
Ask HN: Have you ever gone without a computer or phone for an extended period? - luddite99
I&#x27;ve been considering going &quot;cold-turkey&quot; and packing my laptop away for a while in order to unlearn some bad habits related to focus&#x2F;distractions&#x2F;procrastination, but obviously there are downsides to this for someone based in tech.<p>I&#x27;m wondering if anybody in the community has ever attempted this and would like to share their experience.<p>A handful of questions to seed the conversation (but please don&#x27;t feel obliged to answer them all):
- What did you give up? How long was this for? Was this intentional or due to external circumstances?
- What were your motivations for giving the technology up?
- Was your overall experience positive or negative? In what ways?
- Did you notice any changes in your happiness, focus or stress levels?
- Is an &quot;all-or-nothing&quot; approach as such unrealistic? Would a strategy of using tech &quot;in moderation&quot; be more suitable?
- Do you have any advice for how someone could regain focus, avoid distractions and generally use technology in a more
mindful manner?<p>If you happen to know of any interesting blog posts&#x2F;articles&#x2F;previous discussions on the topic, please share.<p>Thanks in advance for your insights!
======
Vivtek
When Hurricane Maria hit us in 2017, we lost power for two weeks (we were
_extremely_ lucky in that - we were among the first 4% of the island to regain
power due to our proximity to a hospital).

During those two weeks, my entire lifestyle changed, obviously, so it's
difficult to know what changed because of that, and what was just the fact
that e.g. I went from sedentary tech work to nailing salvaged roof scrap on
top of the house on our farm.

But - my blood pressure dropped. I lost weight. I did a _lot_ of reading of
books. My notes are more interesting for those two weeks because they were ink
on paper and I could insert drawings and diagrams wherever I wanted. They were
more thoughtful and less reactive.

I fixed a mosquito zapper by sheer force of will (the capacitor was shorting
across a resistor - poor design, but once I figured it out I could fix it. I'm
still using that zapper today, and only shorted the capacitor out across my
finger three times. Ow.) That day, I was become death, destroyer of
mosquitoes.

I guess I quasi-fixed the roof on the farm house by sheer force of will, too.
Had to dig the nails out of the scrap - no hardware stores open. My son
considers it a formative experience.

So I didn't choose to go cold turkey, and it was only a short time, and its
lifechanging nature is impossible to tease away from concurrent events, but
still - anecdotally, it's probably worthwhile to try it voluntarily.

~~~
throwanem
FYI, that resistor was probably there to bleed charge off the cap when power
was removed from the circuit, to keep it from biting. Rather than bad design,
it's a standard feature; as you've discovered, big caps without it can be
mean, not only to careless fingers, but to the circuit they're in, besides.
Granted, it sounds like the resistor had failed short as you found it, and
without access to a replacement, cutting it out to get the bug zapper working
again was a solid play. But now might be a good time to replace it.

Chesterton's fence is a useful principle for reverse engineering, and this is
one example. Another is the snubber diode you find across switched inductive
loads; the naïve assumption is that a reverse-biased diode can't possibly be
doing anything there, and ideally you don't have to learn from expensive
experience that, without it, the switch contacts will at best be eroded by
arcing from the stored energy in the load finding a path to ground, and at
worst that inductive kick will spot-weld the contactor and send the motor
running away until switched out of circuit with a hammer.

~~~
dralley
> But now might be a good time to replace it.

But be careful about that capacitor, because it might be holding a charge that
can't go anywhere but your fingers.

~~~
throwanem
Ideally, you drain the capacitor first with the same resistor you're about to
install as a bleeder.

Much _less_ ideally, you can short a cap with a screwdriver or something, but
the degree to which that's a bad idea scales at least linearly with the value
of the cap.

I did that once with a photoflash cap, while trying to troubleshoot a failed
Nikon SB-R200 ring-mount flash head - expecting the failure to be in the
control circuitry, I wasn't sure whether it had died with charge on the cap.
It had! Luckily I had the good sense to point the thing away from me, because
it melted a chunk out of the screwdriver tip and distributed it as slag across
my worktop. Even as it was, my ears took most of an hour to stop ringing.

A fair question at this point is: with a capacitor big enough to be that
dangerous, why wasn't there the kind of bleeder resistor we're talking about?
In this case, it's also a design feature, because flashes run on batteries and
you don't want to waste charge, or have to wait all over again for the battery
to charge the cap every time you switch on the unit. Too, these flash heads
have no externally accessible contacts through which the cap might discharge
into the user, and the charge circuit uses a MOSFET to switch battery power to
the cap, so even if you go poking fingers into the battery compartment, it
still won't light you up.

Nonetheless, it serves as a good example of why you want to be very careful
with high-power capacitors. The one I'm talking about is only about the size
of the second joint of your thumb, small enough to fit into a flash head that
itself fits into an adult's palm. Even so, at full charge it had enough juice
to blow up a screwdriver and injure my hearing - and if I'd been even more
careless and discharged it through my actual hand, I don't doubt I'd have
ended up with a permanent scar.

Be smarter than I was! Discharge your big caps through a high-value resistor
before you do anything else with them.

~~~
rcfox
I inherited a stereo amp from the 70s, and I'm pretty sure one of the
capacitors has gone bad. I've managed to find a schematic and PCB layout for
it (remember when service manuals were a thing?) but I've been too worried
about discharging capacitors to poke at it.

For now, I just deal with a mains hum that's only audible when nothing is
playing.

~~~
throwanem
Amp power caps aren't usually bitey enough to be dangerous, although they will
certainly hurt if you're careless with them. They also usually have bleeders,
since a line-powered unit doesn't need to economize on power the way something
like one of my flash heads does. I usually just poke a screwdriver across them
when I'm doing a recap job, and I've never had them so much as spark. But for
maximum caution, I'd use a 100K or so 1/2W resistor, connected with clip leads
across the capacitor leads, and left for a minute or two prior to desoldering.

For an amplifier of that vintage, I'd probably be more worried about the fact
that it'll likely be neither grounded nor double-insulated, meaning it's
possible for an internal isolation failure to present a potentially lethal
line potential on any metal parts of the case.

------
seesawtron
It might be a bit unorthodox and I would possibly get flagged for writing this
but I found the ideas of Kaczynski on impact of technology on us very profound
and thought-provoking[0]. I try to separate the "art" from the "artist" and do
not condone his violent actions thereafter. But this idea has been around in
various shapes where people debate if its true that techonology is evolving at
a much faster rate than our minds can evolve to cope with its impacts.

It was very insightful for me to do an introspection of how I interact with
techonology and broadly with consumerism and change some aspects of it to
focus on what is really meaningful to me.

[0] [http://editions-hache.com/essais/pdf/kaczynski2.pdf](http://editions-
hache.com/essais/pdf/kaczynski2.pdf) [1] audiobook:
[https://youtu.be/n5ITyifcYy8](https://youtu.be/n5ITyifcYy8)

~~~
luddite99
Thank you for sharing this one, I agree with you that we should be able to
discuss ideas on their own merits. I'm only vaguely familiar with Kaczynski's
philosophy and his actions, but I look forward to giving this a read over the
next 24 hours.

Just looking over the introduction, certainly some strong beliefs there, but
it does resonate to some degree. It does feel like this rejection of all-
encompassing technological progress in favour of simpler human living is
present in a number of modern movements. Things like minimalism, mindfulness
and paleo diets spring to mind. But then again, maybe these are all
manufactured and part of that same technological/industrial/consumerist wave.

It often feels like I switch on my phone or computer and they are instantly
steering my attention towards things which I did not intend and which my
simple human mind is too weak to fight against. In an ideal world there'd
perhaps exist an OS or browser which has been designed with human weaknesses
in mind, something to help one direct their attention to what they initially
wanted, and to put walls up where one's attention is likely to spill out into
mindless consumption. But it does seem like the world is currently structured
in a way that technology is incentivized to give us an overwhelming kind of
freedom, both in the sense that one is free to easily give in to personal
weaknesses, and also in the sense that corporations are free to prey on these
weaknesses.

~~~
zozbot234
> Things like minimalism, mindfulness and paleo diets spring to mind. But then
> again, maybe these are all manufactured and part of that same
> technological/industrial/consumerist wave.

Of course they are. "Rebel", "counter-cultural", "subversive" anti-consumerism
is the silliest and most conformist variety of consumerism. :-P

~~~
stuntkite
Is it? I think it’s people exploring things that are obviously broken. Even if
I don’t agree with the methods and sure plenty of people wear it as a fashion.
It costs a lot of money to live sparsely and look good while doing it. There
is an elitism to plenty of the advertised flavors.

