[Update] Without a phone for 10 days

By getting a feature phone, that provides experimental value. Ie. you get more data on what that lifestyle is like, and whether it is something you want to do longer term. That experimental value seems to me like it overwhelms all other considerations, and thus it would make sense to get a feature phone.

This experiment illustrates a great way of using tech as utilitarian value. I wonder if you've read Cal Newport's books "Deep Work" and "Digital Minimalism" which the author emphasizes of using technologies for beneficial use and eliminating ones that are distracting or useless.

Consider getting the iPhone but change the way you use it. A friend and I are much happier since we made our phones silent. Do not disturb mode, no notifications, etc. All those services you mentioned (Uber, etc) are great and you should still have access to them.

I check my phone when I finish a task and need a break. That is usually many times per day. So I do notice important things like calls and texts and I return them, but when it is convenient for me. Your friends will understand occasional delays, just as they did during the last 10 days. It took practice to get out of the addictive phone checking habit, but the same was true of not eating cookies all day. You can do it!

I've long been interested in the Light Phone (primarily for my husband and not myself), though I guess in practical terms that's not much different from getting a feature phone. 

And this isn't a direct response to the post I guess, but I'm personally pretty content with my relationship with my phone. I like having it in my pocket as a camera, as a means of calling for help in an emergency (I'm a worrier and also in fact see a lot of accidents and crime while out walking), and as a shield to let me avoid unwanted social interactions. Having Uber and maps available also helps me feel more secure and like I won't end up trapped somewhere. Also, I'm happy with the quantity and quality of the notifications I get, since most days, no one messages me except my mom, my sister, and my husband.

In terms of addiction, I weakly recommend:

• Putting your phone in greyscale (more or less permanently)
• Having a habit of not following the news, not only on your phone but on any platform
• Cultivating disdain for people who spend time on their phones
• Cultivating deep hatred of infinite scrolling, and deleting any app that has this feature
• Leaving most group chats or servers you're in, or if you can't leave them (e.g. if they're for work), at least muting most of them

I have more of a problem with addiction to my computer, but there too, I've successfully made my computer pretty boring. I use UBlock Origin to block most content and features on Facebook and Youtube, and then, since I don't have any friends, the only things available for me to compulsively check are things that don't actually update frequently and so it gets boring (I check email, Facebook, LW, Discord, and Slack compulsively, but 85% of the time there's nothing new). I guess I don't recommend the part about not having friends.

And finally, +1 to reading Digital Minimalism.

Another option could be to use something like appblock for Android and block all non-essential apps always

I can relate myself to this post very much. I have not used a cell/smart phone for the past two years now, and I don't feel like I missed anything important in these years. I do have an office phone that I can use to call my family members several times a day. I faced the same problem in terms of setting up my university email earlier this year, but fortunately I could do it using office phone. 

Every time when I had a problem like this, I tried to find a solution and usually I was able to find one. So I don't see myself getting back to a cell/smart phone anytime in the near future. 

Now that I've read this, I really want to go for an extended period without my phone.

I most likely won't follow through with this (90% certainty), even though I want to.

:|

That's one big question I still haven't been able to answer. Just how meaningful is personal happiness? My guess is that it's very subjective. If that's the case then wouldn't existential meaning be completely subjective? How much objectivity, if any, can we derived out of examining existential meaning in different individuals?