I see an iPod, I click!!

I doubt any person saying that "you just need more willpower" is actually exercising more willpower.

Going on a walk with just an mp3 player and some good tunes is a great experience

I remember being out of cell signal service while out in national parks, and not really having the ability to check my phone. I'd drive out to this one alcove that was 25 minutes away from my campsite once per day to do so, and having that designated half hour was pretty neat. Applying that restriction by forcing it with your devices seems like a great concept. People might typically argue that it's less efficient to have more devices, but like I said in my note taking video, there's so much opportunity to distract you on a smartphone. You pick up your iPod for a reason, and you dont get deterred from that reason. Congrats on joining the 10k club!

I'm 45, so I've witnessed all these changes accelerate from my young adulthood to now. My phone hasn't made me happier, I feel more beholden to it than anything. I miss having time to myself. I freely admit that part of this is nostalgia. I'm not a minimalist. I wouldn't have a dvd collection or shelves of books if I were. But I'm edging closer to getting a dumb phone and not being quite so beholden to the notifications that demand my attention and time.

I just watched this with tears in my eyes. I don’t know why this connected so deeply with me. Actually I do know why. I was looking for this. This video is going to change the lives of me and my kids. Thank you.

I use ad blockers, AI ad scramblers, No-Script, I never have the same mac address or IP, and on android devices you can go into developer mode and manually disable your camera, mic, GPS (or spoof location), gyroscope, and so on. This all helps to silence Ad-trafficking if you don't want to give up smart devices or computers. I defiantly dig the idea of having the option to choose between a dumb phone and a smart phone, it lets you take more control when you want it. Great video.

iPod and dumb phones don't invade my privacy. Kudos to you

“Meaning friction” is a great analogy. I recently had the exact epiphany you were talking about. I had hundreds of albums on my iPhone …. but do you think I would ever lie down and actually really listen to one! The funny thing is, I consider myself an audiophile So I bought a quality DAP and now I literally listen to probably 2 entire albums daily….and the sound quality is even better! I’ll never go back …. I deleted all my music off my iPhone. Try it ….you’ll never go back! The whole listening session suddenly becomes became pure and self empowering. Now ….I am using that new found fortitude in other forms of technology combat.

Even I carry multiple gadgets. Despite using a smart phone, I still carry a separate media device for music, reading. And it's my way to repurpose old tech and keep my phone's battery last long. Heck. I still use a separate GPS navigator because they still give better routes than phones and I am saving data.

I miss the iPod, windows xp and MSN days

I LOVE your channel dude! You’re talking my language on so many levels. I’ve been walking a similar path to you, just not recording it. It’s refreshing to see other people doing things differently and adding some resistance to tech.

Great video, you articulated everything so well. I’ve been on the dumb phone and iPod combo for over 2 years now and I cannot fathom going back to a smartphone. Keep up the great work!

As a teacher of high school students, I showed this video in my class this week. It started some very interesting discussions. However, perhaps it is a tough sell for young people, but let's change the world one mind at a time...

This year I will be 6. That is not years but decades. I am old enough to remember when we had no devices at all to carry. When it was ok not to be reachable. I remember one o my bosses once said, an sms is for his convenience not for others to be able to reach him and disturb him 24/7…. Today we panic if we don’t get an answer on a message within seconds…. Although I like technology and am fascinated by these new gadgets, I am not sure wether this has improved our lives.

A person once said in a podcast: "What level of inconvenience are you willing to accept to live a more meaningful and peaceful life?"

My concern about going back to dumb devices is accessibility issues. Due to my vision loss I depend more on Uber or Lyft and similar apps and technologies more than most. Now, in theory, I could buy a video magnifier with OCR, a computer with assistive software, and a talking cell phone, but add it all up and we’re at least in $2400-$5500 easy - over $1000-$4000 more than a smartphone that can more easily fulfill those roles, and going back to Lyft and Uber, they’re not possible without a smartphone, and while there is accessible public transit, it’s not as convenient, and cabs are more expensive. While there are programs to help cover the cost c they aren’t always the easy to work with, and are very strict on the requirements of qualification. So for my needs, I’m kind of stuck. You did say you wanted to hear my thoughts :-)

Spencer! This is so awesome! I picked up a Light phone 2 (a dumb phone) a couple months ago and I love retro tech and listen to CDs as my main music consumption and it has a made a big difference in my life recently. I am all around happier and make more thoughtful decisions everyday. Thank you for spreading this message, it is awesome to see other people go for more minimalist lifestyles in this media crowded world. Keep up the great work!!