However, it’s pretty hard to escape how globalized disposable culture has
stripped many people of tradition, useful sustainable skills, community,
health in the food we can consume, and has catastrophically destroyed
important and once seemingly inexhaustible natural resources. Corporate
abstractions have moved our ability to feed ourselves and build in our local
community in favor of branded single use items that once could enrich a wider
community to a lesser degree sustainably. Now, due to a confused worship of
disruptive extraction we juice a small group of folks into astronomical
opulence. Forcing all of us into a minute to minute tax for just existing.

This isn’t just a problem for the poor. The rich are rudderless too. Their
children also die deaths of despair due to lack of context and removal from
diverse experiences. They spend their whole lives in preparatory intensive
training to be the best and miss experiences that create resilience when the
world doesn’t open every door. I’m not saying anyone needs to cry for the rich
Harvard alum, but the gap means their bubble can only do one thing. Pop.

We have yet to see the full extent of our current supply chain disruption, but
I think the Instagram star vegan van dweller trust fund hobo and the kid who
just graduated high school in a dying coal mining town will be thinking about
minimalism for reasons the same and different. Lack of essential medicines and
variety of good shit to eat and drink spark the mind on how you might do more
without depending on near literal magic to teleport essentials to you at a
rate that our world obviously can’t support any longer.

------
whiddershins
First of all, if you are over a certain age, the phrasing of this question
might feel surreal. Because before a not-that-long-ago date, everyone did this
all the time.

That said, a few years ago I was forced to do this because I was on a beach in
Mexico with no service.

It took several days for the addiction to wear off, and I had been already ‘on
vacation’ for about 2 weeks previous, just I was still plugged in.

I highly recommend detoxing from screens regularly. Many Orthodox Jews I
believe do this every week, and I have often tried to get myself to do the
same.

I also have rules I never break: like never answer the phone during dinner.

There’s no good way to ‘moderate’ per se. Moderation will take the form of
setting small strict rules and adhering to them.

~~~
INTPenis
I had the same thought, the 90s. And what did I do in the 90s? I smoked
cigarettes.

All alone, at a bus stop, or waiting for a friend. It was torture just
standing there as a teenager in the 90s. Had to start smoking.

I'm not saying smartphones made me quit smoking but mp3 players did give me an
excuse to put headphones on and at least do something while waiting for public
transportation and the like.

I did own a walkman before that but strangely it was never with me when I
needed it, because of its size. It was a chore just to plan to bring my
walkman anywhere.

Edit: This made me realize the first music player that was most regularly in
my pocket was a Sony minidisc player. I also loved the format because it
seemed so futuristic.

~~~
DanTheManPR
I remember being very bored a lot in the 90s. Waiting around in the
laundromat, sitting in waiting rooms, riding the bus, doing house and yard
work. Books and walkmans and gameboys existed, of course, but they were
slightly too big to always carry them around in your pocket.

I was a very early listener of audiobooks on digital media players, which was
a godsend for alleviating that kind of boredom.

~~~
ghaff
I used to read a _lot_ more books. I'm not sure I read fewer total words these
days but certainly fewer books.

~~~
sbarre
I've had the opposite experience with my Kindle.

I recognize that it's "technology" so perhaps some people don't count it, but
when I "unplug" (either at home or when away), I bring my Kindle.

And since I started reading on it, probably 6-7 years ago, I would say I read
4-5x as many books per year as I used to.

------
crucialfelix
6 months while travelling in India in 2003. I had brought my Mac, but on the
9th day some mysterious force blew the "daughterboard" and bricked it. So I
had to devote myself to meditation and occasional slow internet cafes.

I noticed how much the screen alters perception. It's a bizarre 2d world.
Completely unreal. We evolved to live in our bodies interacting with objects,
but instead we end up glued to pathetic little screens, addicted to
"information".

~~~
bdefore
As an American, I traveled in northern India for three months in 2004, two of
them sedentary in Mcleod Ganj. It still resonates both from the contrast of
India itself, but also in how I was able to happily fill my days without
screens and fill them with friendly people. I'd amble around with my legs not
unlike the way I amble around the Internet today. I'd 'waste' a half hour
hanging out with strangers over metal cups of chai.

At the time, I had a Palm Tungsten and a foldup portable keyboard and would
every day or so write a blog post on it. I'd send it out by putting its card
(SD?) onto a USB adapter, dragging that to a slooooow Internet cafe where I'd
hope I could connect to my Movable Type (Gatsby before there was reasonable
JavaScript). If it didn't connect, no bigs.

It might have been the peak happiness of my relationship with the Internet.
Just enough.

I got my invite to Facebook a year later.

~~~
crucialfelix
I was up there for a month or two and did Vipassana there in 2003. It was
wonderful. I met many very interesting people.

The town was already overpopulated for its size, but these days I hear it's
really extreme. I talked to somebody who was born and grew up there. He said
that now there are so many hotels and concrete developments all over the
hills. It's just a mess.

~~~
bdefore
I can only imagine. As if _where we are_ is a living thing as well.

I remember at the time there was a bend in the road where you'd face the
beautiful Himalaya across the valley, but if you looked down the near
embankment you'd see where all the bajillions of plastic water bottles were
disposed of for a town that didn't (yet?) have a plan for them. Only tourists
such as myself drank them.

~~~
hrishios
Was there and in nearby places a year ago, and it's the same story that
happened to Manali and now Kasol. The interesting culture and crowd move
somewhere, it becomes a hub, it becomes overly crowded, and people move again.

------
lincolnq
FWIW, a 10-day meditation retreat is a very accessible way to try a really
different lifestyle for a short period. (You’ll probably want to wait to try
it until COVID is less of a threat though.) If you want a specific
recommendation, the Goenka retreats (dhamma.org) are free (donation-
supported), exist worldwide and are identical everywhere.

At such a retreat, you should expect to give up technology and live according
to Buddhist precepts for 10 days, and one of the major claims of meditation is
that it will help you unlearn bad habits related to focus and distractions,
which can be carried back to the world with you once you complete the retreat.

~~~
vekker
I second this. If you can look past the "Goenka dogma", these 10-day retreats
offered around the world are a great way to experience life raw and without
distraction of technology or otherwise, in meditation.

~~~
abyssin
I agree about the fact they're a great opportunity to experience a unique
lifestyle for the duration of one's stay. I've never felt calmer in my life
than during the Vipassana retreat I did two years ago. But I'd advise anyone
thinking of attending a retreat to look up critical opinions on the topic. I
was personally put off by the sectarian vibe that I felt when I was there,
much to my surprise. The method has its merits, but it is not scientific.

~~~
collyw
Yes, there is a bit of "bullshit" that goes with a Goenka course for want of a
better word. The way I looked at it was the only reason I was being annoyed by
it was because of my ego. Question why those aspects of the course bother you.

~~~
abyssin
It makes sense to answer in terms of ego, and it's true ego plays a role. But
the way this truth is used to shield away from tough questions is precisely
what sounds sectarian to me.

------
smackay
Did several months on one of the more remote islands in the Falklands -
population: 6 humans, several thousand penguins and several million petrels.
Apart from a rotary phone and generators the only other tech experience was
the International Space Station flying overhead one night.

The first couple of weeks were a little interesting but after a while you
realise that if it was important then you'd hear about it eventually.

Ah, simpler times.

~~~
elliekelly
Did a copy of Penguin News[1] make it all the way out to you? I subscribed
after my visit and I always enjoy reading their hyper-local news.

[1][https://penguin-news.com/index.php/headlines/all-
headlines](https://penguin-news.com/index.php/headlines/all-headlines)

~~~
smackay
I grew up in a place with hyper-local news. Let's say, I'm not a fan.

------
theNJR
I do this intentionally every year with a multi day food, people and
technology fast.

I wrote a how to, didn’t get any traction here on HN, so direct link:

[https://www.nicholasjrobinson.com/blog/general/five-day-
fast...](https://www.nicholasjrobinson.com/blog/general/five-day-fasting-
guide-freedom-from-food-people-and-technology)

------
analog31
I'm 56, so yes. ;-)

But in terms of ditching those things after getting used to them, it's only
happened when my family went on overseas trips.

A problem for me is that the computer is not just a connection with the
outside world, but has become a medium for thinking. Take away my Jupyter, and
you've removed half of my brain.

But I've never used social media, so I have less to give up when I walk away
from a screen. Unless this counts as social media, which it probably does in a
sense.

~~~
m463
People forget that even pre-smartphone, people would go on trips and put
themselves behind a camera instead of entering the scenery.

~~~
pharke
Some people did. You can still see their caricatures in movies as obnoxious
tourists doing silly things because they can't see much through their
viewfinder. The reality though was that real cameras were big heavy objects
that you had to lug around on a strap or in a case. The other option were
cheap disposables or other types of cheap camera that were almost as bulky.
It's not quite the same as always having something in your pocket that you can
use to intermediate your experience. Most people did without cameras or kept
them packed away in their luggage for those reasons. It's funny to think about
the difference between how casually people take pictures now since they are
cheap, quick, and easy compared to how the mood of a situation used to change
when someone got their camera out.

