought it?

[@ayala_]

@@UnstableInternetI got mine from eBay and modded it myself. Some are sold modded already or just like the way they were when released.

[@EccoH_]

@@UnstableInternet just on eBay, got a black 16gb Nano 5th gen for $100

[@westviiews]

This? Made me cry? Thank you so much for sharing.

[@missv7689]

I was waiting for your post. I’m soooooo in love with this series.

[@thechillhacker]

There is a ton of value to all of this. I was an IT professional for 20 years, from deskside suppoirt, development, administration, you name it, i've done it all. Now I mostly run old computers, one of my dailies is a 486, my son has 2 computers: a commodore 64 and a netbook running freedos, so he can "do what daddy is doing" in a text editor. I drive my family in a carbureted, points-driven station wagon i pulled from a junkyard and fixed/hotrodded. I play a modded gameboy when I want to game on the go, and yes, I love my ipod. Cassettes, CDs, Records, and the sweetest, reel-to-reel tapes are absolutely amazing. Even an 8 track has a feel that cannot be replicated. And nobody can force you do do what you want, control you, track you, or sell you information using any of it. Just because something is obsolete doesn't mean it sucks.

[@thechillhacker]

Also, a good DSLR does the still and video thing very well, and again has that single-purpose utility and focus that is ideal, even if it is a bit bulky

[@A-Doug]

I work in IT so it feels like I am always in front of a screen 24/7. I find my most enjoyable moments are when I go on my daily walks at the park allowing me to disconnect and clear my head. I started journaling about 2 years ago and I’ve never had a better mental state than now. There’s something peaceful about disconnecting from a digital world.

[@wirikidor]

That last minute really hit me. I avoided TikTok forever, and my kids regularly send me TikTok videos to watch via text and the link would just show me in the phone browser the video. That doesn't work anymore, you HAVE to have the app and I caved just to continue having that connection with my kids.

[@parthl]

i just discovered this channel and probably 50 minutes ago and this video came out right as i finished watching the previous videos in this series!

[@haramaschabrasir8662]

Welcome! I highly recommend his videos about Kanye Wests through the wire and MF Dooms MM Food

[@Jeannemarre]

god damn algorithm hahaha

[@isemurphy]

This has possibly been the most wholesome series of videos I’ve ever watched on KZbin. Thank you.

[@stephenstrussvideo]

My two favorite Patreon follows; Digging the Greats and Van Neistat, becoming more alike day by day. Not mad about it!

[@genericsomething]

When he brought out the type writer, I thought about The Spirited Man.

[@clockcatcher1016]

This series has brilliantly articulated what I’ve been feeling for years. Our online lives are rotten to the core. There needs to be another way!

[@3d1k3]

7:43 😂😅😂😅😂😅😂😅😂 this part was so hilarious. I was literally thinking "Ive never been to Portland...but if Portlandia is at all accurate this scene is the most Portland thing ive ever seen." 😂😂😂

[@kakayatotanya]

I started using a 2009 digital camera a couple of months ago just for fun and now I’ve really grown into unironically using it instead of my iPhone. It just gives you a different experience, feels a bit naive, but more real and sincere and definitely much more exciting. Just like the time I genuinely couldn’t use anything else to capture the moment. I love it.

[@tedtalksrock]

I love this comment. ❤

[@suzannesardinha6337]

You got me at "... in park, with giant headphones on with people staring at you!!!" Hook, line and sinker!!!

[@jonathandegroot9477]

Wow... Thank you for making this piece of art in my opinion. Good film and story telling. I really dig the commentary and especially the use of the return to your paper visual representation laid out with all the items as the story progresses. Not often I watch such a well put together and genuinely calming to my nervous system video. Cheers, keep on keeping on man !

[@monicasdesignprocess]

This video came up on my homepage and I'm so glad it did. I remember when I used to have an iPod (then eventually an iPod touch). It's crazy to think how much music, technology, life in general has changed since the iPod was my #1 device. I also love how you were typing at a park with a typewriter 😂 I'm a big fan of typewriters and use mine whenever I can. Definitely going to check out the rest of the series next!

[@chillitz3667]

Brother, I just want to say, this series is AMAZING. Not only for the actual experiment which I think is great, but the quality of it all. The editing is great, the storytelling is compelling, the music is obviously unbelievable and it all comes together beautifully every single time. Can’t wait for the next video!

