I Stopped Following Everyone

I was addicted to my phone. It started around 2012 I think. The iPhone became the tool I used to get everything done. I couldn’t really go without, my job depended on it. I started two companies almost completely using my iPhone. These companies sold for millions of dollars and that’s how I justified the use of this technology.

I was an addict that could appear to function in society. I looked like any other phone user, checking often to see what was going on. but i may have gone to far. I actually bought my Tesla in 2017 so I could use auto-pilot and use my phone while driving. My screen time had 6-10 hours a day on average. The products on my phone did their job well, they had me hooked. I justified the use by recognizing that all my work and income came from my phone use. Then… I bumped my head 2 months ago.

I haven’t really had my phone at all this year, maybe a few minutes a day. My wife actually has the face ID and password for my phone. I wasn’t able to go down rabbit holes on Reddit while my brain was healing. Endless feeds are a thing of the past for me. I now see the phone and all the apps as employment that I was doing for free most of the time. Since the injury, I have read a dozen books and done many puzzles and legos now that my phone isn’t as interesting. I don’t even want the password to get on it.

I have my laptop that I use to write. I also didn’t have this used while my brain healed. I used it quite a bit last year to write each day to Substack, but now that I am off screens for the majority of the day, I haven’t even felt driven to write anymore. I have lots to say but I just don’t need to say it. I can always let my thoughts get more cohesive and then talk to you about my favorite discoveries when I see you in person. I actually want to hear about your favorite discoveries, I don’t need to talk anymore. That’s new.

I was with Natalie in France last week and I decided to have her take over my social communications because she doesn’t get addicted to the phone like I do. So I did the very therapeutic act of unfollowing everyone on Instagram and X and sharing the account with her. Skitramp on Instagram follows nobody. Scottycoin on X follow nobody but Phi.

I felt that there were too many messages coming my way in forms of content that my human evolution and biology we not fit to digest. I don’t think we are currently built to use social media in its current form, but that is my opinion. For me I will keep the accounts I have spent years using to make and share content, but I will get my updates from friends via text messages and real life encounters.

I will try to use the extra 6-10 hours a day reading and doing puzzles and meeting my friends in person. I am building Notre Dame lego set with a friend this week and I am going to want to take all of you to dinner sometime at my new restaurant at Soldier Hollow opening next year. I also have saunas opening this year at Soldier Hollow, so come sweat with me when you make it to Utah. I am going old school on life. 1990s, we had enough tech to have fun, but none of it had the implicit design to consume every free minute.

Having a brain injury at the beginning of the year has been the best blessing. I am able to rebuild my life and I feel like all my old habits, good and bad, are erased. Now I just get fresh start. I found that less screen time also means less politics and that can be hours a day wasted on things you can’t control. This year I am going to learn how to meditate for real. I have only silenced my mind one time and it was 4 years ago in the desert during a silent retreat by myself. This year I will do it again, I know it will happen.

Ok I am all done. Photos below: Here is Natalie with a cool tower in the background (It’s the most photographed place in the whole world, ask ai :) She is my nurse and doctor and tour guide all over Europe. Next photo, I am not fiddling on the roof, but harmonizing in the window. I took my friends to Paris for a reunion of one of those companies I sold. Also made it to Norway with our friends to watch the XC World Cup. Luke was Olympian and runs olympic venue here in Utah. He is getting Natalie and I into the sport. I will still ski downhill, but probably going to take up cross country more next year so I don’t have temptation to do backflips.

Happy St. Patricks Day on the very green 4:20

Scott X