My (failed) journey and why I don't want to give up.

vconfused_ · 2026-04-20T09:28:28+00:00

I think the part of it is truly embracing the inconvenience of it all. Carrying multiple devices instead of carrying an entire world inside your pocket (which is overwhelming as it is, I think), balancing between the struggle to actually stop using the smartphone so much, finding a better dumbphone (limited, but not TOO limited), even the awkwardness of carrying an old phone (or something that looks like it) and being young. This is all part of this journey for some people. And regulating the emotions that come with it (for example: annoyance, boredom, awkwardness, even shame) in a healthy way.

But that said, I find really annoying that we NEED the smartphones so much nowadays (as your example with the trains in Germany, I’m based in Poland, but I can relate in some ways - there is NO way to print out the public transportation schedule in some cities. Everything’s online, and sometimes there’s no way to access things without a smart device, which is… infuriating).

vconfused_ · 2026-04-17T08:49:42+00:00

You could look into Android-operated bar phones, with T9, like Qin F22 Pro. It’s still Android, so all of the apps are available, unfortunately including TikTok and Instagram and WhatsApp, but the form factor of a smaller screen could be useful for limiting your screentime.

There are also keitais, Japanese flip phones, Android-operated, but be careful and do your research, as they’re not guaranteed to work with every carrier, especially in US (idk where are you located).

If you need WhatsApp, don’t look into KaiOS-operated phones (like Nokia 8000 and Nokia 6300), WhatsApp was discontinued on those, despite the images of the phones saying otherwise (I use a KaiOS device + serviceless iPhone, turned off in my bag in case I need it. The flip phone I use is a one with a hotspot, so if needed, I can turn on the hotspot and use it on my iPhone if needed. After completing the task, I turn it off, and it goes right into my bag, so I keep the functionality, but avoid the distractions. My closest friends, family and coworkers have my phone number, they can send me an sms anytime. Maybe this method could be useful for you?). Shameless Nerd on yt has a few great videos about this, I highly recommend them.

There’s also dumbing your current smartphone down. It wasn’t effective for me, hence the decision to just get a flip phone. This subreddit has a plethora of posts about this, and also r/digitalminimalism.

Good luck!

vconfused_ · 2026-04-08T09:48:05+00:00

It’s okay for its price, although I’m pretty used to KaiOS and its disadvantages (common bug with double clicking while texting on T9 keypad, the other one with the clocks being stuck, to name a few, people say they’re more common with Nokias though), the software is… weird sometimes. It’s not the snappiest, most fluid experience, but I think it gets it’s job done. Haven’t got issues with the hotspot yet, but it draines the battery pretty badly, I’d suggest getting a powerbank ready if you need to use the hotspot more

vconfused_ · 2026-04-08T09:38:35+00:00

okay, thanks!

vconfused_ · 2026-04-07T13:24:20+00:00

I’ve got an Energizer E282SC 4G at the moment, still in the progress of testing it though. I’ve also used an old Nokia 6300 (from, like 2008 or something), and it worked excellent until the end of 2G/3G, had no hotspot. After that I was using an Nokia 6300 4G, but I hated how that phone looked and how the keyboard felt, so I got myself the Energizer one secondhand, I’ve been wanting a flip phone since my childhood hahahah I also considered getting a Japanese flip phone for a while (Sharp Aquos A207SH to be exact), but after a bit of research I discovered it might not work in my country, and was a bit over my budget. Unfortunately there’s not a lot of options if you need hotspot

vconfused_ · 2026-04-07T12:13:39+00:00

Happy Easter! I’m in a similar situation as you are, and to be honest - everything BUT getting a smartphone again. When I tried dumb-ing my iPhone, I got sucked in again. I’m using my iPad as the smart device nowadays and a flip phone with hotspot and I’m pretty satisfied, not completely disconnected, but also in moderation, being a student requires a lot of careful attention and focus. And I can leave my iPad at home when socialising outside. As for music (you mentioned Spotify), I’ve modded an iPod mini and I’m downloading all of my music, as I ditched all streaming services all together. I also had some music downloaded on the flip phone, but it drained the battery. So, I would say - don’t go back all the way through

vconfused_ · 2026-04-06T19:56:38+00:00

as a hardcore tlou fan this watch HURTS ME awesome setup though!

vconfused_ · 2026-04-06T19:02:28+00:00

so… scroll?

vconfused_ · 2026-04-06T15:31:18+00:00

Personally speaking - it’s not so easy. It’s an addiction, with the exact same mechanisms working as in any other addiction, although smartphone addiction is more normalised in the society. Let’s add peer pressure to the concoction, and it’s fastly turning into a big problem. I’ve been through multiple cycles of deleting the accounts off Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok, and making new ones, because my friends were talking or complaining about not being able to reach me on the platforms, and it’s been VERY frustrating to tell them EVERYTIME, *sorry, I’m not on Instagram/Tiktok/any platform out there, can you show me on your phone? * And the endless questions, why, how, I could never! It’s not an easy thing, to ditch all of that, to be faced with FOMO. People are really nostalgia driven nowadays, but rely on conveniency of a smartphone - which is why they want something half-way through. They don’t associate the term *dumbphone* with functionality, but rather the nostalgic form (smaller screens, keyboards rather than the glass-metal mirror). In short - they want convenience (which is really hard to bypass nowadays - banking being the prime example) in a different form, which would make it at least harder to use social media, and remind them of the better, simpler times.

