Living Without a Phone: A Smartwatch Experiment
The Challenge Living without a phone for a week was a challenge. It made me realize how much I rely on my phone for everything. I decided to try using only an LTE smartwatch to see if it could replace my phone. I thought it might help me reduce my screen time and stay connected without constantly checking my phone.
Initial Expectations vs. Reality At first, I imagined myself enjoying a coffee at a café, reading a newspaper, and soaking in the summer day. But reality was different. I found myself hunched over my wrist, dictating texts in public, which felt awkward. The smartwatch had a tiny screen, and typing on it was tedious. I often ended up not responding to messages until I got home.
The Smartwatch's Capabilities and Limitations The smartwatch could do some things, like send messages and read emails, but it wasn't perfect. I realized that without my phone, I wouldn't get notifications from apps like Slack. This was a good thing because it gave me a break from work messages. The watch battery lasted well, even with heavy use, like a long call to my sister.
A Day Without a Phone One day, I left my phone at home to pick up my kid from daycare. It was reassuring to know I could make an emergency call if needed. But when it was time to use Duolingo, I gave in and scrolled on my phone for too long. I had to remind myself to set boundaries and not use my phone in bed.
Lessons Learned Using the smartwatch taught me that I need to plan ahead and be more disciplined. I had to think about how to get home without my phone, like using public transit or calling a taxi. I also had to charge my watch more often than usual.
The Outcome After a few days, I realized that using a smartwatch as my phone wasn't a perfect solution. But it did help me reduce my phone use. I started leaving my phone around the house and using the watch and AirPods to listen to podcasts. I also enjoyed doing Sudoku puzzles instead of scrolling on my phone.
Conclusion This experiment showed me that there's no one-size-fits-all solution to phone addiction. But using tools like a smartwatch can help. I plan to keep using the smartwatch to give myself breaks from my phone and build better habits.