A while ago, I found a book online called How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price. The title caught my eye, so I searched Google to see if I could find any reviews. Not just star ratings, but I wanted to see what people really thought. Did it live up to its name? Did it help?
You know that feeling when you’re thinking about trying something new. You want to snoop around a bit, see what others are saying, maybe delay the decision a little. That’s what I was doing: scrolling, skimming, seeing what I could find. Trying to decide if the book was worth it.
In the end, I never bought it. Never even read it. I think I read a summary at some point, but that’s about it. The next 29 minutes? Gone. I jumped from reviews to blog posts to YouTube videos, until I forgot why I started.
And honestly, that’s the pattern now. We don’t just get distracted. We get pulled under. We reach for our phones without thinking. Just to check one thing. Just for a second. Just to stay “productive.” It adds up. This kind of convenience has become the default, and it’s rewiring us.
Every “just one more” video. Every doomscroll through headlines. Every quick refresh for likes or messages. These tiny habits are quietly rewiring how we think and how well we can focus. Most of the time, we don’t even notice it happening. Not until it’s already happened.
The Tradeoff We Didn’t See Coming
In psychology, there’s a concept known as Digital Atrophy. First, what is Atrophy? It’s when a part of the body — like a muscle or, in this case, the brain — gradually loses strength or sharpness because it’s not being used enough.
Now think about this: every time we rely on technology to remember something, to make a decision, to find our way around, or to solve a simple task, we’re giving our brain one less reason to stay active. And over time, that underuse adds up. Our mental muscles weaken. That’s Digital Atrophy, when our minds slowly lose their edge because we’ve outsourced too much of the work it’s supposed to do.
A study from the University of Texas found that just having your phone nearby — even when it’s off — can lower your brain’s ability to focus and solve problems. Another study from McGill University showed that relying too much on GPS can shrink the region of the brain responsible for spatial memory and learning. In short, the more our phones think, the less practice our minds get — and the slower they become.
It’s not a coincidence that people today struggle more with focus and problem-solving. We’ve stopped using our mental muscles. And now we’re paying the price: clearer thinking, traded for convenience.
My Phone Took Over My Brain
There was a time I actually felt proud that I didn’t wear a watch. When people asked why, I’d laugh and say, “I’ve got a PA,” while tapping my phone. “It tells the time, sets meetings, reminds me of birthdays, and helps me pay bills. The only thing it hasn’t been able to do is sleep with my wife.”
Funny. But also, if I’m honest, a little sad.
For years, I let my phone make the decisions I didn’t want to deal with. It told me when to sleep (thanks, Netflix autoplay), when to wake up (alarm + TikTok scroll), what to eat (hello, delivery apps), and even how to feel (dopamine hits from notifications). I wasn’t in control of my time. I was being controlled by design.
I depend on my phone for work because it pays my bills. But somewhere along the way, it also started stealing things I didn’t even realise I was losing.
Here’s the kicker: My phone makes me money. But it’s also costing me things I didn’t notice slipping away. Presence. Patience. Mental agility. Emotional depth. These are things you can’t recharge with a power bank.
This Isn’t a Tech Rant. It’s a Warning
Let’s be honest: technology isn’t the enemy. It is incredibly powerful. That’s exactly why we need to use it with more intention. Our brains weren’t built for this speed—this flood of information, this never-ending stream of feedback. But modern apps and platforms are engineered to take full advantage of it.
You’ve heard of dopamine—that brain chemical linked to pleasure and motivation? Every ping, like, and scroll is designed to spark it. The more we react, the more we want. And the more we want, the less we pause to think.
That’s how we end up scrolling when we should be sleeping. Searching when we should be reading. Consuming instead of creating.
What Can We Actually Do About It?
We don’t have to live off-grid or delete every app. But we do need to be more honest about what we’re giving up.
- Try finding your way without GPS once in a while. Let your brain work it out.
- Leave your phone in another room while you focus. Let your mind wander—that’s where ideas come from.
- Set phone-free hours, especially in the morning. Give your brain a quiet start.
- Buy a wristwatch. Not because it’s vintage, but because it helps you check the time without unlocking your phone and getting sucked in for 30 minutes.
And if you’re like me, next time, read the book. Don’t just Google the summary. Don’t save it for later. Read it. Slowly. Fully. Like you once did.
Your Brain Wasn’t Meant to Be on Autopilot
Algorithms won’t tell you this, but your mind needs stillness. Boredom is where real thinking lives. That’s how you grow.
The tools that made life easier—search engines, GPS, one-tap everything—they gave us speed. But they cost us something, too. They made it harder to focus for more than five minutes. Harder to read without reaching for your phone. Harder to sit still without checking something. They handed us the whole world, but left us feeling disconnected from it.
We can take that back. Not all at once, but in small, intentional choices. Because you don’t need to break up with your phone. You just need to remember you’re the one holding it.
