The New York Times had an opinion piece today titled, "My Dumbphone Made My Life Better. It Made Everyone Else's Worse." I can relate. Since September 2023, I have gone somewhat smart-phone free on Shabbat. From Friday evening till Saturday evening, I turn off 5G, WiFi, and Bluetooth on my phone. I would keep the actual telephone on, so I could receive calls and text messages. This half-measure was my way of adhering to my religious beliefs, while also maintaining some connection with friends and family who are not observant.
From my perspective, the experience has been blissful. For a full day, no one can bother me. I get no emails asking me to do things. If someone writes something about me, I won't see it till Saturday night. And if the Supreme Court issues some emergency ruling, I don't have to deal with it. Then again, text messages from friends will often disturb my solitude. They will text me a link to a social media post, that I can't open for a full day. They will text me, "Can you believe what Justice X did"? I could ask what happened, but that defeats the point of the separation. So I spend a full day wondering what happened. Still, the benefits have been clear. People often ask me how I maintain such a productive rate of output. Turning off for a full-day helps me be much clearer for the rest of the week. It is rejuvenating.
At the same time, there are costs to going smart-phone free. I still have to function in society. Invariably, I burden others. If I need to use an uber, I have to ask someone else to call it from me. (A few times, I've actually scheduled an uber to pick me up at a hotel the night before, so I hope it pray a car actually shows up at the appointed time.) If I need directions, I have to ask someone else to check Google Maps. (I usually download offline directions, but they do not always work.) Virtually any place that involves a check-in requires scanning a QR code. (When I drop my kids off at the daycare at the gym, I have to borrow the attendant's phone to sign them in.) Ordering food is extremely hard, as most places only take orders over an app. Traveling without a smartphone is a trip. I can still download boarding passes, and print them out, but if there are any disruptions, I have to keep myself glued to the airport monitors. All the while, I have to explain to people why I can't check a smartphone. People are incredulous and confused.
