I haven't had a smartphone in over a year, and my current phone is a 1921-styled rotary dial telephone mounted to the kitchen wall. How this came to be is a bit of a long story, but after I downgraded to a dumb phone I would forget it at home and leave the house without it all the time, and I do believe that social media and smartphones are making people anti-social and controllable. Have you ever sat in a lobby, waiting room, or break room at work and just looked around at the other people? No one talks anymore, no one calls to even wish you a happy birthday. No one discusses ideas or events, no one reads books anymore, or enjoys life right in front without posting it on social media.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

I am usually the only person looking around a room nowadays...I hear ya.

Oh this was such a breath of fresh air! I have been smart phone free for over a year now and have reaped so many benefits from it. It has been extremely humbling for me to realise how much of my identity was placed in my appearance in society. For example, I was thrift shopping a few months ago when my husband called me. I actually stepped inside the dress rack so people wouldn't see my flip phone be pulled out. In that very moment-I laughed at myself, readjusted my thinking and decided that the dumb phone is a metaphor for my own self-righteousness. Very thankful for the Lord's teaching and the wisdom that can be gained from such a small step of faith.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Ah, yes. I've definitely noticed people doing double-takes when they realize I've just flipped my phone open. May the process continue to teach and bless you!

@joylot729

Жыл бұрын

The best story, thank you for sharing with me. Cheers. From Indonesia.

i dont understand how a video that calls you out this hard, with food for thought so flavorful that it could be so underrated 😭😭

@thecommonplacehomeschool

10 ай бұрын

Ha! Thanks for listening!

@xxxlegend6810

2 ай бұрын

Oh my god, you play sky too!

Yes, Yes, Yes! I have found that the moments of boredom no longer phase me. When I first made the switch, wow was I bored. Now that I'm three months in I'm the most present I've ever been with my kiddos. I actually make eye contact when they talk to me instead of halfway listening while I used to look at my smartphone. It's been great! I'm with you, I'm not switching back either. It's been the best change in my life!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Elli! I've been hoping to see an update from you!

👏🏻 You make an excellent and eloquent argument for either ditching a smartphone or reducing its presence in everyday life. You really touched on something that I hadn’t. My irritation with having to deal with people. Email and text have absolutely created the feeling that interacting with people is an inconvenience. You’ve given me something to marinate on. Thank you!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Kori! It's those less-obvious shifts that can really do some damage!

This is so true. I have been living in my “machine”. Stay at home mom, 2 kids, a husband, and my smart phone. A big happy family… That is until I began suffering from daily panic attacks and can no longer drive more than 6 minutes away, can’t sit in a room with people for an hour without having a panic attack. What I thought was “connection” and “gaining information” and “convenience” was really a phone, requiring my brain, and teaching me that human interactions are UNSAFE. I really love how on the nail you are with your explanation. Really, truly, and sadly makes so much sense.

@lillyoliver2056

4 ай бұрын

Rewiring my brain*

@thecommonplacehomeschool

4 ай бұрын

I'm sorry to hear this has been your experience! So much of what you shared is becoming commonplace. You're certainly not alone! The wonderful thing about the brain is it can relearn and make new pathways with a bit of effort. This gives me hope.

@lillyoliver2056

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely! I believe God has been quietly trying to redirect me for years, and I let bad habits steer me in the wrong direction. I am capable of making healthier habits and I will. ❤@@thecommonplacehomeschool

Nobody tries to contact me anymore now that I have a flip phone... and it's glorious

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Nick, you're bringing out my Ron Swanson side.