[@bjenksful]

I said this on the previous video but this series has inspired me to revitalize my old ipod (it died on me a few years ago). Got in all my parts yesterday, got it up and runnin, and modded it so it looks extra pretty. Mayne, it felt so good to have it back in my hands. I forgot how much I loved using that thing. I actually laid in the bed listening to music, and realized it had been a long time since I had last done that. I don't forsee completely getting rid of my streaming soon, as it would cost a lot of money to buy copies of some of the key albums I want to add to my ipod. I'll work on finding a new balance and see how it goes from there.

[@customjohnny]

What an insane level of videography!! The Swiss Army knife was incredible.

[@diggingthegreats]

Thank you so much 🙏

[@SIGuess]

Finally week 3 what an incredible series man I'm really enjoying it

[@DirtyJokesFan]

Great work as always! I'm approaching three years off social media and don't regret it. For business purposes yes of course but for personal use...nope. One thing that I did from the outset was not to lecture others into doing the same; social media is addictive by design and people have been duped into thinking it's an essential. Better to say that you don't miss it and would encourage others to try it.

[@Mayiwe]

This one was so good. Had me really emotional towards the end, specifically 21:10. I just kept nodding my head like YES life like that is so much better, YES its more rich and satisfying but also YES its hard cause nobody else around me is tryna live like that. Can't wait for next week cause i need a solution.

[@daveSoupy]

The most shocking thing in this video is that there's only 1 laundry machine for the whole apartment complex.

[@MrTsolar]

Indeed. I would fight the cashless thing, and if that fails, I would find a way to get my own washer/dryer into the apartment. These new combo units are quite compact.

[@smarmar400]

What's up with that?? At least my apartment has three, but that's still too few sometimes. The cashless machines are inoperable when wifi is down. I've had to manually reboot the modem in my laundry room many times. So frustrating.

[@abangwu]

Your boy wanted to listen to Fela Kuti??? Based kid. You're raising him right.

[@jennyhaytch]

“… but then I’m DONE.” This is the real, whole advantage of dumbphoning and getting your shiz offline. Vs With infinite scrolling and constant notifications and rabbit holes; the internet is never Done. Also really appreciate the “intentional listening” to music mentioned, and being consciously aware of what and who you’re listening to. Vs the ‘wallpaper’, background, CONSUMPTION approach to algorithmically generated playlists.

[@paulcargill]

This series is incredible. Loved every episode.

[@nikkipaperart]

Love the Swiss knife analogy and it perfectly fit the world we live right now. I’ve been having a lot of love and hate relationship with technology since I first read digital minimalism back in 2018 and I keep on going back using my iPhone and scrolling social media despite the fact that I’ve bought and invested gadget for monotasking devices. Thank you again for the reminder it’s a life long battle for me but at least I’m getting better at it.

[@baklavababa]

Thank you again for this - great production. See you next week.

[@Ocxlocxl]

Fascinating video. Im 64 and volunteer as a computer buddy. Many younger people want to move away from online dependance, many older people, however, feel the need to move towards it. I think that not knowing how to use basic online and phone skills for older people is the equivalent of being unable to read and write in days gone by, you can flourish but you are severly limited. I have started to see a class of people in London, who are increasingly detatched from mainstream society because they are not wired in, some see this as liberation, but for many they feel increasingly frustrated and abandoned. I love my ipod classic too.

[@lbar9832]

You're inspiring. I never expected this from your channel, but I am beyond thrilled to receive such a wonderful presentation about a subject I, myself, am conflicted about. Especially when it comes to music. I dread the innovations of technology in the modern, and while convenient, they seem to take away the part that makes us human. I am quite eager for week 4 :))

[@Xyles7]

Whats the most valuable thing everybody has. It is undoubtetly your attention. These days so much tech tries to grab a slice of your attention, suddenly theres barely any left for you or real interactions. This video is the perfect example how you can regain control of your attention and how it will make you happier. Thanks for making this.

[@lamoded7926]

this series will go down as legendary

[@Mimimimiundso]

Love it how you minimalised your phone! I tried so long and didn't know how! Will try too as you did!

[@walterooski]

Bro... The introspection inspired by this video series has been substantial... As a music reactor on KZbin, so much of the music I find myself listening to comes from the comment section. I found that the suggestions always hit harder when coming from a person than DJX on Spotify. I find myself really considering what slowing down the technology and algorithm aspect of my life might look like. Thank you for sharing this journey. It's been thought provoking to say the least. I deleted my own social media

[@ansomworld]

This is one of the best KZbin series I've watched in so long. It's how I've been feeling for a long time and it's a kick in the right direction to sort out our overstimulated lives. Thanks for making this.

