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+title: Why I Plan to Downgrade My Smartphone
+date: 2022-07-31
+---
+
+Smartphones changed the way we interact with the world around us. Instead of
+going to the bank to deposit a check, we can upload it online. Instead of going
+outside to check the weather, we check our phones. Instead of writing notes down
+in a notebook, we type them out on a phone. While there is a convenience factor
+to smartphones, they are pulling us away from real face-to-face interactions,
+which we desperately need more of. We are living in a world more connected than
+ever before, yet people have fewer friends and are more polarized. Where is the
+appeal of a nice sunset or hiking adventure when social media apps like TikTok
+and Instagram are calling your name? How can anyone have a productive day at
+work when the rings and buzzes from notifications are fighting for your
+attention?
+
+On top of this, smartphones are now switching from convenience to necessity.
+University campuses around the United States now require proof of a negative
+COVID-19 test through a smartphone app. Employers use software like Amazon Web
+Services or Microsoft Office, and they highly encourage their employees to use
+two-factor authentication through a smartphone app. Signing up on websites
+requires a cell phone number. Attending events and conferences requires a
+smartphone app. All this is to say that it is becoming more difficult every day
+to function in society without a smartphone. Society is becoming dependent on
+them.
+
+Smartphones are the most personal type of computer. They have a ton of sensitive
+information about you: pictures, messages, access to accounts like social media
+and bank information, and even your location and camera. With companies like
+Meta (formerly Facebook) and Google selling personal information, this should be
+a concern for everyone. Despite this level of intimacy, a smartphone is a
+computer you have the least amount of control over. The only apps users can
+download are from the App Store or Google Play Store, and you do not have root
+access to the device despite it being yours. In other words, you only have as
+much access as Apple or Google are willing to give their users. Also, there is a
+limit on which apps can be deleted. Sometimes the app will seem to be deleted,
+but it is only hidden from the home screen. Settings to disable certain
+permissions on the phone only go so far, and there is no guarantee they even
+work.
+
+I got my first smartphone in middle school as a tool. Now, I face the reality
+that it is so much more of a crutch than a tool. I want to control my phone and
+not have it control me. This is why I am downgrading to a traditional phone. I
+encourage others to do the same.