@NickGossAuthor

Жыл бұрын

@@thecommonplacehomeschool My favorite quote from Ron Swanson is "I once worked with a guy for three years and never learned his name... best friend I ever had. We still never talk sometimes." 😂

Oh my goodness, this is so good! I have a couple of thoughts....as an introvert, I have found that 10+ years of using a smartphone has enabled me to avoid so many of the social situations that I find uncomfortable, I have actually become even more introverted and lower in self confidence as a result. I also wonder about how the pandemic has made us more wary of germs/human contact, etc, to the degree that the convenience of our smartphones seems a sensible, "cleaner" way of doing things. It feels almost wiser to use them. 🤔 I'm actually going to be switching back to an ordinary mobile phone this week (yes, I'm old enough to remember life before smartphones 😁), and I'm beyond excited about it! I can feel the tension draining out of my body just thinking about it. Really looking forward to your next update, and thank you for voicing this subject! ❤️

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Oh yes, I think, for sure, our practices form us. So, being able to avoid the situations that push you outwards means your practices is to avoid that which is uncomfortable which makes it more uncomfortable and you more likely to opt out of it! Yes! I hope the phone switch brings sweet relief to you!

@Celticbavarian

Жыл бұрын

You are also describing me on all points, except that I’m not ready for the down (up) grade. 3 reasons: GPS and streaming music and KZread. I feel like those things are genuinely good and life enhancing for me. 🤔 🤔 🤔 Thinking…

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

@@Celticbavarian I still stream music and use YT from my computer during set time periods! It's just more limited and isn't easily accessed/regularly on.

For some who want a dumb phone that has a few helpful features, I recommend the light phone. You can do group texting, music and it had GPS but no internet. We don't have wifi at home so it's helpful to still have some stuff accessible, and with my husband being in ministry we host large groups and organize home studies that being able to send group messages is extremely convenient amd the light phone has that as an option. So just throwing that out there for anyone who would find switching more feasible with those options.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Oh yes, I've heard of this! Thank you for sharing!

@crayzeemorgan

Жыл бұрын

I would love to hear more about not having wifi at home and how that works out for y'all, because that is something I've been VERY much considering in the last month or so.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

@@crayzeemorgan Ooh, I want to hear about that too!

@samanthaborlaug8854

Жыл бұрын

I think for some people it would be harder than others not having wifi because of job situations and such. My husband makes sure he gets all his core work done at the office before coming home, he does some online studies in the evening and goes back to his office for those, so thats one of the sacrifices we personally decided to make for some evenings. We litterly just don't need the internet for anything essential at home so it's been great, but I do believe some find it a necessity for work type stuff and it may be harder to navigate or remove completely. It also plays into homeschool curriculm choices also which can be a con for some bc anything that would require more consistent computer time such as CMEC or Alvery with printing and video stuff it can make some of that harder. In 11 years of marriage we only had about 2 years of wifi and that was during covid for my husbands work and it has been great for the majority of the time not having wifi. I think just like switching from a smart phone to a dumb phone you never really look back, it's just so worth it! But all that to say we are extremely blessed to have a great community, friendships and resources available to us and for others that may not be the case and wifi connects you to others and outside resources you wouldn't have otherwise.

Just found your podcast and KZread channel and I have been loving your content! Thank you for spending the time to create these videos!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

2 ай бұрын

So happy to have you in these parts!

My social anxiety just spiked 😂 but seriously.. this is very thought provoking.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Ah! You may find that interacting mostly with your "real life" community is far less anxiety-producing than carrying the added load of so much useless, unnecessary information thrown at you. We can only handle so much as limited creatures!

I'm a retired IT guy that uses a flip phone. My iPhone (yes I do have a smartphone) sits in a box on a shelf. I turn it on once every month or two to see if it needs to be updated but apart from that I go with the flip phone when I leave the house. We have a desktop PC, an iPad and Wi-Fi at home and I get my fill of internet while at home! When I go out, I don't need nor want the constant connection to the internet! There are times when I don't even take my flipper with me but I do like to have a basic phone to contact my wife (or vice versa) when I'm out and about. p.s. I'm going to read that book you mentioned in the video.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

11 ай бұрын

Love this! We really don't have a *need* for smartphones!

Interesting conversation! I'm not ready yet to give up my smartphone..but the info you presented in this video definitely has me thinking!! Thank you!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much, Tanya! I'm grateful for your time and the space to flesh out some ideas without formal conclusions!

