This way, at least when I'm outside or hanging out with people, my mind is free. Though my laptop still eats a lot of my time when I'm at home. Maybe it'd be better with an e-ink laptop.
My phone is my agency. I use it to access information, and to communicate.
Why on earth would you subject yourself and everyone you know to arbitrary limitations like that?
My mind is plenty free and I use the tool when the circumstances warrant, and not as a mental fidget spinner.
And before you say that it’s the apps you choose to install, not the phone that’s the problem, I’d say that’s a distinction without a difference.
Also, it is possible to make phone into useful tool. I make audible/vibrate notifications for important things so don't need to check phone constantly. Put the phone down and only use it when you need it. Try moving content consumption to another device. Try limiting addictive things to certain circumstances.
If that doesn't work, consider deleting the addictive apps and turning the phone into a tool. Smartphone without addiction is more useful than a dumb phone.
Me too (mostly), but I don't think everyone has that much willpower.
My phone is a nice-to-have. Its primary use is navigation and photography.
I could survive fine without it.
Why on earth would you subject yourself and everyone you know to arbitrary "agency" like that?
The trick is to not install (m)any apps. There are utility apps like maps/navigation, banking, etc. I use Uber Eats more than I should. But I minimize any social media/infinite scrolling apps. Only recently, I reinstalled WhatsApp because some people didn't know how to reach me, even though my phone number hasn't changed in decades. I presume they upgraded their devices and re-establish their digital contacts but not their 'analog' ones.
The transit provider also recently introduced mobile fares, so sometimes I use my phone to board (QR-based.)
Unfortunately, there is another fare overhaul coming, whereby they will make fares account-based prepaid, and mobile fares will be mutually exclusive with the linked NFC card option. So unfortunately I will need to ditch the mobile fares entirely, because I do not wish to be constantly tethered to my mandatory smartphone if I simply wish to ride a bus somewhere.
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/818681/pn/010-02729-00
The trick is knowing where you want to go - Google's search capacity to "find me a highly-rated Mexican restaurant with on the way from Work to Home", not turn-by-turn, routing, or even traffic, is the killer feature. Standalone GPS units have passable search, not just addresses, but nothing compared to that.
I think my daily average screen time is 10 minutes (according to Digital Wellbeing), with less than 10 unlocks. Advantage being that I'm available/able to call somebody in an emergency or I can use the utilities on it when required (maps, translation).