The flux of content on the internet both grabs our attention and disconcerts us. This is the internet’s obvious hold on us and we can even say that distraction really works in mysterious ways.
But if what you’ve been aching for is a phone that could be mindful or less distracting, perhaps a personal device called the Light Phone is the answer to your heart’s ultra-minimalist desires. (Yup, it isn’t an iPhone.)
The Light Phone “will never have feeds, social media, advertisements, news, or email. All of the tools are custom designed for our Light OS. There is no infinity, just intention,” it says on the phone’s website.
The Light Phone and its newest iteration, the Light Phone II, has the basic capabilities expected of a phone like text messaging, making calls, storing contacts, and listening to podcasts and music without the seemingly infinite scrolling common in most devices. All apps are built-in apps so no need to be stressed out downloading them. This is surely one phone that gets your attention span all the workout it needs.
For Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang, the creators behind the no-frills, compact device, “Light was born as an alternative to the tech monopolies that are fighting more and more aggressively for our time and attention. Light creates tools that respect you. Objects that empower you to be your best self. Technology intentionally designed to be used as little as possible. Things that serve, not enslave you.”
Sometimes we forget that algorithms fuck us up when we stare at and scroll on our phones constantly. This gives us limitless feeds that in turn fuel our tendency to procrastinate or worse, numb us. With the Light Phone, I guess we can expect something better than a distracting machine packed in a little handheld.
If you’re curious like me, we can only expect Philippine support in the future as its popularity soars. You can order it here.
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Photo from Light phone’s website