So I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I have found that when I got an Apple Watch (the OG) it drastically changed my relationship with my phone.
Before if I got an alert I would want to open it, and then that turned into opening other apps and before I knew it I was in a spiral.
But with the Apple Watch I get the alerts I want (texts largely) on my watch and everything else is stuck on my phone. The important alerts are front and center, if I need to respond I either can from my watch or I can from another Apple Device (I often get an alert for a text on my watch and then open iMessage on my Mac for example).
So my phone now is much more... I purposefully open it when I need it instead of I need to respond to something and it turns into a spiral.
I know it isn't quite the same as being disconnected. But it is weird how much having those alerts on my wrist has drastically changed how I view my phone.
There’s your problem. My phone has been in DnD for the past 10 years and I’m still addicted and check it way too often.
When I need to use my girlfriend’s phone, it beeps and rings and alerts 5 times in the space it takes to watch the video she’s trying to show me. It’s downright anxiety inducing and I don’t understand how she lives like that.
My phone doesn’t even show the red bubble notification counters anymore. It’s great.
It was definitely a problem for me before, because I would have anxiety about missing the important notifications within all the noise.
Even now though there are alerts that I want. Like texts from my partner, certain email chains, etc.
I have those important alerts going to my watch and everything else is stuck to my phone.
With the added benefit that because those alerts are stuck there, I was also able to better realize that there are a lot of alerts that I don't want and either deleted the apps or changed their notification settings.
Kinda more where I am going with this, the watch let me re-evaluate a lot of things about my phone. Yes those things can be done without the watch. But it was the push to help me have a healthy (in my opinion) relationship with my phone.
Importantly, this came with the added benefit of I still have this phone in my pocket for the (admittedly rare) times that having a smart phone is truly beneficial.
Also living in DnD mode for ten years and wouldn't have it any other way. I tend to triage my correspondence every few hours rather than as it comes in, especially with email, otherwise I'd go bananas.
I'm thinking of getting a smartwatch just to test out your theory. I got one for my wife because she's always leaving her phone in her bag with the ringer off (or so low she can't hear it) and I can never reach her. So on the upside, the watch makes it so she gets my messages. On the downside, the watch makes it really annoying for her to reply so often she doesn't.
So, while I despise the interruptions, I'm also sympathetic to the way my friends and family and coworkers feel. If they write me and I never respond, it makes them feel bad. And if it's something timely/important, it can cause real anxiety or problems.
Totally agree. I resisted a smart watch for so long because I wanted fewer distractions not more. Turns out, the Apple Watch lets me achieve that while still getting the small number of notifications I need to (primarily phone calls).
But you're still getting interruptions, or micro-interruptions if you want to call it like that and that takes a tool on focus and deep work. I have a smartphone but will keep it on silent and out of view to deal with interruptions: for me everything can wait.
True to a point, but I would still like to be able to get alerts from my partner.
Those are alerts that you would still get even with a dumber phone.
I do also realize that you can kinda replicate this with focus mode. But my point is more, my watch has turned into the alerts I care about while everything else is stuck on my phone if I so choose to interact with it.
Yeah, sadly dumb phones aren't the solution either. With call spamming smart phones could potentially be more useful, dumb phones have no screening call capability for spam and becomes a hassle to use them. I feel for old people with dumb phones receiving dozens of unsolicited calls. The best solution is self restraint from distractions.
Very true, a dumb phone seems to be the wrong answer to the problem. I mean if you really don't get any value ever from the smart phone go for it, but it is a weird solution when you can just make your relationship with the phone healthy yourself. I mean a fresh iOS install doesn't give you a ton of alerts on its own.
But also, smart phones do have their value. There have been a couple of jobs I have gotten interviews for because I was hanging out with someone and someone mentioned looking to fill a position so I sent them my resume right there.
Or navigation (walking or car). Not getting lost (heavily related to navigation but still). Needing to look up something on the internet.
Sure today a lot of smart phone use is for... I am going to say meaningless tasks. They are "fun" but you would be fine without them. But there are a lot of valid uses that smart phones provide. The issue is everything else.
Before if I got an alert I would want to open it, and then that turned into opening other apps and before I knew it I was in a spiral.
But with the Apple Watch I get the alerts I want (texts largely) on my watch and everything else is stuck on my phone. The important alerts are front and center, if I need to respond I either can from my watch or I can from another Apple Device (I often get an alert for a text on my watch and then open iMessage on my Mac for example).
So my phone now is much more... I purposefully open it when I need it instead of I need to respond to something and it turns into a spiral.
I know it isn't quite the same as being disconnected. But it is weird how much having those alerts on my wrist has drastically changed how I view my phone.