This inspired me to do my own version of 75 hard tech edition! My parameters are:
- My phone lives on my entryway table when I'm at home (similar to your post about chaining your phone to the wall)
- I can check it only every 90 minutes (it's on loud so I can hear it if someone calls me). The timer starts when I wake up, so I have 90 mins of phone-free time every morning.
- I get 45 mins of dedicated couch-scroll time a day (haven't felt the need to use it yet)
- When I'm out my phone has to live in my bag as much as possible. Can't check it while im in a waiting room, I have to observe life.
-No phone while eating alone.
- Only one screen at a time. Can't scroll on my phone while watching TV, I have to pause it to look at my phone. I also am trying not to scroll while watching something on my laptop.
**** I work from home on my laptop and still listen to podcasts, music and have access to the internet. Without this caveat this challenge would be almost impossible.
I LOVE your work and am asking for a snail mail subscription for my bday <3. I love how you are into keeping tech part of our lives and finding ways to live with it without it destroying us.
It's been 3 days and I have so much to say about this. I am hoping this 75 hard challenge turns into my general relationship with my phone forever. Making my phone into a landline has been incredible.
I’ve been following your work for a little while and have been on my own cyber celibacy journey/struggle for a bit - definitely going to participate in this! (With some light modification for my specific brain needs - I WILL be listening to music/watching tv while doing house chores, but otherwise no multitasking!).
Staying off the internet after 6 pm is going to be interesting 👀
I love this! Definitely going to attempt this 75 hard for technology. I think I’ll struggle with not multi-tasking, but I’m curious to see if the practice brings me some clarity. Thank you!
I'm excited to see what comes of these seemingly small changes to my tech routine... my sense is that only logging online after 10AM might be the biggest challenge for me. Please keep me updated on your progress :)
An overdue progress update after completing 75 hard (tech edition) ––
I found so many loopholes and quirks that shifted my relationship to technology (mostly my phone), and the results feel refreshing.
For one, if I wasn't posting to social media (instagram) via app, I only allowed myself to browse via web during my enforced hours. Now, I spend significantly less time on all socials (Pinterest, Facebook, Reddit, Linkedin, Youtube, even Substack) and I get bored / annoyed of the feeds more easily (Internal thoughts sound like "Ok...why am I still here? what's the goal?").
The multitasking challenge failed early, but it helped me build awareness about when I was doing it and why. I also have a better sense for when I feel overstimulated.
After avoiding it in web searches, I'm developing a deep disdain for Artificial Intelligence text summaries being placed everywhere. Love how you recently described trying to cut it out as "a game of whack a mole".
I'm constantly looking for opportunities to forget about my phone after implementing the 45 minute rule. With the social apps deleted and their websites blocked via screen time, my phone is just a tool for random daily tasks, calls, casual research, and light digital reading.
Also, I quit Spotify! I just stopped listening to music on my phone, and when I'm bored I actually choose something intentional to do or consume.
A bit of a lengthy response, but overall I really enjoyed this challenge. Thank you for sharing your process, it really helped me adjust my relationship to tech in a healthy way.
The fact that this is considered “hard” for some people really makes me sad. This is just….normal. Living your life. It is easy to not ask ChatGPT, spend 45 mins away from your phone and have strict social media hours. Maybe this is 75 soft? I am not sure. Great read regardless!
I wonder if folks growing up in an environment where AI/social media has always been around (+the norm) would find this more challenging. I myself remember a time where I had to handwrite my exams in bluebooks. But I've always had access to citation websites (where others had to learn to do MLA/Chicago style citations by hand)... the idea of omitting these tools seem inconceivable to me. Could that be the case for younger generations?
I love this! I am a firm believer that cold-turkey doesn't work for a large majority of people. I started my tech detox roughly four years ago and I've only reached a point in the last 2-3 months that I can comfortably go to sleep at night with my phone in the other room, sit in silence and embrace boredom, and devote actual time and dedicated energy to my passions and hobbies. I'm living my life without sedation now; I was using my phone as the cornerstone of my life and convincing myself that it HAD to be that way. The key for me has been to treat my phone as a TOOL. Not as a distraction or as an anchor. I've been keeping my laptop at the dining table and allow myself to "get on the computer" like I did as a child, as opposed to working on the couch or my bed. I have invested in physical media for the tangibility, which has been transformative for my mental health in general!
Helpful tip for browsing the internet and escape the advertisement hellscape that g00gle has become... use a different browser. some examples ore firefox, duckduckgo and yandex
This inspired me to do my own version of 75 hard tech edition! My parameters are:
- My phone lives on my entryway table when I'm at home (similar to your post about chaining your phone to the wall)
- I can check it only every 90 minutes (it's on loud so I can hear it if someone calls me). The timer starts when I wake up, so I have 90 mins of phone-free time every morning.
