You Don't Need a Smartphone

In this radical and revelatory manifesto, anti-tech activist August Lamm gives you the courage and confidence to ditch your smartphone once and for all.

When August Lamm realized she was spending almost half her waking hours compulsively scrolling, she knew something had to change. She turned to experts to cut down her phone use, but none of their advice actually worked. You can’t simply limit something designed to be addictive. So, she decided to get rid of her smartphone completely. Almost overnight, her mental health improved, her attention span increased, and her curiosity returned.

August received her first iPhone in 2010 when she was fifteen years old--unlike many other writers in this space, she understands intimately what it's like to be a young person struggling to cultivate a healthy relationship with technology. Packed with offline wisdom and practical suggestions, You Don’t Need a Smartphone shows that living without a tiny computer in your pocket isn’t as restrictive or as difficult as you might think; in fact, it’s a lot of fun. From a guide to choosing the right flip phone to relearning your sense of direction after relying on GPS, from tips to meet new people without social media to how to navigate VPNs or banking systems that require an app, Lamm offers a revolutionary blueprint for existing in the Information Age.  

A different, more fulfilling world is just beyond your screen. What will you do with all the time you get back?