Written by Emma

“I hate my phone so I got rid of it” is the name of a video published on YouTube by Eddy Burback on March 31, 2025. It presents a very interesting perspective on life without a cell phone in 2025. In the video, Eddy locks his phone into a safe for a month and replaces it with older technology. He invested in a landline for his friends and family to remain in contact with him, as well as many other items like notebooks and physical alarm clocks to replace the things he used his phone for.

He found himself enjoying life more without his cell phone. Previously when he had his phone on him, he would constantly check it. He was more anxious, he wasted time doing nothing, he procrastinated more, and he avoided the world by tuning into his cell phone instead. Meanwhile, during the experiment, he found himself more engaged with the world.

He was less anxious than before, engaged with people in real life more often, procrastinated less on his work, and enjoyed living in the moment. He did not have any sort of withdrawal from not using his phone, and I found that very interesting.

I’m sure a lot of people feel similar to Eddy, specifically that they spend way too much time on social media instead of doing whatever else they’re supposed to. Personally, I don’t think completely getting rid of your cellphone is the correct answer for a lot of people, and Eddy draws this same conclusion in the video. However, most of us could benefit from less interaction with our cellphones.

Rather than wasting time on social media or feeling the need to fill every moment with prolonged phone usage, it might be in your best interest to tune into the world around you instead. By simply existing in the moment, reading a book, watching TV, going outside, meditating—doing anything that does not require your cellphone. You don’t need endless scrolling of social media and constant hits of dopamine to enjoy yourself.

It is pretty much impossible to fully get rid of your phone in 2025, (or possible but extremely impractical). Instead of ditching your phone altogether, you should consider managing your screentime and using it less. You might find you procrastinate less and are more in tune with the world, and perhaps that’ll help you change your life for the better.