- I get 45 mins of dedicated couch-scroll time a day (haven't felt the need to use it yet)
- When I'm out my phone has to live in my bag as much as possible. Can't check it while im in a waiting room, I have to observe life.
-No phone while eating alone.
- Only one screen at a time. Can't scroll on my phone while watching TV, I have to pause it to look at my phone. I also am trying not to scroll while watching something on my laptop.
**** I work from home on my laptop and still listen to podcasts, music and have access to the internet. Without this caveat this challenge would be almost impossible.
I LOVE your work and am asking for a snail mail subscription for my bday <3. I love how you are into keeping tech part of our lives and finding ways to live with it without it destroying us.
It's been 3 days and I have so much to say about this. I am hoping this 75 hard challenge turns into my general relationship with my phone forever. Making my phone into a landline has been incredible.
I’ve been following your work for a little while and have been on my own cyber celibacy journey/struggle for a bit - definitely going to participate in this! (With some light modification for my specific brain needs - I WILL be listening to music/watching tv while doing house chores, but otherwise no multitasking!).
Staying off the internet after 6 pm is going to be interesting 👀
Give silent house chores a go at least! I will say having 10-6pm social media "operational hours" feels a little like intermittent fasting...
Very 😂😂
I love this! Definitely going to attempt this 75 hard for technology. I think I’ll struggle with not multi-tasking, but I’m curious to see if the practice brings me some clarity. Thank you!
I'm excited to see what comes of these seemingly small changes to my tech routine... my sense is that only logging online after 10AM might be the biggest challenge for me. Please keep me updated on your progress :)
will do!
An overdue progress update after completing 75 hard (tech edition) ––
I found so many loopholes and quirks that shifted my relationship to technology (mostly my phone), and the results feel refreshing.
For one, if I wasn't posting to social media (instagram) via app, I only allowed myself to browse via web during my enforced hours. Now, I spend significantly less time on all socials (Pinterest, Facebook, Reddit, Linkedin, Youtube, even Substack) and I get bored / annoyed of the feeds more easily (Internal thoughts sound like "Ok...why am I still here? what's the goal?").
The multitasking challenge failed early, but it helped me build awareness about when I was doing it and why. I also have a better sense for when I feel overstimulated.
After avoiding it in web searches, I'm developing a deep disdain for Artificial Intelligence text summaries being placed everywhere. Love how you recently described trying to cut it out as "a game of whack a mole".
I'm constantly looking for opportunities to forget about my phone after implementing the 45 minute rule. With the social apps deleted and their websites blocked via screen time, my phone is just a tool for random daily tasks, calls, casual research, and light digital reading.
Also, I quit Spotify! I just stopped listening to music on my phone, and when I'm bored I actually choose something intentional to do or consume.
A bit of a lengthy response, but overall I really enjoyed this challenge. Thank you for sharing your process, it really helped me adjust my relationship to tech in a healthy way.
Hell yeah! Love Andy and I love this challenge. So important!!! Cool idea to make into a challenge.
The fact that this is considered “hard” for some people really makes me sad. This is just….normal. Living your life. It is easy to not ask ChatGPT, spend 45 mins away from your phone and have strict social media hours. Maybe this is 75 soft? I am not sure. Great read regardless!
I wonder if folks growing up in an environment where AI/social media has always been around (+the norm) would find this more challenging. I myself remember a time where I had to handwrite my exams in bluebooks. But I've always had access to citation websites (where others had to learn to do MLA/Chicago style citations by hand)... the idea of omitting these tools seem inconceivable to me. Could that be the case for younger generations?
Replace AI research with internet search for 45 minutes?? WE ARE SOO BAAACCCKKKK
I've been thinking of doing a digital detox for WEEKS!!! This might the the way to do it...excited to try and learn!
Excited to hear how it goes!!
I love this! I am a firm believer that cold-turkey doesn't work for a large majority of people. I started my tech detox roughly four years ago and I've only reached a point in the last 2-3 months that I can comfortably go to sleep at night with my phone in the other room, sit in silence and embrace boredom, and devote actual time and dedicated energy to my passions and hobbies. I'm living my life without sedation now; I was using my phone as the cornerstone of my life and convincing myself that it HAD to be that way. The key for me has been to treat my phone as a TOOL. Not as a distraction or as an anchor. I've been keeping my laptop at the dining table and allow myself to "get on the computer" like I did as a child, as opposed to working on the couch or my bed. I have invested in physical media for the tangibility, which has been transformative for my mental health in general!
I love the idea of treating your phone as an old computer (not a laptop)
Helpful tip for browsing the internet and escape the advertisement hellscape that g00gle has become... use a different browser. some examples ore firefox, duckduckgo and yandex
ooo tell me more!
I love your phone landline idea. I’m going to try it out for myself.