@tanya4149

Жыл бұрын

@@thecommonplacehomeschool I appreciate your work! Your podcast and channel have been so helpful and thought provoking to me!! Thank you!😊

so glad i came across this video !!!! thank you so much for sharing !!!!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

10 ай бұрын

So happy to have you here!

This video made me subscribe. Good, deep stuff!

@mydailyburger3924

Жыл бұрын

Well done! 😃

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

This is the nudge I needed to ditch my smartphone! I’ve been considering it for a while. Wow. I can see this happening in myself and to the people around me. I think some people are definitely more prone to shutting people out - I am introverted, and my extroverted husband doesn’t seem to have the same issues of staying connected with others (although, he does express frustration with his relationships not seeming as genuine as they used to). Thanks for sharing!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Ah! Do it! Do it! Honestly, I can't even think of what I would use a smartphone for in a day and I've only been free from it for three months! Life readjusts so easily and pleasantly!

You’re an excellent presenter and communicator.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

4 ай бұрын

Thank you kindly!

Hello Autum! I stumbled upon your videos a few months ago, after listening to your podcast. ( Ha! All technology! Ha!) However, I really appreciate this video it speaks to a simpler but fuller life. Just remembering childhood and how we lived life so different from now and really wanting to preserve that way of life for my children now. I appreciate all of your videos on CM as well. I have four children and my oldest (girl) is currently in 1B with Mater Amabilis. We will be joining the CMEC this coming week! Enrollment is finally open! And I also Live in PA. Berks Country. 😊😊

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Cassie, hello! The tension within how I use technology to talk about the transcendentals/humanizing way of living is a real conundrum for me. I'm becoming more and more like my great friend C.S. Lewis in seeing * some * technology as the evil magic of our time, quickly removing that which makes us persons, the living icons of Christ. But gah! How to use the acceptable technology to do good!? At least once a week I think I'm part of the problem and should hop off the internet, but, here we are. Congratulations on your big CMEC day this week! Last year, I was up at 5am to sign up from pure excitement. Honestly, I might do the same this year. We've just loved it!

Thanks for this

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

I have had a dumb phone for a long time and I love it! I do have a tablet that I can use for all the other features when I want. However, I can leave it home or turn it off and still have a way to contact people or be contacted if needed without it. It makes me so much more present in the moment, especially when I'm not home and the tablet is inconvenient to carry around and use in public or other people's homes. It has also helped with my patience. I have to sit and wait in public without all the stimulation and distractions on a device to entertain me. It has made my mind a lot quieter and more peaceful. I like having the opinion to use it if i want, but it's not my source contact with people, so I dont feel like I need it on me all the time. I have found myself using my tablet less often over time. Using it too much now makes my brain feel too loud and busy.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

2 ай бұрын

I see you’ve been making your way through the series-love that! It’s interesting how “loud” the tech is once you remove it!

The best, thank you for this lesson. Fans from Indonesia. The best

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Hello to you all! Thank you!

So so interesting and thought provoking! Thank you for sharing! I have a question - could you make a video about how you manage CM homeschooling and your photography business? Or is this something you’ve discussed in patreon? Facing this when we start form 1b this fall and I’d love any insight!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Best wishes to you, Mallory! I have shared bits and pieces in Patreon, but honestly, as The CP continues to grow, I'm stepping back from photography. It's a bit too much to run two businesses while homeschooling, you know?

Wow that Machine story was thought provoking

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

WASN'T IT?!

So very interesting. I have always been terrible about calling on the phone( since I was a kid ot just always felt so awkward like I was imterupting) so I love textabout. But this gives me a lot to think abouy.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

I'm thankful for your listening to the ideas! Before this, I also felt awkward calling but when something must be done (no other option), I think we get over it pretty quickly!