------
mikekchar
My job is programming, so it's hard to divorce yourself too much. However, I
went something like 4 years without a cellphone plan (I had a phone, but used
it as a mobile computing device). I've never really done social media (a
couple of years on Facebook until I figured out what it was). Probably HN (and
before it Slashdot) was the extend. But I've gone many years without anything.

In terms of communications, I think the biggest problem is other people's
expectations. "Why do you have a cell phone if I can't call you?" They ask.
People want to be able to demand your time almost instantly and they have no
patience for other methods. If your timeframe for being contacted is a day or
two, they just won't contact you.

So, if you do it, be prepared to be the one that needs to contact _them_.
You're the odd person out. Nobody will follow your (to them) weird rules. It
can be lonely if you aren't proactive.

Apart from that, I find that social media (especially HN these days,
unfortunately) is just depressing. Someone has a bad day. They go on to
whatever platform and release their stress by being crappy to someone else.
People are depressed, they get some catharsis by unloading their depression on
others.

I have to limit my time on HN. Strangely, I hang out on Reddit these days, but
only on /r/cheesemaking, which is full of wonderful and cheerful people. For
me, this is the key. It's not technology, it's people. The technology brings a
lot of disparate people together and often pits you against them for the
viewing entertainment of the crowd. Best not to go there, but it's not really
technology itself.

In terms of stress levels for communications, I think setting limits for
yourself is good. I'm actually very comfortable with being contacted with
work. If you send me 100 emails an hour, I'm totally fine with it. Bury me on
Slack, and it's OK. I have work habits that allow me to jump back and forth
between my work and communication (took me 30 years to get good at it, mind
you...) But others sink and I often see it. Communicate your limits and stick
to it. If you only check your email once an hour, tell people and just do it.
It will (usually) be fine, but you have to be consistent about it.

Again, IMHO, it's not about technology. It's about people. Choose to hang
around people you enjoy and who give you energy. Draw defined boundaries for
interactions that you can't handle and be consistent. This will give you the
best benefit, I think.

~~~
eaandkw
I hear you on the /r/cheesemaking, although for me it is gardening.
Unfortunately I spend most of my waking hours on a computer for both work and
play. It didn't really hit me until the quarentine that I don't hardly do
anything that doesn't require looking at a screen and it really kind of makes
me mad. It wasn't always like this.

------
jnaddef
Because of an unfortunate house-sharing issue I ended up without any
electricity at home for almost 2 months.

I still had a phone that I was charging at the office, and still used the
computer at work, but all my time at home was spent mostly laying in the cold
dark (it was winter time) letting my mind wander and reflecting about life.

After a few weeks my co-workers asked me why I was not moving, and were very
surprised when I told them that the situation was actually pretty nice. You
get to think about so many things that you would never usually, just because
you suddenly have the time to do so.

I also believe I had my best nights of sleep during those 2 months as I was
not going to bed right after spending 12 hours in front of a screen.

------
pjc50
As part of the slightly older generation, the last time I was seriously "out
of contact" was Inter-railing in the late 90s. We had one guidebook and the
Thomas Cook International Rail Timetable: that was essentially all of our
planning. We would routinely arrive in another country knowing only a fragment
of the language and having no accomodation, and somehow this all worked out
fine.

The downside is that I have zero photos of this time and only fragments in a
diary. These days I would have several thousand selfies in front of the major
monuments of Europe, like everyone else. The correct number is probably
somewhere between those two.

I had basically no news either. Occasionally we would spot a headline in _Le
Monde_ or the SdZ. But it was the late 90s, so hardly anything was happening
anyway. I think that would be my main reason to isolate from the internet
today.

------
smcphile
I don’t think an all or nothing approach is necessary.

I was too stressed out at one point and what worked for me was just making
myself unavailable for certain periods of the day and handling emails, voice
messages, phone calls, etc. in batch mode at scheduled periods of the day.

The details of how exactly you go about doing this will depend on your
situation, but it’s quite doable.

------
sacman08
Yes I have. It was called the 1980's.

~~~
zikzak
Came here more or less to say this. I really think a pre-Internet, pre-highly
connected brain is different from one where the Internet is ubiquitous. I am
not saying it is better, but it is different. The idea that to look something
up you have to remember it or note it down by your family's telephone on a
slip of paper, go to the library, find a reference book you can't even take
home with you, research it in that and maybe two other books, and so on...
Yeah, 1980 was a very different time in terms of looking into topics of
interest, especially for children.

~~~
luddite99
Yeah the 80s are definitely outside of my frame of reference, growing up in
the 90s alongside the growth of household computers and the internet, living
with technology has been the baseline for me. It's interesting to hear the
experience of those who grew up on the other side of that divide and have an
insight into both of those worlds.

~~~
carapace
Maybe I'm an outlier but I'm old enough, and I think the phone/screen thing is
a fad. The moment more natural peripherals become usable the screen will go
the way of the landline. (I mean things like AR in your contact lenses, input
through gesture and dance via "wearable" sensors, holographic sound, and so
on.)

I think you're also going to get colonies of non-tech people. (The Amish are
among the best farmers in the world and have large families. _They_ are the
meek who will inherit the world, eh?) There may arise small towns and enclaves
that are retro-tech as a way of life.

~~~
CoryAlexMartin
I’ve had the same thoughts about societies like that forming. It seems
inevitable once brain-machine interfaces become available to the general
public.

------
the_pwner224
I have stopped having my phone connected to the cell network, but not for the
same reasons as you. I almost always have it in airplane mode except for the
periods of time when I _know_ someone will need to call me. My motivation was
to not help build the authoritarian state which is currently being constructed
in the U.S. - your location is tracked and sold in live time by private
companies to whoever wants it, and government agencies regularly track phones
(location & communication) at a huge scale with no oversight, clearly
demonstrated once again during recent events.

I still keep it connected to home WiFi and keep Bluetooth on but without
beacon scanning, and I do use it - so maybe not the most helpful response for
you.

So far the only issues are that I don't get the occasional text messages that
friends send. This can be mitigated by using applications like Telegram,
Signal, etc., but not everyone is on those. If you had an Apple Phone then
iMessage would also hugely help.

I would like to cancel my phone service completely but am not sure whether
it's feasible to take that step, since many things 'require' you to have a
phone number. For example creating accounts at many online services. It's also
often required for government forms but in that case a human might actually be
able to help you. Same thing for job applications, but in that case they might
just not bother with you if you bring up this weird thing with them. As a
final year college student that final one is the most worrying to me.

~~~
kyawzazaw
Now might be the perfect time to persuade people to get on Signal.

------
cbanek
The last time I've done this for an extended period of time was '99, but at
that point, I would go stay by a lake in a trailer for the summers (about 3
months). No phone, no tv, no internet, not a single luxury (and I was an
internet junkie back then too). Both being away from technology for a few
months, as well as being in nature was a great combo.

For a for days, it feels like my mind was emptying out - thinking of songs
that were stuck in my head, working out problems that were in the back of my
head, etc. Then suddenly my mind kind of quieted down and I was able to really
relax in a fundamentally different way.

Coming back, it felt like life had the volume turned down. Commercials seemed
even more ridiculous, obnoxious, and loud. Going back to the interrupt driven
life was a bit hard, but more because it seemed so silly how stressed out
everyone else is.

I felt it was really positive! Moderation might be fine, but I think the
important thing for me was being unreachable, and having other people know I
was unreachable. Sometimes I'll still do this for a week or two for vacation
which is great, going to a national park and doing some hiking, paired with a
long road trip.

------
yesbabyyes
At some points, when losing/breaking a phone, I have just refrained from
buying a new one for a few weeks / a month. It felt pretty nice, actually.

For about a year, I used the Firefox developer phone with Boot 2 Gecko. It was
kind of usable as a phone, but it really made me not use basically any apps
apart from some lighter web use. It was surprisingly OK, for me, but sometimes
a hassle.

Ever since, I have mostly gone without logging in to my social media accounts.
Still am a HN junkie, though.

Lately, I have gone without a personal computer for uite some time; the last
nine months or so, instead using my phone exclusively. Originally, I was
hoping to be able to use Linux on DeX (with a bluetooth keyboard and a pretty
decent 15" USB-C screen from Asus). It worked surprisingly well, but it was
not 100% there so unfortunately, I can't quite recommend it. The point is
moot, anyway, since Samsung cancelled the beta and removed the Linux on DeX
functionality. I do use Termux, which is OK for a lot of things, and tried to
use Andronix and similar offerings, but it's just too cumbersome. It's a
bummer, because I'm pretty sure the hardware would be OK for the type of usage
I need.