Thanks for the mention in the video. I’m glad I could help. Great video as always!

I regret selling my old iPod Classic. I am however trapped under the apple umbrella.

I started using my iPod and love it! Uninterrupted music! No notifications, messages or commercials! I’ve also always used the Garmin for the same reason!

Bought myself an iPod classic of off eBay, after one of your recent videos. I've found myself much more productive when listening to music on it compared to my phone.

i recently discovered this channel and i just wanna say its helped me a lot iv completely ditched my phone with using a cell2jack and music wise i just went back to my ipod making life just a lot more easier

I look forward to your videos dude. Good stuff. I have consistently failed at using my dumb flip phone for long just because I do listen to music often and do need maps to get where I’m going and I just absolutely fail at the not getting distracted thing. But I find your stuff very inspiring to move in the direction of intentional use of technology. The hell of it is, I grew up before the smartphone. When I graduated high school, a cell phone was a luxury item used by lawyers in big cities. We didn’t even have a cell tower in our area yet. So the era I grew up in was IRL interaction, paper maps, music on tapes or CD, disposable cameras, and we did just fine. Somewhere between the end of college and now, we got used to this hyper connected always on life. I know I could be okay without it, but the struggle of getting out of it is real. Thanks for what you do man.

I was a lot happier with my little IPod shuffle, and dumb phone.

I like your commentary on decentralizing - was just talking about this today. I think the next challenge is finding the right amount of decentralization for our devices.

1000% agree 👍. Purchasing the light phone 2 was one of the best purchases I’ve made in my self development journey. I find that having 1 or 2 options and dealing with the choice is what life is about. I can actually think critically about the decisions I make on a day to day basis. I am my own best friend now. It’s also introduced consistent journaling and I carry my travelers notebook with me everyday all day. I still use an iPhone but I use it 90% for utility and improving my day to day.

I was going to move to a dumb phone like this, but then I decided to switch my IPhone 11 pro to a 13 mini (little screen -> no UKposts, tiktok and such apps that would be uncomfortable for my not perfect sight), dumbing it down, and now I have a phone that let me do everything, but at the same time makes me watch it only when needed, unfortunately in EU apps like WhatsApp are mandatory, you cannot live with sms alone, and having the possibility to scan codes, is great when you need it. I also ditched my smart band for a G-shock 5610u, and I love it a lot! I also restored a couple of years ago my old beloved iPod 5.5 to ditch Spotify. Now I feel way more in control of my life, without feeling like a slave of my devices.

i got an ipod this week based on your recommendation and it's been such a gamechanger for my screen time! as you said, i never realized how often i would pick up my phone to change a song, and then next thing i knew i'd be down a rabbit hole of instagram or email. with the ipod, i scroll, press play and that's it. plus, i like having to be purposeful with what music i listen to. what albums are the most important to me? (i have plenty of space for thousands of songs, but i have to go through the effort to download and sync). it's inefficient, it can be tedious, but it's on PURPOSE... and i want to live my life purposefully.

Whilst I agree with you about the privacy reasons for not using a smartphone, I think most of that can be achieved on a Google Pixel with Graphine OS installed, which is what I use. It even lets you have seperate profiles, so you could set up one with no apps, so it acts as a dumb phone, one for music etc. Pretty much everything else you pointed out are to do with willpower, like that comment said. I usually turn off notifications for most apps, which tends to be enough to keep me focused on doing what I want to do. I also don't see myself not regularly carrying around a phone. I just think it is very important to be able to make emergency calls at all times. I know there was a time before smart phones where if something happened people would knock on a door and ask to use someones phone, but this wastes valuable minutes and to be honest since almost everyone owns a smartphone these days I'm not sure how easy it would be to find someone willing to open the door for a stranger to use their phone.

