the dream of no phone summer vs. the comfort of distraction

i often think of "no phone summer" (though usually people mean no "smart"phone summer nowadays)

in general i think about tackling my screen addiction, because i acknowledge that a lot of time spent on there, is time lost (not all of it! i do not think my phone is evil, just easily misused/abused).

while i have had these thoughts for years, i feel like it has become a more common phenomenon. a lot of people talk about it in online spaces, how they "fixed their attention span" etc. i feel like it oftentimes almost goes into another direction, some sort of "toxic" productivity.

i do not subscribe to productivity culture. i think it is important to acknowledge, that the time off of my phone doesn't need to be traditionally productive. even doing nothing would be better than mindlessly scrolling (and refreshing for the mind; i think boredom is crucial for creativity).

the road to no phone summer - logistics

i think this is a matter of "just doing it". i (and many others) easily fall into patterns of "firstly having to do research" and then just never doing it, because the research only results in frustration of there not being an easy solution. 

the truth is, you can't have a flip phone that supports all the functions a smart phone has. the truth is, that someone with my lifestyle can't switch out my smartphone with a flip-phone and expect no inconvenience when it comes to logistics.

in the beginning i was like: i need a flip-phone, but i need google maps, i need my public transport ticket app, i need whatsapp, i need instagram (to stay in contact with friends), i need spotify, i need my banking app, i need quick access to my mails.

this is not possible. if you truly don't want to use a smart-phone at all, you have to switch to different devices (flip-phone, mp3player, digicam) and just do without some functions. use a second "dumb-downed" smartphone that has no "evil" apps installed for things like your public transport ticket or emergency google maps.

the comforts of distarction - how my phone is helping me through the hardest time of my life

so: why am i not DOING it? and the answer (excuse?) is: for the past year my phone at times has felt like my saving grace. i don't want to go into detail about my situation. but my phone, where i can watch silly tik-toks, fangirl over my celebrity crushes, watch series, scroll pinterest/tumblr, read fanfiction ... the phone that i sometimes curse for tempting me into doomscrolling ... it all helps me now. gets my mind somewhere else, towards easier, lighter topics. a distraction from the painful realities of life.

but it has been a year. the situation is still bad, and it won't be better anytime soon, probably will be getting worse for months. maybe i need to stop treating my phone as the only possible distraction, books exit, nature exists, fanfiction can be read in the evening or on a ebook-reader. i'm still unsure how i will move forward with this. i will update on it, once i have decided. the answer at the moment probably is a compromise of some sort.

the summeriest summer you've ever had

a tune coming from my mp3player while i ride my bike to the lake. ice-cream and endless watermelon. cicadas chirping. lying around, because its to hot to move. taking a spontaneous trip to the ocean. reading books and writing poetry. sitting outside in the bars, drinking wine spritzer.