Thanks for the video! Even tho some things take longer to accomplish without the smart phone, do you find life overall less stressful? Also the thing you mentioned here about how when you actually have conversations with people how you learn more information; I actually just realized this the other day myself. Family members that I text daily, after having an actual sit down conversation, I found out there's so much going on in their lives that I didn't know; I felt awful about it really. Like these are the people I'm closest to, but I don't even know the real stuff going on in their lives.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Chelsea! You hit the nail on the head. I thought I was really up-to-date with all my people but really I was just doing brief check-ins. (I have so many thoughts about calling them also communicates how much they matter to me because I give them my time and attention as long as it takes rather than choosing to text respond only when it's convenient to me.) I'm now so much more aware of how they are doing as whole people-mind, body, spirit-by calling or seeing them face-to-face. And yes, life does feel less stressful. There's research that says for every minute you engage on a phone screen, it takes 4-6 (I think?) minutes to fully re-engage with reality. As a mom of littles, I can say, that once I switched to the dumb phone-and consequently stopped multitasking "quick, little things" or trying to live outside of some God-given limitations-I haven't snapped at my kids since. There seems to be time and attention for each thing as it's needed because it comes at a much slower pace. This is one observation I'm still watching and will add to a future update! (So. Many. Thoughts.)

I just came across your channel today, probably because KZread noticed that I was watching a couple of videos on dumb phones. This is nice. I'm not struggling with social media in general, but I do still like to watch YT or listen to Spotify, I'd say as much as an hour or two a day. Especially listening to podcasts as I drive. Aside from reading, do you (or did you) get your entertainment from your phone? How has this changed?

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

The Machine will always notice what you're watching. I do miss being able to listen to podcasts or the specific music I want while driving! I think this limitation has, however, offered a good reminder that I can't have what I want when I want it...even if it is a good thing. This is not a lesson we have to learn on the daily anymore; although it was for most of history. I definitely used my phone for listening to KZread videos, podcasts, music, or conference talks while cooking, cleaning, driving, walking, etc. I also used it for social media for work (which I still have the accounts but only access them from my desktop and, like you, social media wasn't a problem for me). Now, I access those in the evenings from my computer but I engage with far less content. I actually see this as a benefit two months in: I only listen to the "very good" or "the best" of things because I don't have the time to just "play something". If I really want to listen to something, it gets my full attention when I get to it and is far more of a "simply joy" in my day than just background.

@jazzstandardman

Жыл бұрын

@@thecommonplacehomeschool That's great. Thank you for the reply. I remember years ago listening to this thing called a radio while driving. Music, baseball, talk shows with prank calls, whatever. :)

@lydialoretz8486

Жыл бұрын

​@@thecommonplacehomeschool Hello Autumn! Oh wow, this is something that I have been battling with for about 3 years now. I have spent the time trying to disentangle myself from my smartphone and allowing it to really shed light on what is going on in my internal world. So many thoughts! I have watched a lot of KZread about the practicalities of getting rid of a smartphone etc.. But it never quite gave me the whole picture that I was looking for. I wanted to dig deep in myself and see what I was desiring when I “needed” to be back on my phone. Can I just say, I so appreciate your ability to discuss the bigger ideas behind this topic ( of limiting smartphones & education etc..). When I watched the first video in this series I was like: FINALLY THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT. I have noticed how I have been formed around the smart devices ( to the point that I don’t know how to manage finances without them for example), and this began to concern me. But I am willing to learn as I have had elements of my life formed around convenience. So I am in the process of getting rid of my smartphone but I have one final snag that has become a big thing for me. That is listening to podcasts/lectures. I am an AVID listener, all the time I will have something playing. I discovered your channel this way, which has been of such benefit to me. I have tried to delete Spotify from my phone, but then when I do I have this panicked feeling of “if I’m not listening to things and constantly learning about things, I won’t be productive/progressive.” I think that is the thought boiled down. I would love to be free of this thought because I think it’s somehow linked to the two questions you’re exploring in your videos. Do I few myself and my relationship to others as a quantative thing? I am only valuable by how much I seemingly do? I also question how much deep learning am I actually doing when I am just listening to large amounts of seemingly “good stuff”. I get such enjoyment and on the surface satisfaction when I listen to podcasts but I do feel overwhelmed by the amount of podcasts and the amount of great books to read and the amount of living ideas etc.. Anywho, have you noticed anything of this sort in your travels. I can see that you love to learn, can I ask how that has shifted if you don’t use Spotify on a smartphone ? Sorry for the rambling, I still haven’t been able to articulate this to someone yet. It may need some more time cooking. But I would love some insights if you have any into this sticky situation. Praying for you and your family. Thank you for blessing us with your content and helping unlock some of these deeper insights into the human person.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

