3 Types of Apps I Deleted from My Phone for a Simpler Life
The second I stopped judging people who are constantly looking at their phones was the second I got a smart phone for myself.
No matter how much you believe yourself to value truly living, eyes up, hands-free, focusing on your children and all the important people right in front of you, owning a smart phone reveals how susceptible we all are to this unfortunate new culture of constant distraction with technology.
It’s sooooo tempting to whip out that phone at every opportunity, every stoplight or moment of pause, when in reality, an honest assessment of what we do while on our phones shows it’s not as pressing or worthwhile as our actions indicate.
So how do we exercise the self-control to have the life we truly desire?
For me, this meant deleting some ‘beloved’ apps from my phone. This has meant freedom from temptation to waste time, because even when I compulsively pick up my phone, there’s really nothing to hold my interest there. So that compulsion dwindles in my life. It’s fascinating how a simple decision like this can lead to a more focused and productive lifestyle. I started appreciating the value of my time and decided to invest it wisely. Interestingly, I also began to admire the creativity of app development companies that design apps to help people break free from digital distractions, offering solutions that align with the very challenge I faced.
Are you wondering which apps I deleted that helped me so much?
1. Facebook
I love Facebook a little too much, but I realized it was not worth the time I was giving it. By deleting the Facebook app, I now only check in a few times per day on my desktop computer at home, which is a much more efficient way to type posts, comments and responses anyway.
Our Facebook Newsfeeds are based on a very smart, advanced and adaptive algorithm. Basically the more often we check Facebook, the more posts we will see throughout the day overall. They Facebook has plenty of content from all your friends, so they could go on showing you more and more all day if only you’d keep checking. The more they show you, the less relevant it will naturally be.
However, if you get on Facebook only once per day, for example, you will see only the most relevant posts to your life.
2. Games
I know this is unusual, but I literally have zero games on my phone, for me or my children. Why?
These are all the apps contained on my iphone. I keep it basic and simple. Everything is functional and easy to find.
For me
It’s not productive. I don’t need to be spending my time that way. End of story.
For my kids
Let me say, I have no problem with parents who let their kids play on their phones at times. I know that makes their lives easier in certain situations. But for me, there are a few key reasons why I avoid this.
- I don’t want to be pestered. I know my kids, and if games are an option, they are going to be asking for them more than I want them playing. I don’t like that constant pestering. My kids don’t even ask because it’s not a possibility.
- To protect my phone. My kids are little, and they will drop it. I know because I let them play games on my ipad at one time and it is no more.
- I want them to develop coping strategies for times when they’re not entertained. And they have. Kids are amazing. Let them be creative. Let them learn to wait. Let the learn to entertain themselves on a car ride. You did it. They can too!
3. Apps to Manage My Blog
For me, as a blogger, I am fascinated by blog stats, blog comments, traffic referrers, and my Facebook page activity (which is a separate Facebook Pages app).
Also, I fear the day when there’s either super inappropriate spam or hate mail put up for everyone to see, so I feel the need to monitor it constantly.
But that’s not healthy, nor a good use of time. So for me, deleting my WordPress and Facebook Pages apps were good ways to impose healthy time-management boundaries.
My time at the park with my kids is not time to check blog comments. They will wait.
Is there an app God is nudging you to delete from your phone today? If so, please set yourself free!
Which app is your biggest time waster?
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I really like your post. I do have FB but I hardly follow anyone and mostly go on for the ladies group I am in. I do not play games or let my kids. Even letting them watch a show during the day throws them onto this ‘want’ to watch all the time and seems thats all they think about. I also don’t have instagram or pintrest or anything else really..not sure if it’s a good thing or if I should get more plugged in. But I’ve tried it before a while back and it was hard to give my family and house the attention it needed and it also made me compare and want things as perfect as pintrest witch in reality no one has. Anyway thank you for sharing! it’s nice to know there are others who feel the same way. (Not many do in todays culture)
Nataliya, I think it’s a great thing. I don’t believe we’ll get to the end of our lives and wish we’d spent more time on social media! I love that you saw it having a not-ideal effect on your life and curbing your presence totally. That is awesome.
It’s definitely a fine line – on the one hand, my smartphone means I can squeeze a bit of blog work into the quiet moments when my daughter sleeps or is engaged with something, giving me more free time to spend with her. But on the other hand, those apps being on my phone tempt me to work or monitor all the time, including, as you say, at the park etc! I too have no games and no Facebook app Nice to know I’m not the only one! x
Awesome Sara! I think the point is mindfulness, not any specific app. I currently have some blogging apps on my phone too. It’s always a balance, as you say, and I often reevaluate and tween how I use my phone. Because my number one focus in the season is mommy-hood, but how easily my actions don’t match that!
Great post!! I am striving to let loose of my phone and live life intentionally. While I don’t have my blog app or games on my phone, I do have fb. It’s definitely something to think about!
Thanks Jenifer!
FB is my biggest problem. I feel like I truly have an addiction to it. It’s just my husband and I at home … no kids. But there have been many times where I have caught myself getting upset with him talking to while I was chechecking FB, because he was interrupting my time. I’ve tried going a week w/o looking at FB … totally blew it!! I seriously need to kick this habit!!
I can relate! I’ve felt that way at times too. Good luck!!! It’s not easy to break away, but I have found it well worth it!
This is great! I don’t have a smart phone and these are reasons why! We just use phones for calling and texting. And try to limit time on the computer at home so we can be present in life. Social Media like FB can be addiction and a time waster. I have to limit my time. Thanks for sharing.
That’s awesome Samantha. Hold your ground! The bells and whistles of smart phones are so tempting, but I know your discipline in resisting that way of life is paying huge dividends for you and your family. I often consider what it would mean to get rid of the smart phone. I may pull the plug at some point, but in the mean time I’m trying to figure out whether or not I can be self-disciplined enough to have one…