Another issue with the setup is that the screen charges over USB-C, so will
quickly drain the phone battery. I use a qi wireless charger, which kind of
works, but is kind of finicky. I still haven't found an adapter which takes
USB PD and "feeds" it into the USB-C cable, ideally charging the phone and
powering the screen at the same time. If anyone can give me pointers to that,
I would be very grateful.

~~~
tk75x
[https://www.walmart.com/ip/Type-C-USB-3-1-to-
USB-C-4K-HDMI-U...](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Type-C-USB-3-1-to-
USB-C-4K-HDMI-USB-3-0-Adapter-3-in-1-Hub-For-Macbook-Pro-Black/307195233)

~~~
yesbabyyes
Thanks -- I have a similar adapter. However, the screen is USB-C only (I'm not
using USB-C to HDMI or anything like that). What I need is an adapter with
basically one USB-C male and two USB-C female -- one for USB-PD and one for
the display. I'm not sure if there is something in the USB-C/USB
PD/USB3.0/whatever standard which makes this impossible / too difficult.

~~~
tk75x
Why don't you get the adapter I linked to, then another HDMI to USB C to go to
the monitor. so Phone -> USB C (power into adapter) -> HDMI -> USB C ->
Monitor

------
danielscrubs
Yes, don't know if it counts but I was without a computer and with no data on
my mobile for 4 months traveling. Only used the phone for connecting to WiFi
at coffeeshops to download maps and check buss/train schedules.

It was the happiest time of my life.

I don't think it is because I did amazing things but because small nagging
feelings went away. For example, I don't need to know about the latest
protests on the other side of the world. I certainly doesn't need to wake up
to violent images and be shown how much the world sucks, because it steals my
focus of what I should be focusing on, _myself_ and my carpe diem day (sound
narcissistic I know).

I'm not a social person, but boy was it a game changer.

That said... it's very, very easy to get back into old habits and mentality.
After 8 months after I returned to work I was probably the same old semi-
depressed but joking me but with a little bit more hope. Also very expensive.

But for your question. I don't think there is anything wrong with computers or
mobiles, it's when you get internet-access 24/7 instead of one hour per week
that things start to get dicey. So I'd try to just limit that instead if
possible. It forces you prioritise the things you _actually_ need from those
that you don't.

------
thawaway1837
I was without a phone for a out 3 months.

After the first week of constant anxiety because it constantly felt like I had
forgotten something, it was incredible, getting used to not having Google Maps
at all times, and drawing up the courage to ask strangers for help with stuff
like using their stores phone to call a friend who I was waiting for, for
directions, etc. it was absolutely incredible.

I felt like a literal weight had been lifted off my shoulder and felt more
independent and free than ever before. I explored a ton more, and had a great
time overall. I was also less stressed out and did much better at work due to
the significantly reduced distractions.

Of course, I was completely single at the time, which made all of this
possible. I’m not sure it would be doable either when in a relationship or
married.

Also, a lot of people are commenting about retreats and stuff, which also I
have done and is great. However, living your normal life without being hyper
connected and your face in a screen at all times (basically going back to the
90s) is a very different and refreshing experience.

~~~
zikzak
After a smartphone died a while back I went to a flip phone. I used a variety
of cobbled together solutions to get SMS messages with calendar reminders,
todo items, etc. The only thing I missed was Google Maps and Email. I was fine
with both of these. Email should not be "urgent" and Google Maps was barely a
consideration in a city I grew up in. But then we decided to sell our house,
and instant back and forth using email, web links, etc was important. Going to
new locations was happening a lot as we viewed homes. So I got a new
smartphone. I really enjoyed the time without one. One trick I adopted after
that and still use from time to time is putting my phone in ultra power saving
mode. All the functions are still there but it is far less tempting to pick
up. Example: no reddit app, so you are stuck using the browser, so you have
time to ask yourself if you really need to go on reddit right now.

------
mauvehaus
I've been pretty removed from the internet a couple of times while traveling
under my own power.

In 2006 I was bike touring the US for 5 months. I got limited internet at
libraries and hostels along the way. Pay phones were still a viable way to
reach people; I did not carry a phone of my own.

In 2010 I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Pay phones were no longer a viable
way to reach anybody. I got my dumbphone (I valued battery life over internet)
mailed to me at Fontana Dam, NC. I got limited internet at libraries and
hostels.

In both cases, I didn't miss the internet and all it provides while I was
traveling. I have found that it's really easy to fall right back into the same
habits when I returned. I wish I could say that either time made a lasting
change in my internetting habits, but I haven't managed it.

In my case, the change was driven by the activity and environment. If you do
this in your environment, I'd be curious to hear whether you can parlay the
cold-turkey approach into a lasting change.

------
freetime2
I spent 6 months without a computer or a cell phone while doing a semester
overseas in college. It was a conscious decision to not bring my laptop, but
it wasn’t as hard back then as it is today to function without internet (this
was over a decade ago).

I did have access to computers for schoolwork via the computer lab, and used
those to handle personal tasks as well. But it needed to be a conscious
decision to head into campus and use them. A public library could serve in a
similar function.

One negative thing that I vividly remember from those days was having to rely
on paper maps and getting horribly lost at times. I don’t miss that at all.

Overall it was probably the biggest period of personal growth in my life. That
probably had more to do with the fact that I was experiencing life in a new
culture for the first time, but having no screen to retreat to probably
motivated me to get out and meet more people.

I too am considering a future that is far less digital than my current
lifestyle.

------
blaser-waffle
Sans phone and laptop _connectivity_ for about 6 months. Was working on a farm
in Australia during a working holiday visa. Not my main goal, either -- I was
there to do NBN work building fiber optic networks. But Abbott froze the
project and I figured I'd give farm work a try for a little while. Didn't hurt
that I was dating a Canadian girl who was a cook on the farm station.

I had a phone and laptop with me, but no connectivity. Only way out was the
satellite link the owner of the farm had. We got plenty of satellite TV
channels, but no real dial out. Owner would let us plug in once a week to the
sat-router and check emails / quick facebook updates, but otherwise sans
connection the whole time.

Played a lot of cards, talked a lot of shit, worked a lot. Big dinners with
the whole staff and the farmer's family. Not a bad experience but not a great
one, either.

~~~
partomniscient
>Not a bad experience but not a great one, either.

I think this is different because the circumstances chose it for you as
opposed to actively feeling the need to disconnect.

------
aspyct
There is so much to be said here, depending on where you want to go with this.
Maybe you don't need to go full tech-less and stone age yet.

You seem especially triggered by focus issues. What's taking your focus away?

Is it any specific website (I'm looking at you, <social network>). How can you
make it less convenient to use that website? Maybe log out every time, or
block the dns, or flat out cancel your account.

Is it phone notifications, always pulling you away from the moment you're
living? Disable or ignore them. It's pretty hard at first. The key for me was
deciding when to direct my attention to my phone. I often put it in airplane
mode and throw it in the backpack. Not having it in your pocket beeping all
the time helps forget about it.

I quit facebook (and all other social networks, actually) about two years ago.
I've been happier ever since. No longer comparing my (not so) hard life to
that of others posting vacation pictures. Admittedly, I have recently re-
created an account for work purposes. I made sure to unfollow every friend, so
nothing is popping up in my feed. Nothing to look at, so I'm not spending time
on facebook. It's still useful for one-to-one or group communications, but
exposing one's life on it should be considered an offense...

Realistically, it's 2020. You can't get away from some tech, and probably
shouldn't. Some parts of my sports actually do _require_ me to have a whatsapp
account (damn you whatsapp for not respecting "do not disturb" mode!).

Also if you work in tech, well, no need to elaborate here...

Make it less convenient to waste time. Convenience is key. And turn off
notifications/phones when you are busy on something else. Give your full
attention to people you are talking to (and if they are on their phone, well
it's their loss), other beings you are interacting with, the wind in the
trees, or that movie you're watching. Whatever, but do one thing at a time.

~~~
luddite99
Some good practical tips here, thank you for your response. I've been reading
through James Clear's Atomic Habits recently and one of his core ideas is that
one should try to make good habits easy to do and bad habits hard to do.
Convenience of technology has definitely become a double-edged sword in a lot
of ways.

For me personally, HN is definitely a focus-stealer (I think I have at least
100 HN tabs open currently, that I really should just go and close). It's a
tricky one, because I get a lot of value from it, but I guess that value is
diminishing if I'm checking up on things every hour or so. I imagine those
who've gone full cold-turkey on HN aren't here to comment, but I'll assume
they've found benefit from that. Might have to start DNS blocking this one for
a while and see what happens.

I did the friend unfollow trick on Facebook a few years back now, and
definitely noticed the happiness benefits straight away, but still often catch
myself clicking through random profiles when I do have to travel there.

