This is literally not a problem with smartphones, the problem is about the software you decide to run on it. A smartphone is simply a very powerful pocket computer.

It's not a problem that can meaningfully be dealt with on an individual level.

I recommend Johann Hari's book Stolen Focus. It goes deep into influencing factors of why we are having such a hard time of putting our devices down. The first he lists: giant tech companies are employing the smartest people on earth (i.e., smarter than you or me) to maximize engagement. The cards are heavily stacked against any single one of us trying to break free from these skinner boxes. The threat of social isolation you mock the blog's author for is of course another ace up Meta's sleeve. The book among other things tries to relieve the feeling of individual failure at this insurmountable task of constantly fending off the targeted attacks on our attention- I paraphrase: "You didn't fail, it was a losing battle to begin with."

If you yourself don't have this problem, I'm glad for you and I hope it lasts. Many, many people do, and there are ever more tragic news headlines to show for it. We as a society (or is that societies?) need to regulate the tech-oligarchs, and fast. I have some hope left at least for the EU coming around on it.

All claims and no reasoning.

Now we're getting closer to the root.

There really is an XKCD for everything.

smartphones are one of rhe hundreds o things that would probably be just fine and good if it weren't for capitalism

I agree, except that we are legally not allowed to control the software on our phones in lots of cases. Notifications, ads, upgrades, etc. are all controlled by the manufacturer and it's illegal to override their software on the device you own.

Add to that that specific pieces of software are becoming increasingly necessary to function in society, and you start to see that it's not really a matter of individual choice, anymore than people shopping at walmart can be blamed for buying processed, sugary foods when that's 90% of what walmart stocks (And all they promote), and walmart is the only affordable option in their community.

Do it anyway. I use adb to modify my phone and make it suck less. I also look forward to the day (if it ever comes) where Linux phones are a viable replacement option.

Done. What's next on my list?

Why is the left so intent on becoming Luddites? What the fuck is this timeline?

For every issue there is someone absolving individuals of responsibility. Either people have brains and can be responsible or they are brainless and can’t have responsibility. If it’s the latter then I think we should structure society in such a way that people can’t have free will because they clearly cannot be responsible for their choices.

Edit: every time I’m spending more time than I should on social media I just turn on an app like JOMO and in a week the problem is solved. Techbros do it, they call it screen fasting or some shit like that.

Of course, everybody is trying to develop tricks like yours to resist, but I don't think we should just accept as fact that we need to have those tricks to escape the attention grabbing behemoths with the endless money they throw at this optimisation problem.

It's not like algorithms designed to maximise engagement regardless of societal cost are a law of nature we can never escape. It's just unregulated power, which society has worked very hard to limit and align with "the common good" in the past. Free reign for technocrats that display beauty ads to teenage girls after they deleted their selfies, as a single heinous example, is proof that our control mechanism (democracy in the broader sense, I suppose) isn't working anymore, but that also doesn't mean we should roll over and accept it.

I'm with you that personal responsibility is of course important. The message of Johann Hari's book I tried to convey was (paraphrasing again) "Don't be too hard on yourself when you eventually slip up. It's a steep uphill battle."

It’s not a trick. Just like eating sugar, or drinking alcohol etc. you need to have the self awareness to say “hey I’m indulging too much in this and this is not good for me, let me take a break”.

I think my first post on lemmy was about the necessity of limiting algorithms on social media. So I’m in favor of that. But even before social media people were getting addicted to online interaction, like I have met people that have told me they were addicted to chatrooms in the 90s and early 2000s. So even if you do limit the power of the algorithm you’ll still have people glued to their screens scrolling for hours.

so much bullshit

And then what? Go back to the stone age?

Kids waiting to get picked at school and their parents have emergency, how are they gonna inform the others to get picked up? Are they gonna just let that kid suck it up and wait for hours, just like the good old times?

Greed isn't limited to any one economic system, I fear.

What? Corded phones exist, and most schools and offices have at least one in each room. Dumb phones exist. Pagers exist.

Smart phones are not the only singular solution for easy, quick contact.

Author admits smartphones are ubiquitous, and doesn't at all consider, in a hypothetical situation where everyone unanimously agreed to stop using them, where all this e-waste will go?

Also, how do you disillusion the millions of people that use them religiously?

I get the sentiment, but only a significant technologically literate society would really appreciate the need for greater control over their devices and actually possess the skills needed to modify and configure them.

And what does it have to do with smartphones?

You said they make us "more social". I said they don't.

You think that "social media" is "antisocial"? Well, then write it as "ban social media"

Also acceptable.

You realized I said "replaced"?