[@kail7395]

I have been reflecting and changing my own habits. Going through a desire to own my things over subscription services. Netflix was cancelled 8 months ago. I've bought DVD's this year. I bought a Cassette player - these were before my time but In terms of the size of my room, its easier to collect then vinyls for me. I want to find my Ipod or buy a DAP in the future as well. I dont need to own everything, I just want to own what I want. I've not become opposed totally to digilitilized stuff, I cant own all the books I want to read. So ebooks are something i'll get still! There is a middle ground between digitized and material and I think we had good version of it around 2010. I think we are lacking in connection to things, people and the world. That has been lost along the way. Your videos about your own experiance with alogorithms has been really helpful and I appreciate the time you spent making them. I'm going to read the book that inspired you and I hope we get updates on how you are doing with rejecting convenience and the algorithm. Good luck!

[@noordean2908]

I completely agree. I have a permanent “focus” on my phone where only certain people/ apps can send me notifications. I only use KZbin and Pinterest, and messaging apps. I use the camera, the notes/ journal apps, and alarm feature. I play chess. I read books and pdfs. It’s not perfect but keeps my screen time low and allows me to stay productive

[@masonpaar8997]

This video is exactly what I needed to see right now. Going to slowly roll back on devices.

[@vivianramsay2527]

The typewriter provides deep proprioception to your body that allows for body /brain connection ,focus and awareness of yourself in the act of "doing". Basically eliminating the "zombie" effect in your life ! Yay for you! Welcome back to the land of the living !!😊❤

[@_earthparty]

how do you format your iphone like this?! inspired and been waiting intently for the last two episodes. feel way more invested in your work since this series.

[@_earthparty]

update: the app is blank spaces

[@MrSteeveAustin]

What an absolute gem of a video! Thanks you for this. The message, storytelling, scriptwriting, tempo, … amazing!

[@solmare_]

why do i keep coming back to this series so many times.

[@pmode4]

The algorhythm brought this to my attention, as if it read what's on my brain. I've started, ever so slightly, to head down a similar path. Trying to surf on a pc, taking a picture with a film camera (not sure how well that'll go) and trying to do more. It's effort for the trying- no idea how much effort it really is. I talk about my kids but dang...I have to look at myself....an "iPad" man child. Your mention helped me with that realization.

[@AnthologyOfDave]

I'm only one minute into the video and the question "what if the pre algorithm world is better?" is posed to the viewers. I can definitively say yes. Without a doubt. Ok, back to the video.

[@smarmar400]

The algorithmic world is like a piece of ultra-sweet candy. Like melts-in-you-mouth sweet. It's so good and gives you everything you want in that moment. But over time all that sweetness slowly turns sour as your over-stimulated taste buds try to stabilize their taste sensors. You're whole mouth becomes fatigued to the point that you're having trouble savoring the foods you used to enjoy. Eventually, that sweet, sweet candy morsel is all that your tongue can get joy from. You're better off without all the sugar, kid. And too much'll rot your teeth out. In the end it's all just empty calories, fed to you by the algorithm.

[@komicalkramer6188]

@@smarmar400 you're spot on. You can see this in America's foods as well!

[@KalebPeters99]

This is an incredible series, Brandon! I really can't wait for part 4!! You're actually - well - ACTUALIZING something I've thought about for years, and tried and failed to do various times... But I always came upon the same issues you discuss at the end here, so I'm eager to see what solutions you came up with! Thank you so much for consistently putting out such high quality, thoughtful content, in a time when its easier than ever to take the myriad available shortcuts... It's so refreshing and so needed, and this series in particular demonstrates the attention to detail that makes this channel such a GEM ✨ (I LOVED that shot of the sheet of paper we've been building throughout the series getting *crunched* through a single hole, it demonstrated the point so viscerally that it physically hurt to watch 😅 And the swiss army knife analogy that followed is absolutely PERFECT !!)

[@stevemcgee99]

I think he’d make a pretty awesome movie.

[@cibacity]

Which minimal launcher did you use for dumbifying your phone? I see a few options available

[@thebookofive]

Looks like Dumbify to me. If you're on android Olauncher can also be a great choice