To your point on convenience, I'm often frustrated by how easy it is to type
'yc' or 'fa' into the search bar in a moment of weakness, and then go down the
rabbit-hole of distraction for hours. Obviously, a responsive search bar is an
immensely useful feature for a web browser to have but this convenience does
often make it easier to do something that is not in one's overall interest.

------
egypturnash
Does "I was born in the early seventies" count? I spent the first decade or so
of my life with "computers" as room-filling things in TV and movies, and boxes
in school labs; laptops didn't reach a place on the price/performance curve
that worked for me until around my mid-thirties, and I spent the first forty
years of my life without a smartphone.

Honestly yeah, I think smartphones have done terrible things to my focus. I
periodically delete stuff off my phone that exists solely to distract me; the
only social media app on my phone is a pinned webapp for the Mastodon instance
I run. Sometimes I go through phases of habitually setting my phone to
airplane mode when I put it back in my purse, to throw up one more little
barrier to make me think "do I really want to blow half an hour fucking around
aimlessly scrolling internet trash in hopes of finding something actually
interesting".

Really I'm a lot happier when I'm walking along looking at the world and
watching my brain disengage and think big slow thoughts than when I'm walking
along with my head down, constantly buzzing with tiny thoughts spawned by
sites designed to keep me scrolling as long as possible to keep their
engagement numbers up so they can look like a better place to sell ads.

My primary work tool is my laptop - but I'm an artist, I don't need to be
online to get most of my shit done. I like to go work out in cafes and parks,
with all the radios turned off to help extend battery life - and to eliminate
the ever-present distraction of the Internet. I don't envy people whose work
requires a constant connection!

I don't think a period of cold turkey would be a bad idea. Who are you when
you turn off that constant stream of distractions, who are you once you've
stopped _craving_ that constant distraction? If you're young enough you might
have _no idea_ of who that is. Find out. Remember what it's like to be that
person as you start experimenting with letting the Distraction Machine back
into your life.

~~~
egypturnash
oh yeah, also I keep my phone's browser in Private Mode so whenever I go to a
distraction site in the browser I have to log in every time, for every tab I
spawn. It's _really annoying_ but it's the right kind of annoying because it
pushes me back out of this bad habit of staring at the phone when I'm out in
the world doing stuff.

------
Tade0
My experience was that one day my phone suddenly died and while I had enough
savings for another one, I figured I'd wait, because there were other
potential priorities.

Hilariously enough that €350 or so made all the difference when I got fired a
month later and went two months without a job.

Anyway I suffered financially too much to be able to afford a phone for 9
months, so my means of communication was an old Nokia - it had "internet" and
could just barely load HN, but always crashed soon afterwards.

The only moment I wished I had a smartphone was when I was after a 17h
marathon behind the wheel and needed to check for directions in the middle of
the night. I found a McDonald's which closed just mintues earlier, fired up my
laptop and got just enough wi-fi time before they shut it down to find my way.

------
sixstringtheory
On one of my visits to SF from Boston for work, I realized I left my phone at
home on my bed (there’s a sign of addiction right there: last thing I look at
before sleeping and first thing I look at when I wake) and didn’t realize it
until I arrived at the airport. My wife offered to bring it to me but I
declined.

My coworkers were pretty amazed when I turned down a loaner on arrival in SF.
It was a very refreshing week. I always like walking around SF but I feel that
I paid more attention to everything. I still had a book I was reading so I got
a lot more reading done, and made it a mission to hit a bunch of different
parks while doing so.

I don’t recall even once missing it, and was sorta sad when I got home to it
again. It’s amazing how quickly habits can die and take hold again.

------
TheTaytay
I have read and enjoyed the book Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport:
[https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Minimalism-Choosing-
Focused-N...](https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Minimalism-Choosing-Focused-
Noisy/dp/0525536515)

He doesn't advocate (necessarily) for absolutely zero screens, but it offers a
very practical framework for deciding what is serving you and what is harming
you, and it will result in less distractions and more thoughtful interactions
overall. If you are already thinking along these lines, I think you would get
quite a bit out of it. (It's also not "trite" as you might expect this sort of
thing to be.)

------
tjbiddle
I've had a few experiences with this:

I've gone to a meditation retreat twice. First time was 5 days, second time
was 3 days. Both times no electronics were allowed, so we would put them in a
locker when checking in.

Another time was unintentional when I was younger - broke my phone and just
decided to see how I'd fare without it. Went 2-3 weeks I think. Still had
access to other tech though.

All experiences without tech have always been marvelous. If I could get away
from it more regularly, I would. Lately the primary goal for my business is
getting it to the point where I can completely F off for a few weeks and
things still run smoothly. Hopefully I'm there in a month or two.

------
dver
Born in 63, so yeah many years prior to those devices becoming a part of daily
life. Interestingly was just having a conversation with my son's about the
first time I used an ATM.

Anyway, in the 90's I took a year off and did volunteer work while teaching
mediation and other spiritual pursuits. I recall being asked to sign in a date
and looked at the person at the person at the desk and telling them I didn't
even know what day of the week it was.

In the last decade I've done a number of trips with my son's boy scout troop.
Multiple weeks in Canada on canoe trips, or hiking in NM. No contact with the
outside world, best healing time ever.

------
kroltan
If your main issue is focus, and you work/are interested in learing in a
suitable branch of technology, you can try going "off-grid":

Download every documentation you might need;

Delete every offline-capable time-waster from all your devices;

Remove your phone's SIM card (don't worry, you'll still be able to make
emergency calls if such a need arises);

Unplug your internet router (and store it away somewhere inconvenient).

If you _have to_ sync for any reason, go to a expensive coffee shop or the
like that has WiFi and do your business there. You'll soon stop going so
frequently because it'll hurt on the pocket.

------
jakevoytko
Up to a few years ago, I would take vacations where I would travel for weeks
without a phone. In my day-to-day, I interacted with technology for 10-16
hours a day, and that bothered me. So I would completely unplug. I would just
bring a notebook, a pen, and a DSLR camera.

People were always shocked when they'd hear this. "How could you possibly
travel without any electronics?" They were unfazed by my response, "This is
how people took vacations up until 5 years ago."

My experience was positive. When I returned to work, I'd be full of ideas and
energy. But it's less convenient. To travel safely, I had to research
everything I might need: directions, alternative routes, phone numbers,
restaurants, sites to visit. When I landed, I needed to find an international
calling card and public phones to call my loved ones. These were difficult to
find 5 years ago, and I'm sure it's close to impossible now. But everything
always managed to work out. In a lot of ways, it created so much more of an
adventure. It put me in a lot of unfamiliar situations that I needed to reason
through.

There's no way I could do this anymore. I've started to prefer unstructured
vacations where I travel to cheap places on a whim. Buying last-minute tickets
is so much easier with an internet connection. Also, my girlfriend would never
put up with it. She'd rather just have a phone with a map. And in some ways,
that's so much more sensible.

~~~
m463
You can still hide behind the camera instead of entering the scenery.

~~~
Kye
You don't invest in a good camera to leave it dangling from your neck. Finding
ways to capture the experience is part of the experience for a lot of people.
I don't know about jakevoytko, but photography _is_ how I enter the scenery.

------
blueridge
May I recommend:

The Frailest Thing: Ten Years Thinking About the Meaning of Technology:
[https://gumroad.com/l/CWRfq](https://gumroad.com/l/CWRfq)

Michael draws from Albert Borgmann, Jacques Ellul, Hannah Arendt, Esther
Dyson, Guy Debord, Ivan Illich, Daniel Boorstin, Johan Huizinga, Lewis
Mumford, Neil Postman, Marshal McLuhan, Walter Ong, and many others as he
explores how technology and technological idealism shapes our thoughts and
actions.

------
52-6F-62
Prior to acquiring some tools for my most recent technological stretch, I had
a cheap phone and a 10+ year old desktop I rarely used for several years
around 2008-2010 give or take on either side.

I was doing different things during that period. Not much interesting
sometimes—factory work, late shift. I'd sleep most of the day, go to work over
night, get in around 4 AM, have a beer and taught myself mandolin and played
guitar.

After a stretch of that I moved back to the city and worked in a warehouse in
Film/TV and started a band with one of my old friends.

I was never completely without one, but my access was heavily limited. Other
things will just fill up your time. For me: reading, music, writing,
...drinking, socializing.

What's funny is when I climbed up a few steps in my Film/TV job I was given a
company iPhone which I ended up relying on solely for all of my contact
information, etc. One day they decided to unilaterally rescind it because they
suspected I would be leaving the company and I never retrieved my contact info
for many old friends—especially after having left Facebook and all that. Won't
be making that mistake again.

And then of course, growing up in rural Southwestern Ontario in the 90's saw
limited access to most things computer. We just went outside a lot. I enjoy
what I do, but I really miss that last part...

------
glouwbug
Yes, I moved to a new city, into a poorer neighborhood to save on rent, and
tried to set up WIFI in my new apartment. While I was at work, the modem that
was delivered got stolen off my front porch. I said forget it, and went 2
years without WIFI. I had data on my phone for the regular chores and such,
but I went 2 years without youtube, netflix, steam, (many) reddit gifs, or
anything else that was bandwidth heavy.

I read more, programmed more (rewrote one of my favorite video games), swam
more, and started weight lifting (I can now squat 225 lbs now, and deadlift
315 lbs). I participated in low bandwidth discussion forums more, like Hacker
News, and learned that civil online discourse is still a thing in 2018/2019.

So, I mean, life is out there, and sometimes _sic_ accidentally _sic_ culling
your addictions before you realize they're addictions is an important first
step. As for where I am now, I have since fled this city after COVID became
pronounced, and I once again have the usual amenities - like WIFI - but my
brain chemistry is fundamentally different. I now would rather program my own
projects after work, or go for a walk in the park, or read some fantasy novel.
I no longer binge netflix or youtube.

------
cdiamand
My PC broke 6 months ago. It's forced me to stop gaming and focus on work (as
that is all my laptop can handle.)

I've seen an improvement in physical health and productivity, as well as a
noticeable increase in "pleasure" from doing work.

This shift has led me to believe that videogames, atleast for me, were a net
negative. I will still hop on Steam to chat with friends, but I don't feel the
addictive pull to play that i did in the first few months.