@@lydialoretz8486 Hi Lydia! Love all of these thoughts and especially your question about seeing ourselves as valuable based solely on what we do (and learning vs. gluttony). So, for me, I've been an avid podcast listener for years. Hands free but learning? Amazing! However, as my kids have grown, I've not been able to tune in as regularly without finding myself frustrated over interruptions or missing key points in an episode. I decided to opt out of listening rather than be annoyed at my little ones for being people. But I think that's been to my advantage. Like with most things, having boundaries gives us more of an ordered freedom and fine-tunes our focus. When I do choose to listen to something, I'm listening to the excellent or very good things. I'm not just playing something because I can -even if they're good or fine things. The child-provided boundary taught me I need time to mull over ideas (so podcast gluttony had to end) and the QUIET to do so. Being bored is quite necessary to thinking deeply, and by having something always on, we're never bored. Losing the smartphone limited that time even more (admittedly) but I think the same benefits remain.

Showing up on doorstep is a pleasant memory of the past …

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

I'm trying to bring it back! Have you read The Awakening of Miss Prim? It made me long for a "drop in" culture, and I've been working to (1) make it known to others to do it and (2) be prepared for good hospitality when it does!

@akieffer

Жыл бұрын

@@thecommonplacehomeschool my family always wished people would be more like this, but ut's hard to get others to understand that we'd be ok with them just showing up. In fact we wish they would.

Thank you so much for your thoughts on this. I just ordered a flip phone and I'm very excited for it to arrive. I totally agree with you about texting friends versus being faceto face with them. Just yesterday, I got to hold my friend's brand new baby for the first time. I had texted her after the baby was born, but there is nothing like that face to face interaction and touching and holding a brand new baby. It's THE MOST BLESSED feeling ever. There is a physiological change in humans whem it comes to physical touch. Especially skin to skin for women. I'd be interested to see how smartphones have changed us physiologically. Ona separate note,I asked my eighth grade students if they preferred texting or calling and they all said facetime or calling. They do not like texting. I had not expected them to say that. It made me wonder how I can cultivate more in person social relationships within my students ao their phones do not take over their lives. ❤ Thank you thank you thank you. While I am still a public educator, I tryo bring the concepts of classical education to the public school while God still has me in the school. Thank you for all your content. ❤❤

@thecommonplacehomeschool

9 ай бұрын

Yes, yes, yes! I'm so excited for you to get yours! And I *love* hearing about public school educators bringing these principles and ideas into their classrooms. I hope every child has the chance to encounter truth, beauty, and goodness with a loving guide!

This was very interesting. I'm never not with people....( I'm the homeschooling mother of nine ages 8 months to 12 years.) And I'm always alone we live in rural America. The nearest Target is over an hour away, we do have a couple of what we call restaurant s but no take out or fast food unless you drive 20 minutes one way. I was easily able to answer no to all your questions. The smart phones for us are a 2"x4" window into the outside world. We live for church on Sunday to be with people and would miss the information at our finger tips access the smartphones give us, although, yes we do have a couple sets of encyclopedias too. We are just leading really different lives. And like I said your point if view was very interesting.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening! There is definitely a spectrum of living and not everyone will have the same "ties to the machine". If you're interested, this is an on-going series where I'm asking two questions about smartphones: 1. Are we being formed to convenience (of varying levels!) and, consequently, to machines over people? 2. Are we cultivating the lie that we're like God in ways we're not (omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent)? I have another video coming out soon about modern gnosticism or "living as disembodied brains" and one after that about "disenchantment" or "evil enchantment that blur our view of Reality". All fun ideas. ;) But with each of these videos, I hope to throw out some ideas and angles that might spark a new way to view the things we easily accept and integrate into our lives without much questioning or worry! *My guess is being in rural America, you have a great benefit in space, nature, out-of-doors time, family togetherness, community-orientation, limitations, and more!

