Apr 9, 2023

Fixing Smartphone Addiction

Discover how to fix smartphone addiction by understanding the paradox of your phone. Learn how to increase the upside and decrease the downside of your phone and how to work from first principles.

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George Mack

The 0.1% of ideas I think — or discover in rabbit holes. Get access to the best ideas I've found for free here: https://t.co/q33ixsFPbq

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The best habit I made in 2023...

I have 2 phones: Cocaine Phone & Kale Phone.

Here's how it fixed my smartphone addiction: pic.twitter.com/8bZGg9JI8X
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
The Smartphone Paradox:

Your phone is a gateway to the world's best knowledge -- and the world's best distractions.

It's like having the best teachers, social clubs, and strip clubs in your pocket 24-7.
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
Society presents 2 solutions to the Smartphone Paradox:

1. Phone Addict - Glued to phone constantly.

2. Phoneless Luddite - No access to the best technology of this century so far.

Burn out or Miss out. pic.twitter.com/DSKiHHf6qm
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
Instead of following society's script, work from first principles:

1. What is the upside of your phone?

2. What is the downside of your phone?

3. How can you increase the upside -- and reduce the downside?
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
Here's the protocol I found works for me:

1. Kale Phone - Full stack serotonin. Only notes, Kindle, Uber, Maps, and emergency number for 2-3 people.

2. Cocaine Phone - Full stack dopamine. Twitter. Instagram. TikTok. WhatsApp. Anyone can contact. pic.twitter.com/TF5eZcPyMO
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
Kale Phone Protocol:

I can check this 24-7 - but it's so damn boring I don't feel the need to.

If I want to procrastinate on it, I must read a book or generate ideas in my notes. (Win-Win)
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
Cocaine Phone Protocol:

I don't check it until ∼12pm on weekdays and ∼2pm on weekends.

I still get the optionality that smartphones produce.

But I don't consume it 24-7 until my brain melts.
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
Observations from the Kale-Cocaine Phone Protocol:

1. The Kale Phone resets your baseline.

2. Your Cocaine phone feels too intense after 60 minutes per day. You start to crave the Kale phone.

3. Think outside the box about how the current problem is framed: Phone or No Phone
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
PS. If you enjoyed this, then you should join 30K+ people in my Clouds & Dirt newsletter.

Clouds = Theory / Big Questions

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— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023
Nuance alert 🚨:

Work from first principles and run your own tests.

Design your own protocol that works best.

Personalize it based on your personality type and current goals.
— George Mack (@george__mack) April 9, 2023