I totally agree with your video! Single use devices, I was one of those 15 years ago who did the same similar to you. I carried my Sprint Motorola Razr V3 for phone calls and text and my Creative Zen X-Fi Portable Media Player. Nowadays, in 2024, my Creative Zen PMP is still chugging along, I use it once or twice a week as it sits waiting for me at the living room coffee table. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I have an iPhone SE and a ipad , I have essential app on my phone . Mail , Bank , message . But I ´m totally agree with you and everyone who need less technology .

6:30 "There's a grain of joke in every joke", as they say. First time commenting, but finding this entire channel made me finally realize that I'm not alone in striving for a more minimalistic and simple lifestyle. Thank you!

This guy has a good point. I recently bought a surfans f20 mp3 player and it has a 10 hour battery life. I can take it on long journeys and never have to worry about my phone running out of reception. I can't believe Iphone doesn't let you play mp3s offline!

Coicendetely, I just found my iPod these days.. What a lovely product, the iPod Nano 4. Will see how I can fit it into my routine because I like to go for a walk listening to Spotify podcasts, not sure how I'm going to pull this off easily.

I have a smartphone without any social media, with notifications switched off except phone and SMS. I check emails once a day. I use MP3 not streaming services. I have all ads off and blocked, my location is off, my Bluetooth is off ( headphone jack). When I need to use maps I can, I pay with a phone so I don't carry my card or wallet. It is convenient and it's up to the user how much you give away. Last thing. When I buy a new phone it is a used phone, 3-4 year old hi end android, for no more than 100£. I use it for another 2-3 years.

That is the reason why I carry a cheap iPhone 4S with me that do not have cell service while I walk or go to the gym. It can't check email, text, Internet or anything other than play my music. No distraction and pure joy.

You’re the best, dude:) I look forward to every video you do! So helpful and fun! :)

my way of dealing with this at the moment is just restricting the amount of software i have on my phone. I have almost no social media and i am looking to upgrading all my devices in a way where it is as hard as possible to track me. However, im still working on finding the best way to do that.

I’m working on it! I’m trying to turn my iPhone into a dumbphone now that I’ve deactivated it. I use a flip phone for checking in with people, and making calls, and try and use the iPhone for a few UKposts videos, meditating, and libby. I even bought a calculator to bring with me to my retail job in order to push home staying off of using my flip phone on the floor. Buying physical media I know I’ll use. I even got 15 year old digital camera working again. So if I want to capture a memory, it’s not tied to a phone and I love it!

I love your channel. Keep it up!

There was a comedian (Gary Gulman) that made a very good point in relation to your comment about the all-in-one distraction device. He said that calling a phone, 'a phone', is actually an insult to the device - akin to calling a Lexus a 'cupholder'. Obviously, all the best jokes have a little truth to them, but this did give me pause as I am very much a 'phoner' and really have never preferred text. I have often thought about going back to a dumb phone and then telling my friends and family that if they need me to contact by phone call. I think this allows for a more deliberate, authentic conversation and removes the need for a random gif to be sent from someone fishing for a reply to fill their downtime, not that I don't appreciate it.

I have an AGPTEK mp3 player that has video playback abilities. Sure, it's in a super proprietary format, but hey it works! But I mostly use it to play my flac files on the go. I carry it in my pocket wherever I go.

My smartphone serves me and no one else. Pixel 6a with CalyxOS and a lot of Apps from F-Droid. No spying on me, no listening to my communication, no advertisement, very little notifications but everything I need. Audiobooks, Music, Messaging and Videoconferencing (mostly with Signal), Payment (with my banks app, not a 3rd party), Navigation, Note Taking, E-Mail (notifies twice a day), Weather, News (RSS Reader), Podcasts (mostly only one once a week), Clock, Camera I got started without changing my phones OS. For about two years I had F-Droid and replaced more and more apps with great Open Source applications. I changed with the changes of my environment. As I finally had a Phone (Google Pixel 3a) with CalyxOS, I was so happy, because in that moment my phone became mine again.

