Source Post: Be Smarter Than the Smartphone

Theme: "Yawn" by Nick Dorian

Look, you probably need to use your smartphone way less, and when you do use it, do so way more consciously, and with some kind of thought to how its impacting you.

In this premiere-ish episode, my brother-in-law, and fellow social media addict and thoughtful person Mason Lopez on to discuss our smartphone usage.  

00:00-05:45 - I give a full overview of what this podcast will be all about, how it will differ from other self-improvement, and why you'd be an idiot to not listen to it.

6:07 - I introduce Mason, discuss why he's qualified to talk about how locked we are into phone world, and what our phone life has been like during quarantine.

9:13 - I begin reading from my post about how universal and overpowering our phone addictions are, and I wonder aloud why we do nothing about it.

11:32 - Mason and I discuss the problems connected to our phones: escapism, and overstimulation, as well as the problem of rampant phone-based misinformation.

19:49 - I read from my post about why we're so dependent on our phones.

20:57 - Mason and I discuss how ineffective app limits are for us, and we go more in depth on why we accept just how connected we are to our phones.  Mason provides insights about just how necessary our phones, and our links to social media really are.

25:27 - I read from my post about the power of physically distancing yourself from your phone.

26:35 - Mason get more specific about the strengths of phone distancing as a strategy.  

28:31 - I read from my post about the benefit of limiting dumb notifications.

29:31 - Mason provides insights on just how deceptive our apps are on how they consume our time, and how it's good to limit notifications

31:34 - I read from my post about how crucial it is to use our phone and social media mindfully and consciously.  

32:33 - Mason takes my theory about needing to be conscious about your usage, and expands it to discuss how necessary it is to tailor your content towards you being a more mindful phone user.

38:49 - I read from my post about the necessity to just plainly exist in the world sometimes.

41:10 - Mason makes the point that we're only going to get more digital from here on out, and so the best path forward is finding how to use this thing joyfully and responsibly.

41:53 - In my final word, I expand upon a point earlier in the podcast of comparing our phones to food, and I give us some tips on healthy "eating."

43:30 - Wrap up.