In November of 2024, I made a single decision that changed my life: I stripped my phone of everything but the necessities.
I struggled for years with social media addiction, never able to find a successful method of healing. I was fed up, beyond frustrated with myself, and ready to give up everything. Perhaps that’s why when I watched Madisun Grey’s video on digital detox, I took immediate action.
The second I finished that video, something clicked inside me, and I was ready to let it all go. I yearned for a life that felt just out of reach, but I realized the thing blocking me from achieving my dreams was right in front of me and completely in my control.
The way of life I wanted to live was just beyond the screen that held my attention so frequently. I was ready to put it down and leave it behind.
Immediately, I stripped my phone of all social media and nonessential apps. I may own a smartphone, but I stripped it to the core of its purpose: direct communication.
My tablet received the same treatment, though the goal was to isolate its function to be a tool for my creative work.
The shift, quite frankly, left me feeling bored at first. That may be a surprise given how determined I was to make the shift, but my brain was accustomed to constant stimulation coupled with long periods of inactivity.
When I removed the sources of passive entertainment, I began to relearn how to engage and be content with slower cognitive input.
Now, my devices are a resource, not an entertainment district. I rarely use my phone for a purpose outside of communication, and my tablet is primarily touched for research or work.
But I’m not here to paint a perfect image—I am not perfect in my digital use. I still watch the occasional video and scroll through Pinterest every now and then for entertainment.
I no longer feel attached to my devices.
I am perfectly okay not engaging with my phone. There is nothing that draws me to it. In fact, I feel as though I’ve been freed from the prison of digital access.
I feel truly alive.
Spending less time on my devices means I have more time to spend on pleasurable activities. I have time to build deep, lasting relationships, read books, richly provide for my family, and simply sit and think.
The exact results of this process are different for everyone, yet I believe there is a universal truth:
Removing attachment to digital devices gives you the space and permission to explore passions and relationships that would otherwise go untouched and undeveloped.