While I'm not going as far as only carrying 'dumb' devices, the phone I do carry is 7 years old at this point. On which, I have taken the effort of removing all intrusive apps, replacing this with mostly F-Droid sourced apps which perform their task without distractions. The device itself is in a weird middle-ground of being slow enough to where I avoid using it more than needed, but where I don't mind it when I do need it. If I need to do anything more advanced than checking my schedule or reading a relevant message specifically directed at me, I pull out my laptop and dedicate time to just doing that, quickly. After which, I put the laptop and my thoughts about said thing away and turn my attention to my surroundings again.

One-hundred percent agreement with your points here. Due in part to my ancient ('50s and '60s) humanist, liberal-arts education (remember what that was?) I'm predisposed to a conservative, "classical" way of appreciating things, including technology. Limits, in this view, enable creativity, rather than impeding it. Devices with limited function usually accomplish that function better than, say, a smartphone. On a personal level, I find that limited devices have a more pleasing personality than their Swiss-Army-knife competition.

I had the same conundrum as you expressed and thought a lot about it. I looked at my needs and how I consume. I made the decision to go with an iPhone SE 3. Why? I can control what apps I install, it’s small so easy to use as a phone but sucks as a consumption device. It’s got 5g and eSIM so it’s future proof and I can hotspot with it wherever I travel. The camera is ok but not a replacement for a real camera. I’ll keep it for 5 years. one thing, it was really helped cut down my device usage.

I really liked the video! I also carry an iPod for my audio needs and just started my digital library in order to get rid of streaming services. The phone on the other hand is something I really would like to do, but it makes communication with my family and friends really convenient, however I resourced to having a limited on my iPhone, so I just limit social media to a couple 15 min a day and after a couple of days I didn't even use the 15 minutes. It has been a game changer, but you still need some will power. I thought putting a limiter was not going to make the difference, but having that little barrier actually helped me. So anyone who can't give up their phone, but want to, give this a try, just limit the apps that are consuming your time and stick to it.

I've got a Sony Walkman that I play my cassettes on. I shoot film on my Contax cameras. But I still carry a smartphone around because I need to pay for things and look up stuff, like where I'm going. Sometimes my wife will ask me to book tickets to something or drive her somewhere. So while it's still totally necessary to have, I only use it when I need to.

Fantastic points made there Spencer, I'm becoming more and more with you on all this. You're right in all of it, companies/governments are wanting us to go to a cashless society, use one piece of technology for everything, only listen to them so that you don't see what's really good on etc. I do need to invest in an iPod I think again. It's more to carry yes but I've had that most of my life with different devices like an ipod/mp3 player plus a wallet, plus a phone lol

You have an awesome channel. I want to go simple. I am subbed and learning.

Yeah I hate that too when talking about this subject some people will just be dismissive of why using a basic phone is more beneficial for some people, they might argue that you can turn notifications off and delete apps on your smartphone, it’s annoying to hear but those people fail to realise it can come down to willpower, it’s very easy to turn notifications back on and reinstall certain apps and then the smartphone becomes a distraction again, I’ve trialed going basic a few times which is nice if you want a break from your smartphone but I’ve found it difficult to stay that way, someday I might go back to the old school way for me which use to be a flip phone and a laptop. Some people could also use a tablet so they not totally missing out on social media. That’s right it’s not to serve you better the customer it’s you who becomes the product.

I carry a phone, an mp3 player, a flashlight. My phone has a light and an mp3 player but the stand alone devices do those tasks much better.

I'm saying this before watching the video. We were supposed to make the multiple devices better, But instead We made one device multiple and it overwhelmed us. Simplicity is when one thing does one thing less things.

