Light Phone Review

[WayneG]

@Bmosbacker

like most things requiring restraint, it is one thing to know what is right, it’s another thing to do it.

+1

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[webwalrus]

@Jezmund_Berserker

The information needed to make a good decision is being presented to them. It’s right in front of them. They’re not choosing to understand and act on it.

Correct. In leadership though, what I’ve found is that the stuff that’s actually important frequently needs to be presented multiple times, multiple ways, and using multiple media formats, in order to sink in.

A lot of the “digital literacy” stuff already exists. And in a world with so much noise, hitting parents with the information as part of their child’s education wouldn’t be a bad thing.

@Jezmund_Berserker

In our family, we try to impact people - and to be impacted - toward this way of thinking through relationships (church, friendships, parenting) rather than regulation, legislation, or forced reeducation campaigns.

That tends to be my approach as well. I’m not a huge fan of nitpicky legislation to solve moral/ethical/behavioral problems.

But I also consider education to be a “public good,” not in the sense of “good vs. evil,” but in the sense of “something we, as a society, purchase.” As the purchasers of that public good, it’s reasonable that we seek to get value for the money we spend.

If you’ve ever been to a bowling alley for a 5-year-old’s birthday party, you know how “bumpers” work. Bumpers are a loose regulation. They don’t solve all problems; even with bumpers, somebody can throw the ball into the next lane. But while they don’t make sure every kid gets a strike, they do generally ensure the ball actually hits a pin.

Especially at a local level, policies that say “you can have your phone in your backpack, but you can’t use it during class” would be eminently reasonable (a la @Bmosbacker above). They still allow for the cases where a kid needs to call his parents in an emergency, but they give teachers the support they need to restrict disruptive activity during the day.

[NiranS]

@MurphysLaw

I think there is something there in re-thinking operating systems so that its conducive to us doing our best work.

I wish everything from phones, TV, computers etc…were not dopamine/attention hit devices. I don’t actually have any solutions to get there, but I like the idea of creating technology or a society that emphasizes this.

[MurphysLaw]

Yeah, my “BAN ALL PHONES!” thing is just the frazzled English Teacher coming out of me. It is a daily fight. Government policy is also fraught with peril. But it does perturb me that the world is increasingly making it non functional to exist without one. Especially considering all the well documented impacts smartphones+social media has on our mental health. I respect the work of Light Phone in being intentional in how we use our devices. Groups like Light Phone, Day Light Computer, and Remarkable may never get out of the “niche” area of tech but at least someone is trying.