~~~
vzidex
My PC never broke, but for the first ~2 years of my undergrad (I'm about to
start my final year) I didn't have time to play games at all because I
completely overloaded myself with work.

It might be some combination of burnout and depression, but I haven't had much
of that addictive urge either, since. When I have a free evening on a weekend
I might put a few hours into a story-based single player game - finishing it
in a month or two, compared to ~1 week at the peak of my gaming habits in high
school.

It's interesting to hear to me that there's other people with similar
experiences :)

~~~
kart23
Yeah, I went through this too. Thought I would play a ton in college just like
high school. It ended up being the opposite, I never played a game while I was
at school, and after that I just didn't find it nearly as addicting, I don't
know why.

I'll go on binges sometimes, but nothing consistent, and my steam history
usually has 0 hours nowadays.

------
Dangeranger
Yes, I participated in a wilderness expedition in the early 2000s and didn't
have access to internet, news, or modern amenities for about 100 days.

I lived more fully in the moment around me at times, and at others I receded
into imagination and thought in almost a trance. The tangibility of reality
became unavoidable for much of the day, and as a result of that when it was
possible to recede and rest my mind, it was a deeper experience.

------
7532yahoogmail
There's a line from the BBC series 'Absolutely Fabulous' paraphrasing here:
"You get your dry cleaning back and it's a revolution" ... the jab here was
banal things have become blown way out of proportion ... which they later
associate with 'New labour' whether (-) overstuff the action with empowerment
overtones (-) business' attempts to conflate routine service to be on par with
love, family, and a sort Grandma as a dry cleaner who was always there for you
to give love, a smile, iron your clothes all these many years.

In fact both avenues are so overplayed it betrays and reveals for what it is:
a desperate need to be seen and taken seriously, which is why we're blowing
more time talking about it here. What's going over there such that this became
a real conversation?

If you wanna blow off computers for a while, for God sakes just do it and stop
soliciting attention. You want to go cold-turkey on drugs, alcohol, girl-
friends, job, computer, ... join the club: it's going on all the time. A
revolution? Try MLK for but one relevant example. When did routine become such
a big ask?

------
kevstev
Until recently, traveling outside the US meant giving up all data and
essentially making my phone a useless brick I carried around for emergency
purposes. And over the last 10 ish years or so, there have been varying
degrees of wifi availability- at first in your hotel- for a fee- then in your
hotel- then sometimes there would be hotspots at restaurants, then they were
at all restaurants, and now wifi points are pretty much ubiquitous across
cities in Europe and Asia. I have switched to Google Fi these days, which more
or less now gives me continuous connectivity globally.

My take on it was that being completely off the grid was a bit annoying- its
nice to completely detach, but literally having no idea what is going on at
home, especially if you are in a non-english speaking country, its a bit
disconnecting, in a somewhat bad way. All in all though, a few days in you
don't even think about emails or FB or anything like that and its really
freeing.

Having wifi at just the hotel was actually really nice- We went and did our
stuff during the day, and at night- either before bed or freshening up for
dinner- you get a quick update on whats going on in the world. You are
detached but not isolated.

Wifi hotspots being ubiquitous- its kind of annoying- that constant "pull" to
get an update is still always there. Instead of enjoying the view of the
piazza, you are checking FB, quelling anxiety about what emails might be there
(however silly that is), etc...

And tbh- I actually have a preference for places without ubiquitious
connectivity these days. The demands of work are ever increasing- its really
nice to have that hard switch to say no I am not available, its not possible
for me to be available and not feel apologetic over it. I am literally off the
grid- it really lifts a lot of that burden and anxiety off me anyway.

------
rottcodd
Well. I am working as software dev and do not use smartphones.

I am far away from my home so I can't go without having phone at all. I have
not seen movies for six months as part of... you can call it a challenge.

I am sure the other side has benefits in this is "way of Luddite", but goodies
I think you get is:

* You got to make your time to fool around.

When you have so many other things where just go and have fun being a passive
observer, it is really really easy to do so. But, if you remove those options
it is really a free time.

It is free in the meaning you have no idea what to do with it.

I spend that time reading, learning math, writing posts (just for my team
mates, I am not good at it). That had been really helpful for me because I am
a mess and get easily distracted.

I can really go back and do those things where I am passive part of, but I
want to keep it like this : I want to make time for that. It is just not the
default setting.

These things I put around me, to organize myself. Hope this helps.

[Edit: formatting changes and some points]

~~~
rottcodd
Never saw the poster's user name. I used luddite in general sense. No pun
intended

------
luddite99
Just wanted to say a huge thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts and
stories here. Definitely a lot of food-for-thought in regards to how one can
find a better balance in regards to their technology usage.

If I were to summarise, I'd say that the overarching theme (and there may be
some selection bias here) is that while it is impossible to disconnect
completely and indefinitely, there is clear value is doing it from time-to-
time in order to step back and recontextualize one's relationship with
technology - whether that is through travel, religious practice, external
circumstances or a purposeful choice to limit tech usage.

Will definitely be trying a few of the suggested strategies in the short-term
to cut back on distractions, but I'm keen to see if I can "engineer" a more
long-term break from my phone and computer in the near future.

Thanks for the discussion HN!

------
juancn
I've done it without a second thought. I just went on vacation for two weeks
to the mountains. No coverage and no electricity. I just turned off my phone
and forgot about it.

I just gave a heads up at work that I was going _really_ offline, so I was
unreachable even for emergencies.

I don't think I missed it at all.

You just need to focus on other activities.

------
afandian
I've recently got a good old fashioned desktop computer, and switched to
Thunderbird over webmail (ending a decade-old GMail subscription in the
process). If I want to check emails or do admin, I have to do it purposefully
and situatedly.

It's really thrown into contrast the temptation of quickly flicking on a
mobile phone or work laptop to check something. There's a mental geographic
context as well — I have to go to a specific place to do a specific task, and
it can't follow me round the house. It also makes the work / life boundary a
little bit clearer.

It's a little inconvenient, but the whole point is to underline the trade-off
of that convenience. A week in and I'm tangibly feeling the benefit.

To the original point, I'm parted from my computer for hours rather than days,
but it still helps.

------
codeadict
I was without those until 2012 when I left Cuba. I did have a computer there,
an old one with Linux, Emacs, and no desktop environment where I did freelance
work and got online once per week to upload the work. I lived in South America
until 2016 and still was semi-disconnected due to the prices of mobile data.
Here in the US has been hard for me to get disconnected and mostly do it when
I travel to Cuba for 15 days or a month to visit the fam. These are great
days, feels weird the first 3 days but then you forget these devices exist and
start talking to people, dancing, swimming, being immersed in the community
and talking about topics one normally doesn't. It's a really rewarding thing
and always makes me think that we are very disconnected from our true nature.

------
kevwil
First 25 years of my life. It was glorious.

I would start by making a list of what you think are critical uses of tech,
and work on trimming that list down until all that's left is almost impossible
to do analog. You'll probably need to buy stamps and a good map, and learn to
memorize phone numbers. Film cameras are cheap but getting processing and
printing can be an expensive hassle.

