Khaberni - Amid growing global concern about smartphone addiction and its impact on mental health and focus, a personal experiment by a 28-year-old young journalist revealed unconventional tricks that helped her reduce her phone usage time without resorting to complete deprivation or strict solutions that often fail.
The owner of the experience stated through her social media accounts that the phone has been an integral part of her life since childhood, starting with the "Snake" game on old Nokia phones, through the "BlackBerry" days with long chats on BBM and Tumblr, and up to the era of Instagram and TikTok, where the phone became an all-day companion.
She added that she was forced to uninstall Instagram and TikTok from her phone after noticing that she was losing long hours in "endless scrolling," especially with her Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which makes her more prone to seeking quick stimulation.
With the start of 2026, she decided that this year would be a real turning point in her relationship with the phone, but she realized that her previous attempts to reduce screen time failed quickly, prompting her to look for innovative solutions.
An "analog" bag instead of a phone
Among the ideas that caught her attention, the concept of the "analog bag" launched by Campell, which gained widespread attention on social media, involves replacing the habit of holding the phone with a bag containing tangible activities, such as paper books, coloring books, crafts, or drawing tools.
Campell explained that the goal is not sudden disconnection, but rather replacing the habit, where she alters the contents of the bag monthly. In January, she put in a subscription to The New Yorker for browsing news by hand instead of scrolling on the screen, along with a sketchbook as part of an art challenge, a Polaroid camera, and knitting tools.
The journalist decided to embark on the experience herself, leaving the house without a phone, only carrying a bag that included the novel "Wuthering Heights" and a coloring book. On the bus, she found herself completely immersed in reading, without any interruptions from notifications or sudden desires to respond to messages.
However, the experience was not without negatives, as she sometimes felt uncomfortable in public places, and wondered, "How will I call for emergencies without a phone?", as well as increased feelings of insecurity due to relying on a health app linked to her phone for monitoring her blood sugar levels, as she has type 1 diabetes, making it impractical to be away from the phone for long.
She concluded that the "analog bag" returned her to a feeling of "healthy boredom" that allows space for deep thinking, but it requires prior planning and does not fully suit her daily life, rating the experience 3 out of 5 in terms of effectiveness.
The physical distance from the phone
The second trick came also from TikTok, based on "hanging the phone" in a fixed location in the house, as was the case with the old landline phones. One of the content creators made a phone stand from clay, considering that having a specific place to put the phone when returning home might benefit mental health.
The journalist chose to place her phone at the entrance on top of a pile of books, committed to keeping it away daily by no later than eight in the evening, and putting it on silent mode. Despite initially feeling anxious and disconnected, a dinner experience with her mother without a phone completely changed her view.
She confirmed that the physical distance from the phone made her more present and engaged in the conversation, experiencing one of the deepest conversations in a long time with her mother. She noticed that she had become accustomed to "multitasking" in a tiring way, like watching television while browsing Instagram at the same time, which increased her feeling of stress.
Without the phone within her grasp, she managed to focus on a single activity, fully relax, and feel a greater ability to stop thinking and leave the day's stresses behind her.
The experience confirmed that the solution to the problem of screen addiction might not be in complete prohibition, but in reorganizing the relationship with the phone, creating a conscious distance that allows for focus, calmness, and the enjoyment of simple moments away from notifications.
