How to get off your phone for good (or at least use it less).
This year we’re trading in our smartphones for corded landlines and dial-up internet! Right?
Well, maybe not. But people have definitely been trying to use their phones less.
Digital cameras and refurbished iPods have gotten more popular in the past few years, especially in younger generations.
And on TikTok there’s the trend of “analog bags” – people filling their bags with knitting sets, books and other screen-free activities to avoid the temptation of reaching for their phones.
All of that sounds nice. But at the end of the day it’s really hard to get away from our phones because they do everything for us! And those algorithms are so good at drawing us in.
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Meta and YouTube were recently found liable in a landmark case after a woman accused the companies of fueling her social media addiction, beginning when she was a child.
But what’s it like, and how hard is it, to give up on digital convenience? We’re going to ask a couple of experts for tips on how to use our phones a little less.
Guests:
- Julianne Bell is a staff culture writer at The Stranger.
- Jordan McMahon is a technology writer for The Strategist. He also writes a newsletter called “Rebooting.”
Related links:
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Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.
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Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
Libby Denkmann joined KUOW in December 2021 as the host of the midday show Soundside. She’s a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington, and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio.
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Maleeha Syed
Producer, Soundside
Maleeha is a producer on Soundside, a show that helps listeners get to know the PNW and each other. Before KUOW, she worked at Cascade PBS, first as a communities reporter and then as a podcast producer on shows like Northwest Reports and Your Last Meal. Before moving to Seattle, she worked as a reporter at the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, but is originally from San Antonio.
More stories from Maleeha Syed »