I'm still wondering if search engines have replaced encyclopedias and
libraries to the point that knowledge is lost or inaccessible without the
Internet. I hope not, I don't believe "online is forever", too many sites and
records just fade away when a book can last hundreds of years (or burn up in
minutes, true).

~~~
owl57
A single book, yes, can last hundreds of years or burn up in minutes. A book
printed in a thousand copies and distributed all over the world, including
places likely to survive nuclear war, will last hundreds of years.

------
yadco
I don't know if this counts, but every Saturday and Jewish holidays we can't
use phones/computers. It's calm in a way. And also the only thing to do is to
be with friends and family. A few times a year it can be 2/3 days long.

------
bovermyer
I didn't have a smartphone until 2009. I didn't have a cellphone until 2001. I
didn't have a computer until 1989.

You might say this means my comments are irrelevant, since I'm talking about
growing up without these things instead of giving up these things. However, it
does lend perspective to my next statement.

Going without a phone or computer for days or weeks at a time doesn't faze me.
I haven't tried going months without either one since the early 2000s, though.

In my day-to-day life, I stop using digital devices entirely around 8:00 PM,
which is about two hours before I sleep. I also don't start using them until
7:00 AM, which is an hour or two after I wake up.

------
cik
I make it a point to control my technology, rather than the reverse. Every
single week I go without technology for ~25-26 hours. Frequently, as part of
my religion, I have 2-3 day periods in the year (probably ~5 of those). I make
it a point to take a one week vacation in places where even if I wanted to, I
couldn't internet (they still exist!).

Every ~5 years or so, we ditch the universe for a month, and live, rather
happily without computers, phones, and email. The reality is that a computer
is no more or less of a tool to me than a hammer or a basin wrench. It just
happens to be the tool with which I make my living.

------
alchemyromcom
Yes, for approximately three years. They were some of the happiest, cleanest,
and most productive years of my life. I felt happy in the same way I think
people felt happy before the technology existed. I eventually came back,
because I was worried that I would miss a critical email. I often think about
throwing it all away again, but now I'm a programmer so it's not as easy. I
was working as a filing clerk when I tried the experiment. It was mostly to
save money as I paid back my first degree.

------
hrishios
I've done it for a week or two once a year on a trip to Kasol. I'd recommend
it because it forces your brain to relearn behaviors and in doing so discover
new things. Honestly though it's the same as anything else - I find myself
locked in a battle between comfort and growth, and technology is the same.

Another interesting thing to do is instead of giving up your phone, remove all
the apps you usually use and commit for a week to only using apps and websites
you've never used before. Similar effect.

------
agentultra
I spread out my vacation time throughout the year to take these little breaks.

I put away my computer and my phone is only used for emergency calls from
family and close friends. I don't watch any TV or play any video games. No
glowing screens.

I read. I paint. I work with hand tools and build wooden boxes and shelves. I
nap. I read some more. I play with my kids. I teach them about woodworking,
birds, ants, and gardening. And sip wine late into the night with my partner.

Programming will always be there. It can wait while I recharge.

------
FerretFred
Only by accident, for about a week (that's definitely extended for me). We
went on holiday to a remote Scottish island and stayed on a camp site that
allegedly had WiFi: well, they did, but not working WiFi.. Oh well, I'd
brought my 4G phone, and .. no signal. So a trip into the only town where I
was told "only one carrier had a tower there", so I bought a PAYG SIM only to
find it was the old-style full size SIM and no, they didn't have anything more
modern.

So, a week without..

~~~
namibj
You can literally use a nano/micro SIM as a blueprint, and then just normal
scissors to cut the SIM to shape. It's what I did the last time I needed to.

------
cjhanks
I have gone without any phone/computer/etc completely a few times, once for 4
months, once for 3 months, and then quite a few shorter periods.

The main thing I learned was that when _using_ the computer, I was using it
too much. Even at work as a programmer, it turns out you do not need to spend
most of your time in front of a computer coding. A bit more thought outside of
the digital world can allow your ideas to form clearer, and then it takes far
less time to code it.

------
werber
I did no phone for a year while living really frugally in Guatemala. I chose
to do it after an extremely emotionally taxing job to take time to figure out
what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was in my mid twenties at the time. I
found myself way more present, I made lifelong friends and took more risks.
Additionally, I had studied French my entire life and my Spanish is better
(still not great) without any formal study.

------
vidanay
The first 25 years of my life...

~~~
m463
let's go ride bikes in the big blue room.

------
forgot_user1234
In 2015,I stopped using my mobile for six months or so. It was intentional.

I often found myself scrolling through apps. I didn't have any control on
myself. It impacted my sleep etc. etc.

It was a bit helpful while it lasted but people where quite surprised when i
told them i didn't have a phone.

I ended up wasting my time on my mac rather than on my phone.

Last weekend I didn't use my phone or my mac for 24 hrs. It was liberating.
Highly recommend it.

------
ronyfadel
I had an EU sim card with 100G of data on a cycling trip from France to
Greece, which was great for planning ahead every day, finding places to eat
etc.. once I was out of the EU (Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania), data cost rose
to about 1€/MB.. so I had to cross 3 countries on Airplane mode, which was
arguably the part of the trip where I was the most “present”.

------
AlecSchueler
I was without a phone from Autumn of 2015 until the Winter of 2017, when I got
my first smartphone. I used to keep regular habits, going to certain cafes
weekly on certain days, so that if anyone wanted to find me they knew where
I'd be.

Do note that I didn't have a professional life at the time which made this
much simpler.

------
tomato2juice
This is a great question. I try to spend my evenings without my phone now, and
spend more time with family or reading. I also put it in either airplane mode,
or do-not-disturb, plugged into a charger. I've been increasing the amount of
time I can get by without my phone. The effects have been positive

------
konschubert
You may enjoy this classic verge piece:
[https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/1/4279674/im-still-here-
back...](https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/1/4279674/im-still-here-back-online-
after-a-year-without-the-internet)

------
holler
30 days and although at first I was anxious, it ended up being the most
peaceful 30 days in my adulthood.

------
dynamite-ready
Being paid to work with computers aside, I think I'd get by admirably, so long
as I have the opportunity to read, write, draw, and still be able to make some
form of a living from creative work.

That said, I would need some way to at least make sure my family is ok, when
I'm away from them.

------
skinkestek
Not sure how you mean, does it count that I didn't have access to a computer
at home until 1995? I didn't even get my own phone until 1998 or my own
computer until 2002.

If this experience counts then I can say that I cannot remember being happier
or less distracted back then.

------
chapium
For me it was called the 90's.

------
pards
I did it for about 3 months while backpacking around South America in 2007
(before smartphones). I occasionally use the internet via 'internet cafes' to
send a few emails and to research destinations. I kept a hand-written journal
every day.

~~~
biswaroop
I'm surprised backpacking isn't a more common answer. Pretty much every time I
go backpacking, I'm essentially isolated from the world. My phone is just a
camera/reference device at that point. Like you, I spent a few months
backpacking before smartphones, and it was amazing.

I ended up losing my camera charger too, so I had to sketch everything I saw
in my journal. I got pretty good at it, and realized how much more methodical,
thoughtful, and slow sketching is, compared to photography. It was an
enlightening experience. I bet you treasure your journal a lot. I certainly
do.

~~~
crimsonalucard1
I backpacked through the Himalayas for 2 weeks to Everest base camp.

I had internet access throughout the whole trip, so I'd say it depends on
where you're backpacking.

~~~
biswaroop
That's true EBC is quite the metropolitan hike. I ended up traveling solo in
the Indian Himalayas, through Uttarakhand, Himachal, and Ladakh. It's far less
developed. I spent a few days without seeing a single human. This was also
back in 2013, so it may have changed by now.

But more generally, I'm often out of the service area when I'm backpacking
here in the US, so no internet for a week or more. I suppose by backpacking I
strictly mean multi-day wilderness camping on remote trails, and not well-
established treks between huts or campgrounds.

------
oftenwrong
Each year, my extended family goes on holiday at a remote piece of property we
own. There are a few cabins on the property with enough technology to make
life there convenient and comfortable: solar panels, refrigerator, electric
lights, running water - but no internet and limited cellular coverage * . My
family makes an effort to keep electronic devices off and out-of-the-way, or
only used in a limited fashion (such as using a laptop for writing). I prefer
to keep my phone off for the duration of my time there, which is typically
10-14 days. This would be unthinkable for me in my daily life, but without
internet access it is easy.

The reduction in stress and increase in my happiness is quite profound. My
stress levels are noticeably lower than on a typical holiday, and far lower
than my normal levels. I attribute this partly to the lack of internet, and
partly to the experience of being "close to nature". Possibly it is also the
quiet and dark nights that lead to great sleep.

I don't think there is any change in my focus (which is quite poor). I read
more than I usually do, but maybe that is just because there is no internet to
read.