Choose the people! These should be words to live by.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

6 ай бұрын

100%

Oh also, I forgot to leave a comment saying thank you so much for doing this update and sharing it, I’ve really been hanging out for this video of yours too! ❤😊 I have a flip phone that has WhatsApp capabilities (mainly to keep the loud Italian family satisfied 😅) but I have it currently still sitting in a box. I’m still trying to sort out things that I feel are a bit higher priority at the moment, like our new family rhythms and our home, my online business etc, before I take the plunge. But in my heart I am longing to just say ciao ciao to this smartphone. It’s not a very old smart phone either so it’s hard in a way to part with that from an economical sense of things, also I have received quite a bit of backlash from family, oh and a lot of eye rolls 😂 Anyway, long story short, thank you for sharing as always, you are a true inspiration and a blessing ❤ I’ve been praying for you and your family too 😊

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for the prayers-truly! There are very fancy dumb phones (ha!) but if you are looking for a more economical option (because I, too, wondered why I'd buy another new phone when I was holding a phone), I purchased the $20 option from Target. It's a basic flip phone, and while it doesn't look like I'm a cool digital minimalist, it does exactly what a phone ought to do. And in that sense, it is a very good phone.

Funny enough, my iPhone broke and rather than get a new one I decided to get a flip phone. It sucks to text but hearing from people because you’re giving them your time is so much more intimate. We still have an iPad and computer but it’s an intentional thing to go into the other room to be on it. The time spent with family is more personal as my brain isn’t on the device in my pocket. I will say I can still order my groceries online from home and then go pick them up and call when I get there. It saves me money for sure but you’re right. It’s not strengthening muscles of self restraint, boundaries or conversations. I can,t spread the gospel from never being with people. This was great and I didn’t realize you were doing this as well! Happy I’m not the only one and hope you’re not being teased by the masses like I am .

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Texting is the WORST. Ha! One thing I've loved about telephoning my friends is that I am saying to them (and them to me), "You are worth my time." Neither of us knows how long the call will be, what might be brought up, etc., but we've chosen to prioritize the person even at a cost to ourselves. How those small patterns of love will bear fruit could be quite lovely in those relationships. I didn't mention it, but part of those studies on younger generations show they also can't sit with uncomfortable or painful emotions because they're so formed by the "swiping" motion of our age. In real life, you can't pass over something terrible in two seconds and move onto something fun or ephemeral. Sitting in hard thing with people is a muscle I feel flexing whenever I choose the "person way". I may fumble, I may misspeak, I may need to be quiet (all things we can avoid through texting and emailing with the option to erase and try again or "wait" until we want to respond); but in fumbling through loving people in real time, I do learn to carry burdens, consider others above myself, and more. Like you said, strengthening those muscles is becoming an active decision. (Or what I'm calling "acts of gentle defiance" in the next dumb phone video!)

Are you using some alternative media player for music? How much did it cost to stock up? I don’t have a computer so right now I try to just treat my iPhone like my computer. Not carrying it around and just using it for podcasts, email, etc. but music is probably my biggest use for a smart device!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

8 ай бұрын

We have Sonos speakers in the house, so I can queue up music from my computer while at home. But I'm trying to pull away from that (as I'm weak and then will keep my computer out and use it like a large smartphone on the counter), so I've been learning to enjoy the constraints of our very small vinyl collection and silence.

Nice

@thecommonplacehomeschool

4 ай бұрын

Thanks.

Just found your channel and here are my answers to your quiz: 1) I do currently choose that option but it’s because I have previously spent waaaay too much time in the stores and my kids (through MY own fault) have become very materialistic. I chose them because I can avoid the endless browsing for myself and the meltdowns while we all heal and build better buying habits. 2) No, I actually get annoyed when I call a place and can’t just speak with a human 😂😂 I usually have to explain something or ask questions. I prefer to place my orders in person as well (getting pizza or coffee). 3) It depends. If I need one thing and it can’t wait, I will sometimes get annoyed because dragging two toddlers into a store for one item is not fun or easy. Especially for a shopoholic in recovery because I don’t want to tell them no either…😂 4) I don’t have any social media except KZread so no, I don’t know what anyone is doing except what my mom tells me about family friends😂 I do however, spend WAY too much time on KZread and have virtually replaced all of my real relationships and friendships with KZreadrs so that’s my version of this question, to which I say an unfortunate, resounding yes.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for adding these thoughts! I love hearing others' perspectives and answers!