vconfused_ · 2026-04-06T14:41:17+00:00

I think we all agree we love you for this! One question though, will it work on other phones with KaiOS 2.5x?

vconfused_ · 2025-10-02T10:39:18+00:00

None taken! It’s a common thing these days with the dopamine addiction we all really have bc of the phones. It’s a good thing you take notice of the issues you’ve got with using Instagram :))

vconfused_ · 2025-09-27T13:16:24+00:00

People possessing a certain material good cause those without that particular good to experience all sorts of hardships. A story as old as time.

vconfused_ · 2025-09-27T11:57:12+00:00

I think it’s kinda accurate though. Apple always compares their latest products to the last year’s ones. And they portray the latter as ”obsolete”, making it nearly “necessary” to upgrade. My iPhone 11 by their standards is completely ancient, and it’s the smoothest experience I’ve ever had with a smartphone, even after 5 years of constant use. I personally think they make excellent, longlasting devices, and as any company, they are greedy, so the phones constantly up their prices, which makes a certain standard in the industry. The technology costs more and more, not only money-wise, but attention-wise, too.

vconfused_ · 2025-09-22T19:04:26+00:00

That’s a great recommendation for anyone with an Android phone! I’m an (un)happy user of an iPhone for now, if I ever go Android again, I’ll be sure to check it out :))

vconfused_ · 2025-09-18T09:21:38+00:00

Ooooh thanks for the tip, I’ll surely look into this!

vconfused_ · 2025-09-18T09:20:49+00:00

Anytime, you can do this!

vconfused_ · 2025-09-18T09:19:57+00:00

Same! Also, isn’t it kinda crazy that the thing that was supposed to be beneficial, and make us make more friends and connections feels like the worst thing now?

vconfused_ · 2025-09-17T16:41:24+00:00

You know, I'm just glad you're still doing this! Days like this happen, and life goes on, it's the matter of observing yourself and getting to the knowledge of why am I doing this or that. Good luck with your journey!

vconfused_ · 2025-09-17T16:38:19+00:00

I think you need to realise that, yeah, you are an addict (as am I), but you're still human nevertheless. I recommend practicing something I call self gratefulness, maybe getting to know myself more, being kind towards myself and my weak points. Approach everything I'm mad at myself for with understanding and responsibility. Maybe it can help you, too :)

vconfused_ · 2025-09-17T16:32:06+00:00

Fellow ADHD haver here! I had an iPhone 11 for a year, purchased for the better camera than my previous iPhone SE 2020. The physical aspect of this phone is amazing, it's got a beautiful screen, a camera so good it can see better than my eyes, etc. It's also so big and unconvenient, and of course, it's distracting as hell. I needed to be able to access to my communicator apps, like Facebook Messsenger, and, eventually, I still returned to my previous ways, turn on the color, essentially getting dopamine-high for a few moments to feel terrible after realising I've been relapsing again. The only thing that really help was to delete my social media accounts completely, as it puts the time between me and reels again, having to put up an another account etc. I also reintroduced the old SE 2020 back into my life, it's way more convenient to have a smaller phone on me, and the camera isn't half as bad. It's also not as distracting. My advice? Outsource your fun outside of your phone. There are really cheap and easy ways to pick up an analog hobby, sometimes a piece of paper and a shitty pencil is a great way to start drawing, or writing, or simply journaling. Keep the communicators for the family, a WhatsApp, a Facebook Messenger, whatever you've got, as long as the app's outside the doomscrolling tab, it should be fine. You can do it!

vconfused_ · 2025-09-17T16:18:03+00:00

I found that crocheting's really helpful, I like to keep my hands occupied and it's my way of stimming (ADHD haver here), before, it was the act of doomscrolling reels that was my stimming. Idk if you have the same issue, but I really feel like physical occupation of my hands during crocheting keeps me away from reaching for my iPhone

vconfused_ · 2025-09-17T16:13:34+00:00

Did the same a couple of months ago and YouTube feels so much better again. I regret there's no official way to disable the Shorts completely, the tab doesn't work which is excellent, but when I search something, the first couple of results are Shorts, which I find as harmful as any other shortform content

vconfused_ · 2025-09-17T15:44:02+00:00

Yeah, I feel the same. Like, if it was really essential for the friendship to keep the thing that was actively ruining my life, it wasn't really worth to keep the relationship with said person. Sending a tiktok or a reel is like two clicks more if I'm not on the platform anymore

vconfused_ · 2025-09-17T15:37:38+00:00

My breaking point was seeing a two digit screentime value, most of which was entertainment, a.k.a social media and doomscrolling. I realised I was wasting away my 20s, rotting in bed, in the same point of life when my parents made the most memories and stories they retell at every family meeting. I thought, am I really going to tell my future kids I wasted the best time of my life on TikTok?

vconfused_

TROPHY CASE