In the end we're all different and everyone has their own preferences and needs. in my case I carry just a dumbphone (Nokia 105, the old 2015 one) and no music player because I rarely go out somewhere alone and so I'm always entertained, but I can definitely understand carrying an iPod, I would carry one too if I'd ever need music on the go, though in my opinion, nothing beats a cheap pocket FM radio, whipping out the aerial and enjoying a good radio station :) but in the end, just use whatever works for you and suits you best and that's it, enjoy the peace and simple living!

I remember back when i was really struggling financially and actually have my phone being cut off cause i couldn't pay the bill. Anytime i wanted to see who called or texted was via a public wifi or when i got home. For a month all i had was a book (yes, a in the one with physical pages from trees we killed) and a my phone which could only play my music. Thinking back, it was the most freeing time being so disconnected.

I've been carrying around iPods for about a year I'd say, and I love using that as my music player. I've cancelled my Spotify so I can own the songs that I have in my library. I still carry around a smartphone but I've taken steps to make it as least intrusive as possible. Some steps I've taken to take control away from my smartphone are (feel free to suggest more, I'd love suggestions): 1) Turn off raise to wake and tap to wake 2) Deleted all social media apps that do NOT involve direct person to person communication (removed: reddit, instagram, youtube // kept: discord, snapchat) 3) Set my wallpapers to a solid color to make my phone less enticing 4) Deleted lots of apps I either don't use or don't want to use 5) Notification settings are incredibly strict (only notifications allowed: calls, texts, discord notifications cuz I use this to chat with IRL/online friends)

Thank you

really cool video, i agree with most of the things and i want to ask how you navigate in the city without a smartphone. i used a dumbphone for a month a couple of years ago but i lived in my hometown so i knew where things were. but now that i'm traveling i often need my smartphone to look up bus conections or trains. curious to hear how you do it :)

I have recently been using the Light Phone on and off, and I love it when I do use it. I wish the maps tool was a bit more reliable in my area, but I'm always looking for the idea of breaking away from the norms. I thought about getting an iPod touch since it's pretty much an iPhone 7 and using the offline maps but honestly, maybe just buying a GPS would be more reliable. What do you think?

Nice. I’ve been doing this for a few years. Only thing I now want a Punkt as I’m using BLU tough phone but I like this Punkt better. But we both have the same iPod 👍 and I use point and shot cameras.

I use a nokia 2720 flip phone for text, calls and youtube (ad free by default mind you) and that basically covers my communications. I use a SONY mp3 player for music while walking or doing the groceries. As for photos I use an analogue AGFA 35 mm. Sure photos are low res (though I do like the grain and saturation) and I can only take like 36 from a single film, but at least I don't come back from a single day trip with 2000 photos that I'm probably never gonna look at ever again.

It's good to see wisdom being expressed by a young person.

It's astonishing to hear the death of the point-and-click, just from having been a kid a little more than 10 years ago seeing every parent at the auditorium with one flashing every second at a time while we performed whichever school play. It really is telling of the times seeing how widespread consumerism has allured.

This is the end goal I would like to have. Unfortunately I am in college and it is quite hard to do this without becoming a recluse. I just bought an iPod, so ill be halfway there until I graduate lol

I carry with me every day: a Nokia 2760, a Mechen M30 mp3 player (such a reassuringly heavy thing!) and a kobo Libra e-reader. yes it's more things but importantly, I'm a bit more present in the world. If I don't have these things I can still sit there quietly. Without my smartphone I felt like I couldn't breathe if I didn't have it in my hand. It was insane. if I need to go somwhere new, I go on my PC and write down directions before I leave, or I even ask someone! I've never really needed maps IRL.

What's the name of the song at the end of your videos? I really like your channel, keep it up! 😊

i still use my chamshell phone that i bought in 2006 (Samsung X160), i also use a smartphone that i bought in 2019 (Samsung Note 10+). Some days i use X160 and some days i use Note 10+, i don't feel any difference between them, except that x160 is so small i can put it to my 5th pocket of my jeans.

I still bring my PSP with me! It is still a lot of fun to play and it has physical buttons without the need of an accessory! I usually get the "Why do you still bring your PSP with you?" question. I get told to just use my phone because it can essentially do everything. But I don't want to use it for everything. It's not the same experience playing games or listening to music, etc. Plus, I don't have to worry about notifications and junk like you said.

