Don't blame your phone, decide how you use it
Patrick Rhone’s great post meditates on the role tools should play in our lives—spoiler alert, he’s talking about our smartphones.
What do we use our smartphones for? Everything, right? But all that choice can be paralyzing. When the same device handles work messages, family photos, and games, every pickup becomes a decision point: What am I here for?
We often blame our phones for distracting us or accuse apps of stealing our attention. But, as Patrick points out, that blame might be misplaced:
If the tool is used in a time, place, or method that is inappropriate, this is not the fault of the tool. This means further training is required for the user in proper use of the tool. Removing or impeding the use of the tool provides no such training. Only further education and instruction in use of the tool will.
This resonated with me. I love to read, but when I want to focus on a book, I grab my Kindle. Yes, the Kindle app on my phone is convenient and I often use it, but I’ve decided my phone is not a “reading device.”
Similarly, while my iPhone has an excellent camera, I take a dedicated camera on morning walks or hikes. It’s the right tool for this specific job—and it frees me from the temptation to check notifications or doing just one more thing.
Then there’s news and social media. Is the phone really the best device for scrolling? Or would an iPad—a device you can’t slip into your pocket but can still use almost anywhere—be better suited?
Patrick’s post is a great reminder that tools aren’t inherently distracting: They require intentional use. Now comes the hard part: deciding what to use each tool for—and resisting the lure of doing everything all at once.