I moved to two phones. One is my main phone (smart/dumb phone) with no apps on it besides email, text, phone app, map(with gps disable). The other phone is a regular phone with wifi only (is an older phone) that I have KZread on it, and my authentications for work. This has worked.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

6 ай бұрын

I love hearing how people apply the principles in various ways!

You might find the book Analog Christian, by Jay Kim, really interesting. I checked it out of the library recently and am enjoying it.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Oh, thank you for the suggestion!

When does Season 3 of the podcast come out? I keep checking my podcast app waiting for new episodes. Haha

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Ah yay! May 4th!

@akieffer

Жыл бұрын

@@thecommonplacehomeschool awesome! So excited. :)

Yes to all! 😢😊

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Can't wait to share more observations!

Do you have any tips for those of us who actually run businesses online for example, on a realtor and an in-home micro baker and social media really is crucial when it comes to building that business, which then provide the financial needs for my family, but I so much want to get rid of this smart phone I just don’t know how it would look logistically with my businesses

@thecommonplacehomeschool

4 ай бұрын

My most recent dumb phone video would award this "Autumn points" for being a really good reason for having a smart phone. (It also means you have to exercise self-restraint in ways I don't with a dumb phone. A different set of muscles, same end goal.) But, you could opt for something like the Light Phone. It's a favourite with those who need a smart phone for work but want a dumb phone when they "clock out". You can have a second number or swap the SIM back and forth!

I so want to do that but my best friend is in France and my mom in Kenya and my dad in Germany. It would be too expensive to use regular sms services.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Ah, yes. This is a legitimate concern. I realized all my apps for long-distance friends are accessible on my computer but it does limit my use. Ultimately, my question is about the ways we use machines to live outside of our image bearer-limitations. There are plenty of ways I use machines that work within that design boundary, and it sounds like, for you, this is one that allows you to be in relationship!

@shannonhayes2447

Жыл бұрын

I have a $70 dumb phone from Mint Mobile that includes WhatsApp capability--it's a lifesaver, since I work in Central Asia and can't call or text friends and colleagues there because of the SMS expenses.

@ourevergreenhome

Жыл бұрын

@@shannonhayes2447 I also have this struggle, we live somewhere where a lot of our family (majority in fact) do not, so I bought a second hand flip phone that also has 4G and WhatsApp, purely for the contact of family and friends overseas and in other cities/states etc. but also, it has VOICE MESSAGE 😍 I love sending voice messages! It’s the next best thing to a phone call I find as you do get that convenience of a “call feel” conversation but still works over time differences etc.

I probably need to try the dumb phone thing. I've known a couple of people who have done it. It's so hard to wean off of it. And my work includes social media management. I also took up reading ebooks on my kindle when breastfeeding. But I spend too much on it around my daughter, and now she's way too interested in my phone.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

I think everyone's been at this point where we feel tied to the machine and we're seeing the effects. If you have the chance, read Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. He has a great framework for assessing your tech use and, if you do need/benefit from certain ones, how to use them in a measured, limited way. (Like for work!)

@akieffer

Жыл бұрын

@@thecommonplacehomeschool thanks!

I have a follow-up question, though - how do you do podcasts and audiobooks without the smartphone??

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

I listen to very few (it's now more of a treat than background noise) and when I do, it's after my kids are in bed and I'll play something from my computer!

I have already never liked iPhones. It was a red flag to me when I started noticing EVERYONE started getting one. I missed the unique cellphones everyone had. People don’t say Cellphone anymore. Hardly. I just got a Nokia 225 4g and I love it

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

You were wiser than college-aged me. But I do love my normal cell phone! It's so rare that I have the phone near me (in the house or away from the house) that I've seriously considered getting a landline and forgoing one altogether! It's certainly not a need.