This is terrific.

1:08 Spencer wins the internet with "Enrique Iglesias" as a cover on his iPod! A great album.

Seeing this vid has made me lean more towards the idea of getting a dumb phone and a media/music player.

I watch UKposts in the evenings and do some occasion shopping, but I don't use my phone a lot. I don't have Facebook, TikTok, X or Instagram.

I carry a light phone 2 and wither my iPod mini gen 2 or my iPod classic 3rd gen. Both iPods are modded, the mini has 128g and a 1300mah battery to be my daily tank. The 3rd gen has a bigger battery and a stock HDD for the noises 😊

There was an idea for a watch phone that wirelessly connected to dumb screens on indiegogo a while back. I would have loved that to happen(it failed). To Just have a phone in watch form and have headphones to listen to streams, as that's what I do mostly. That would have killed my scrolling habit. I've been interested in the dumb phone multiple device for the aesthetic of gathering devices for outings, but I haven't made the plunge. I also like the idea of a whole single device that is cellphone, laptop, desktop. But no one is doing that. Razor made a great concept years ago but never put it into production. The phone became the track pad of a laptop dock. It was cool.

I have a dumbphone and I use it when “I think I spend too much time on my phone.” I really want to escape this non social life, but like you said, they know exactly what they’re doing. your phone has everything you “want”. you wanna watch a show? Netflix, you wanna know how to do something? Google it or watch a video on UKposts, you’re bored and don’t know what to do with your time? Just scroll. It’s an endless loop that makes us addicts . Do you or anyone else have some tips to quit this unhealthy life?

My iPhone is like my Swiss Army Knife. It's an invaluable multitool I can't do without, but I control what apps are in it and carefully manage how they function. Even then, smartphones are practical for certain things and shouldn't be used for everything even though they literally can. The screens are too small for certain things like watching UKposts or reading. For these I either use a tablet or a computer. And tablets are not practical for things like word processing or video editing. For these I use a computer with a keyboard and mouse. When I go camping, I take my iPhone to check the weather, maps, listen to music, take photos, and other things that allow me to enjoy the experience of camping, and because I manage what apps I have and how the apps I have function, I'm not distracted by things like social media because I don't let them find me. And not bringing my tablet or computer allows me to avoid doing other things that take away from the experience of camping. Other than my phone, I just bring a solar powered battery charger for the phone and a camping stove for myself:p

There’s nothing wrong with having separate devices, iPhones and androids are starting to become a problem. I’m getting tired of the smartphone and I’m getting tired of the dings and beeps! I like technology but i don’t want it in my pocket all the time. It’s annoying.

I have been using my iPod for 20 years now. Mostly in my car. No interruptions.

AMEN BROTHER!

Brilliant content.

Glad to see not every one is a sheep waiting to be harvested.

iPod classic still a classic .. 🎶🎵🎧

Cool vid! They still make pocket radios, some info that might be helpful on your journey!

i switched to using a dumbphone in my everyday life but even before then i preferred to carry around individual devices. not so much an ipod but paper books, an actual wallet with cards and money etc. once or twice i forgot my phone when i left the house to go to work and had that device been the only thing i relied on i would have been screwed, unable to travel on public transport or buy groceries. i don't think having dedicated devices contradicts the idea of a minimalist way of living if it means you use the objects a lot more intentionally and keep them for a long time. my old heirloom parker pen is about 80 years old and does its job as well as it did when it was first made. i can't imagine an iphone lasting that long.

You see, I agree with you on basically everything you said. The major issue that has been so prevalent recently is the fact that businesses and stores require you to have a smartphone for either scanning qr codes, getting discounts, etc. In my country, Slovenia, Spar and Lidl (stores) have completely removed all the paper discounts in the physical catalogues, and the only way to access them is through their gimmicky and infuriating apps. I’d much rather have the physical coupons, but that’s unfortunately where our society is heading - towards maximum digitalisation. It’s going to become so much harder in the future to be a member of the counterculture and try to embrace digital minimalism and healthy friction, as you mentioned. I believe a good middle ground is a device such as a Sharp Aquos flip phone (I mainly chose the brand for the design); it still has an internet connection, a camera, etc. but it provides that friction in fact that helps you not to get distracted. I’ll have to look into that because I have fallen victim to wasting time on my phone, seems like a viable alternative. Great video, and I share your view completely. If only the rest of the world didn’t have an interest to go in the opposite direction.

