A more human relationship with technology

I did not want to give up my phone. It held directions to my friends’ houses, photographs of people I loved, and the music that made a long commute bearable. I wanted to stop picking it up without knowing why.

A tool with a purpose

For a week, I tried a small experiment. Before opening an app, I named what I was there to do. Send a message. Find a recipe. Check the weather. When the task was done, I put the phone down. It sounds almost too simple to write about.

• Move distracting apps away from the first screen.
• Keep notifications for people and genuinely time-sensitive events.
• Notice the moments when reaching for a screen is really reaching for a break.

The difficult part was not changing settings. It was noticing how often I wanted an interruption. Waiting for the kettle. Sitting with an awkward feeling. Standing in a queue. The phone had become a way to avoid any unoccupied moment.

I still use it more than I sometimes intend. But I am getting better at asking what I need: information, connection, or simply a moment outside. Sometimes the answer is on the screen. Sometimes it is not.