One other interesting factor is the air. The air is much fresher feeling. When
I return to civilisation on the trip home, the air makes me feel sick.
Eventually I adapt, or stop noticing how disgusting the polluted air is (and
how loud car traffic is). I wonder if the air quality influences my mood at
all.

During the voyage home, there is a point at which the data signals return.
This leads to an amusing deluge of notifications on our phones. The most
amazing thing is how little I care about any of it.

Normally I check notifications often. I sometimes even find myself checking my
phone out of habit when there is no notification.

Similarly, I don't care at all that I missed 10+ days of activity on HN and
Reddit. Why is it, then, that normally I feel like I have to check every day
or I am somehow missing out?

Based on this, I think you will find it becomes easier to live without
technology the longer you go without.

If you want to see someone who has taken this to an extreme, watch this video:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir-s8KRN97Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir-s8KRN97Q)

* In the past, there was no cellular service at all, but it seems that new towers were erected close enough to the property that it is possible to get a signal. In any case, it is not such a bad thing in case of emergencies.

------
hkai
At one point in 2003, my CRT monitor died and I didn't have money to buy a new
one for two months. I was still using my computer to play music, by blindly
typing commands in the console - I remembered the folder names.

------
Maha-pudma
Prior to 2006 I had never touched a computer, and my phones, if I had one were
the classic Nokia types. Between 2000 and 2006 I didn't even watch TV. Spent
most of my non work time exercising, drinking, and reading.

------
jpau
I sailed around Tahiti for a week with family on a 45’ catamaran. No phone, no
laptop. So peaceful.

I returned home refreshed, and it showed in my day-to-day focus. Though I find
this in all adventures, so I’m not sure if it’s related to screens.

------
m463
You could always just wipe your phone, and uninstall all possible apps.

On an iPhone don't sign into icloud, press and hold and delete anything with
an X.

hmmm. crap. You can't uinstall safari. Just put it in a folder and don't use
it.

------
collyw
10 days at a vipassana meditation course (silent course, no books,no pens, no
talking). Highly recommend. You come out realising what a waste of time all
the things on your phone / fb feed actually are.

------
vvilliamperez
Computer no, but I've had gaps in phones spanning almost a year each. It ended
up being quite the inconvenience for others even though I could make due with
desktop SMS/Calling apps.

------
sys_64738
A great scenario for this is when there's a power outage for several days. You
find other things to do like actually talk to other humans or get out of the
house.

------
GnarfGnarf
Yes, 1949-1965. Not a lot of computers around, very expensive.

------
DanBC
Yes, I've done this for a few months at a time.

Buying notebooks to write in, and books to read, and a radio to listen to,
helped.

------
ubermonkey
Yes.

From birth to age 12.

My technological monasticism was aided by the era, since the period of time
we're talking about was 1970 to 1982.

------
womitt
Vipassana meditation camp for 10 days.

~~~
blaser-waffle
I had a friend who did one of those. Said it was transformative. Sounded
brutal, tbh.

Did you get what you wanted out of the experience?

------
geocrasher
Yes. Yosemite Valley around 2006. It was a glorious 2.5 days.

------
twox2
Longest for me was probably ~2 weeks while at burning man.

------
chadlavi
Well, birth through about age 13

------
Schattenbaer
I was a (20% share) co-founder of a successful(ly bootstrapped) company in the
telecomms space 14 years ago.

When the company was +-10 years old and quite successful a European investment
firm came along and started discussions to acquire a share in the company.

I've been thinking of exiting at that point already (wanted to relocate my
family to another country) so it was a very fortunate happenstance; I
discussed it with my colleagues before and this was my chance, and I was
taking it.

After a 9 month handover and training my replacement period I sold all my
shares, took my family on holiday, and went completely off-grid for just over
8 weeks.

By off-grid I mean we went to a place with no internet, no phone, a single
solar panel powering a few LED lights, a gas digester powering the stovetop,
oven, and fridge, solar-heated water, and lots of open space and a sea breeze
at night.

After 10 years of working at least from 8h00 to 19h00 weekdays and a few hours
every weekend it was jarring. The first three weeks was a mental shock; it
felt like my brain was almost "clogged" and not forming thoughts properly,
almost like your ears feel when getting water in them.

Reaching for your phone only to have it do nothing stimulating because there
is no signal was really difficult to get used to - but it highlighted how
often I used gadgetry to pep my energy levels.

By the third week we did start getting into the rhythm a bit more: going to
farmers to buy food very early morning, attending a nearby town's Saturday
morning market for other bits and bobs, walking to the various neighbours to
chat etc.

Our day was fairly full and structured, e.g. we'd have the kids gather wood
early mornings, then walk to the beach (about 4km walk), spend some time
there, come back, shower outside, prep food, do a late afternoon walk (mostly
to a neighbouring farm or two), chat days away.

We had another burst of under-stimulation/restlessness around 6 weeks, and we
started driving to a nearby library to get some books for a little more mental
engagement. Around the 8th week we started craving "normal" living a little,
missing the extended family, and more, so decided our time off the grid was
done.

We hired a houseboat, spent a few nights on it, and then slowly drove a
rambling 2000km back home over 6 days.

If you can find a place devoid of cell service and internet I can recommend it
- and I still am very cognizant of how easy it is to use phones / laptops /
etc to lose hours of your life every day.

I also think my addiction to technical stimulation was related to the constant
stream of novel content - I felt less like reaching for a device after I
internalized that it doesn't have something new that I can consume.

Using these devices mainly for creating rather than consuming is less
problematic, and less addictive (for me at least) and I still try to focus on
creating rather than consuming content when I use my digital devices. Fully
aware of the irony of posting that sentence in a social site ;)

------
Timpy
I spent two years (2014 - 2016) living in a foreign country without a phone,
they were some of the best years of my life.

I moved to a new country and there were a couple of barriers that prevented me
from getting a phone right away. I decided to forgo the opportunity when it
finally arose. I kept a kindle fire, a notebook and pen, and a cheap digital
camera on me at almost all times. I can't recommend it enough.

When going new places I studied the location on google maps before leaving
home. Instead of getting out my phone to find a place I had to ask for
directions. Instead of googling for new places to try out I just walked around
and discovered things for myself. Fortunately this was very walkable city.
Keeping track of my surroundings mentally was stimulating, and I developed a
great sense of direction. I challenged myself to keep track of North at all
times (surprisingly easy in a city with streets laid out on a grid).

The language barrier was crazy, but without the ever present distraction of a
phone I was able to learn so much. There was no "let me get out my phone and
translate this" option, I was forced to learn. I did have a kindle fire that
had wifi capabilities, which I used occasionally to send emails in a pinch,
but this was few and far between. I kept Anki SRS on it and in those moments
that fall in the cracks of life I was studying language flash cards or reading
a grammar guide.

When I made plans with friends we had to arrange details ahead of time,
usually via email or any one of the messenger apps you can use on a PC. This
may have seemed like an inconvenience but it inadvertently introduced more
structure to my life. I can remember only twice that my lack of phone made
meeting up really difficult, but both times we eventually found each other.

I read so many books in those two years. The order imposed on my life by
having to plan ahead, along with removing the distraction of a phone,
supercharged my reading time. There were Friday nights where my friends had
beer without me because they couldn't get a hold of me, but if I really wanted
to I could have reached out.

Anything that I really needed to remember, I just wrote in a notebook. I
didn't keep an app for my budget or diet, I just wrote everything down. The
act of writing these things down made more mindful about how I spent money and
ate food, I didn't need analytics from an app to help make decisions any more.

It seems like you lose a lot of convenience, but what you gain back is so much
more valuable. My mind felt clear, when I look back on those years I don't
remember all those things I wished I could have googled on the spot. I
remember being completely engaged by my surroundings. I understand that living
in a foreign country is the thing I look back on so fondly, but the no-phone
situation was the music the play was set to. I can't recommend it enough.

------
pricem72
Yes while on an expedition

------
probinso
this is heaven. I wish I could take every break this way.

------
techslave
i forgot to bring my phone to the toilet yesterday

------
crimsonalucard1
I remember when I was a kid, before the internet became ubiquitous, sometimes
I would decide to re-read a book I already read from scratch.

Nowadays I can't even finish a book.

I'm not sure how relate-able that experience is because I was an only child
and I was alone a lot. I'm sure most people (aka people with siblings) never
get bored enough to re-read a book from scratch.

I guess I would say the good thing about the internet is that there's now a
never ending stream of things to learn. The bad thing is that now I have lack
of focus.

------
KurtMueller
You can't really give up computers without giving up driving, possibly using a
thermostat, a coffee machine, etc.

~~~
vb6sp6
There is a difference between a laptop and the circuit boards used to run your
coffee machine. For example, op would never see your comment on his coffee
machine and is a good example of the types of things he probably wants to
remove from his life by shutting down the laptop :)