I replaced my smartphone with htc chacha 9 months ago, and i'm happy wit it.

I'm planning to do so, but a very small question that how can you deal with the E-banking stuffs?

Great video. You kind of remind me of Patrick Bateman (face profile). Glad I'm not the only person who feels this way!

I have a very active and wandering mind. Over time trying to find something that can occupy my mind for long stretches of time without it feeling pointless. I’ve crossed out social media, tabloids, music and arrived at reading books and specific history topics. The internet is a wonderful place for this but so is old fashioned, longwinded books. The combination of old thinking and new exploration in technology means I have to live in two worlds and finding the balance is questioning what I really want out of it all. The overall point being that the willpower of removing pointless distractions needs some direction with what to replace it with. I won’t throw out my smartphone, but I can live without it.

Good for you 🎉🎉

brilliant!!

We tried to make monopolies illegal in the USA but that just incentivized corporations to create technology where we gave them all authority and opportunity to consolidate everything under their banners.

Interesting video! I think you mean single-purpose though as single-use implies disposable.

Fully agree with the iPod, but the phone - just can’t do it. My phone is a tool that helps generate revenue. A dumb phone just can’t compare. I respect the opinion though and I do love your content.

I don’t know why people want dumb phones? I use my iPhone 14 Pro just for listening to music / podcasts or reading books . And sometimes( because at work I have a phone provided by the company )I need it at work ( WhatsApp/ Teams ) . I don’t use any social media app like Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, instagram. My smartphone is on silent 24/7 and even I choose what messages or phone calls to pick up! Even photos I don’t do with it 😂 Do I need a dumb phone?

I bought an iPod that will be getting here soon (not soon enough though lol.) And I'm hoping to get a feature phone here soon, I remember playing with my parents old flip phones when I was a kid and want to go back to the time when I'd bring my 3DS or Vita to town with me and have nothing to get in the way of anything, most of the time, I wouldn't even play anything on them, just chill. I feel like what I'm about to say is a hot take, but someone has to say it. I wish technology would've plateauad after c.2012 or so, only downside is that I wouldn't have my PS Vita lol. All these feelings and mental health things I'm dealing with have been a struggle to navigate through, and I think the solution is to just simply nix what I spend a lot of time on, my smartphone. I'm sure you agree with that, because when you spend so much time on one device, it actually becomes you, rather, you become it, and one no longer truly thinks for themselves. I'm not certain if I'm addicted to my phone, I think me being ok with "forgetting" it at home is a sign that I'm not, but the fact that I averaged 11+ hours of daily usage last week, says something about my ability to not use my phone when it's near me. Again, the solution is to just nix it! I pray you have a good day bro, and that this comment finds you well.

I still have a smartphone, but the only reason is because I need a dumb phone with only 2 smart features: podcast support, and support for Discord as that is how I stay in contact with 95% of my friends.

I tried dumbing down my smart phone but it didn't work. I was doing it wrong. So I bought a really dumb flip phone and tried it with the goal of using it for 30 days but then I realized I would need to spend money I don't have on the things the dumb phone didn't have, ie, camera, podcast and music etc. So after two weeks I turned my smart phone into the dumb phone of my dreams and had my son lock down the phone with a passcode I wouldn't know. I'm liking it so far. I'm feeling calm and at peace.

yeah I get the idea, but for I prefer adding friction on my current phone, i.e. removing unwanted apps, blocking apps for certain time or limiting the time usage. That way I don't need to spend more money on a new phone, plus buying an old iPod, modding it and all. I get it, it looks cool, but I'd rather add friction instead of adding all that extra spend...