Unexpected Outcomes (Frustrations & Surprises)
Reducing My Phone Usage, One Year On: Article 6
No journey is without its bumps. Significantly reducing smartphone use brought a mix of challenges and surprises. Some negative, some positive, many quite unexpected. Let me start with the hard parts.
Initial Withdrawal and Frustration
The first couple of weeks of the May 2024 social media detox were tough. My logs from that period show irritation and anxiety. On Day 6 of the detox, despite my intentions, I still clocked nearly 2 hours of personal phone screen time and over 100 unlocks. I wrote that I felt “more stressed than normal” without my usual digital comfort. This highlights an important point: I was effectively dealing with a mild withdrawal from the dopamine hits of social apps. I noted cravings to check notifications, phantom vibrations, and a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). All classical symptoms when one unplugs (according to me, anyway). “Detox” was an apt term; it really was like breaking an addiction, complete with mood swings. There were moments I almost gave in. For example, I described one evening where I had a frustrating work email and instinctively opened Twitter to distract myself, only to remember I’d logged out. I didn’t have my 2Fa token so I was forced to sit with my thoughts and contemplate life and everything that comes with it. I felt restless and even bored at times in those early days. This underscores that digital minimalism isn’t instantly blissful; there is an adjustment period that can be uncomfortable.
Relapse and Reinforcement
Another challenge was avoiding relapse. After the structured 30-day detox ended, I found some old habits creeping back. Through late summer 2024, my phone use crept up again (as the data showed, hitting a high in October). I candidly wrote that without the “challenge” aspect, it was easy to rationalize extra screen time – "Just 15 minutes of Reddit" would turn into an hour. This minor backslide was discouraging (and somewhat counterintuitive - one might think a successful detox immunises you, but it’s not so simple). The surprise here was learning that digital habits can regress if you’re not continuously vigilant. This led me to implement new rules in January 2025, like app timers and no-phone zones, to reinforce the behaviour change. Once I did, I quickly got back on track. The lapse in the fall taught me an important lesson: moderation might not work for me - I did better with firm boundaries like “no phone after 8pm” or “social media only on desktop, not on phone.”
Social and Emotional Surprises
I discovered some unanticipated social effects. On the downside, I felt a bit out of the loop with certain friend groups that primarily interacted via various channels. I noted that I missed a couple of event invites (they were sent in group chats I wasn't checking). I had to reassure a few friends that I wasn’t ignoring them, just trying a new lifestyle. Something I didn’t foresee having to do. Emotionally, there were moments of loneliness when I cut off the semblance of connection that social media provides. A late-night log in week 2 of the detox simply reads: “Feeling a bit lonely; normally I'd scroll Reddit now.” This was an honest confrontation with feelings I had been paper mache’ing over with digital noise. The positive side is that by facing them, I was motivated to reach out in more genuine ways.
Now, for the positives! The hidden gains that I hadn't predicted.
Sharper Focus & Less Impulse
I’ve touched on the improved focus and even alleviation of ADHD-like symptoms in previous articles. This was a huge unexpected win. I wrote in amazement on Jan 1, 2025 about feeling more mentally clear than I had in ages. Along similar lines, I discovered I was less impulsive in general. One funny observation on January 4, 2025:
Notice I don't have the urge to buy things now I'm off my phone most of the time.
I realised that mindlessly browsing Reddit/Twitter/whatever had led to a lot of impulse online shopping (ads and even user suggestions constantly triggering the “I need this” feeling). Off social media, that urge practically vanished. I saved money simply by not seeing those tempting posts. This was completely unanticipated – a financial benefit from a digital detox! It also made me reflect on how our phones funnel us into consumerism. The “surprising simplicity” of life with fewer ads and comparisons improved both my wallet and my self-esteem (no more subtle feelings of inadequacy from seeing others’ BS, fabricated highlight reels).
Tech Reassessment
Another unexpected outcome was that I didn’t ditch tech altogether – in fact, I started using certain tech more intentionally. For example, because I wasn't on social media, I began using my e-ink tablet a lot more and rediscovered my love of reading. I also embraced productivity apps like a task manager and digital journal/PKMS (Logseq) not as time sinks, but as tools to support my goals. This nuanced view – that technology isn’t “bad,” it just needs to be deliberate – was something I came to appreciate deeply. By the end of the year, I was almost evangelical about mindful tech use.
Happiness and Calm
Most importantly, an unanticipated emotional gain was a newfound sense of calm and contentment. I frequently used the word “calm” in January–March 2025 entries, noting how my days felt less rushed. The constant buzzing of notifications had created a sense of urgency and anxiety that I’d grown accustomed to. Removing that background hum lowered my stress baseline. I described it as “like stepping off a treadmill I didn't know I was on.” There were moments of pure contentment – such as enjoying a sunset (not looking directly at it, obviously!) without feeling the need to photograph it for social media – that surprised me. I wrote, “I feel more human again.” That’s a powerful statement about the psychological restoration I experienced.
Of course, I’m candid that life didn’t become magically perfect. I still had work deadlines, the kids still made messes and did ‘kid’ stuff, and bad days still occurred. But without the phone as an ever-present crutch or agitator, I felt better equipped to handle everything. The experiment had its share of doubts and difficulties, but by its end the surprises were overwhelmingly positive – many of which I hadn't even set out to achieve.