Broadcasting yesterday's news tomorrow?

So I guess I'm done, but I gonna listen anyways 😀

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Hope you left with an idea to mull over! That's the goal.

I still call 411 because I switched to a dumb phone as well. It still is around.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

It's not in my area! The recording said it's no longer available. It must be in certain locations!

I am still working my way out of the entanglement of the machine, but once you kick your smartphone to the curb, you start seeing things. I am talking about a father who looked at his phone the entire time while eating at a nice restaurant with his young son. The young man who held his phone in front of his face through the entire checkout process with a cashier at a gas station. And I still can't figure out what manner of man sits in his car at the grocery store while a middle-aged woman (or anyone for that matter) puts his groceries in the back of his truck. Keep slaying those dragons, Autumn!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

There is certainly an awareness (of self and others) that I didn't see before!

I think a lot of these issues are more relevant to people who live in cities and people who don’t have communities they don’t meet up with on a regular basis, personally my family kept the sabbath in a jewish community so that worked a lot of our “muscles” even within a city

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Oooh, so this is a really interesting point, Prana. I can definitely see the city hermit being able to live solely with machines. As a Christian, I too am very community-connected and oriented in the rhythms of my week. It could be a point of consideration that certain faith traditions hold to practices that support and reinforce the God-given limitations of persons which gives us a partial anchor in the modern world.

@tinac3094

Жыл бұрын

I live in a very remote rural area and rely on my smartphone for travel, "socialising" and entertainment. I think the pull of the smartphone affects us all in whatever circumstances we live in. It's an interesting topic, isn't it? 😊

I saw a video once about turning your smartphone into a dumb phone by deleting all the apps/internet on it. Could be an option for those who want to experiment. :)

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Oh yes! I did that so many times! My problem was eventually I would find a reason to download Google maps or Google. Something *very* necessary, you know. I'm a weak person. 'Twas better to cut it out fully.

@nataliecrowe2122

Жыл бұрын

@@thecommonplacehomeschool Haha…same here. I have at least kept things to a minimum. Maps and podcast/audiobook apps are hard for me to let go. 😅

hi

@thecommonplacehomeschool

8 ай бұрын

Welcome.

Autumn is hot.

Is it bad that I’m listening to this on my smartphone? 😂 GPS alone is what makes me not give it up, I guess I could buy a GPS for my car -- maybe I’ll check it out.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Haha, I listened to many a good thing on mine for years! In fact, I kept telling myself that I was using it for "good" things-not things like scrolling on social media-and yet, here we are. I am planning on buying a GPS for the car. So far I've made do with handwritten instructions but I work as a wedding photographer and can't risk getting lost on a wedding day en route to ceremonies and receptions! But for my personal life, the handwritten is doing just fine!

@sandraruiz4737

Жыл бұрын

I believe the Light phone is. Modern dumb phone and has gps

@Dreblueskies

Жыл бұрын

@@thecommonplacehomeschool You are a great role model. Analog is a lost art, too bad they don’t sell maps anymore. Old school street maps! So maybe you can review the dumb phone as well.

@Dreblueskies

Жыл бұрын

@@sandraruiz4737 Oh cool! Thank you.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

@@Dreblueskies "Kids, grab the map out of the back pocket of my seat!" I can see it.

Wow, yes… we think we are like God! The replacement for human interaction and community… man, people, look at me and acknowledge someone is standing next to you in line!

@thecommonplacehomeschool

4 ай бұрын

I always think of Gerard Manley Hopkins: "For Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his To the Father through the features of men's faces." What happens when we fail to notice limbs, eyes, and the features of faces which reflect the imago Dei into the world?

It is possible that machines are to humans, what beehives are to bees.

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Do you want to say more? I'm not quite following.

411 does exist!!! You also have the 1800-Free-411 line for those that don't want to pay. Just an FYI

@thecommonplacehomeschool

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! I've learned since filming this that 411 does exist just not in my area!