This Man Gave Up His Smartphone for 30 Days and It Changed How He Sees Boredom, Memory, and People

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Nathan Covey turned 27 and bought himself a flip phone. Not as a joke. Not as a social experiment for content. He had simply decided that a smartphone had become a net negative for his life. Thirty days later, he posted his findings on X - and the internet, scrolling on the very devices he had abandoned, could not look away.

Photo Credit: X: @nathan_covey

Covey had replaced his smartphone with a basic flip phone for an entire month. The experiment, he said, exposed just how dependent many people have become on their devices. His post went viral and for good reason. What he found was not just about his own habits. It was about everyone else's.

The Moment He Realised It Was Not Just Him

Covey expected the month to be difficult. He did not expect it to be revelatory.

"Everyone is more severely addicted to their smartphones than I thought. Once you have a dumbphone, you'll frequently find yourself as the only person in the room not on their phone. It's not just teenagers, it's parents and adults of all ages. It's like everyone is stuck in a trance," he wrote.

That observation, not about himself, but about what he could now see clearly from the outside, is what hit hardest for the thousands who shared and responded to his post. When you are also scrolling, you cannot see the room. When you stop, you can.

Using His Brain Again - Literally

I hope @Apple is paying attention to these posts.

The people want a dumbphone. https://t.co/9yivSvGGxH

— Nathan Covey (@nathan_covey) June 3, 2026

Covey says one of the biggest benefits was becoming more mentally engaged with the world around him. Instead of relying heavily on digital tools, he found himself using traditional methods and exercising his memory more often.

"I am using my brain more. Even though my flip phone has Waze, I find myself memorising maps and roads. I'm more bored and get lost in my thoughts. I'm using paper and pen more. Increased desire for tangible things over digital things," he wrote.

The shift he describes, from outsourcing cognition to a device back to using his own mind, has real neurological backing. Research has shown that the mere presence of a smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity, even when the phone is face down and silent. When Covey stopped having it in his pocket, his brain had no choice but to re-engage.

What He Found His Ideal Device Stack to Be

Ive finally discovered my perfect device stack.

MacBook Pro 16" - Main engine for work

Sunbeam Juniper - The best flip phone money can buy

Casio F91W - Greatest watch of all time

Kindle Scribe (3rd gen) - Amazing for reading + notes pic.twitter.com/URCK9VdUds

— Nathan Covey (@nathan_covey) May 14, 2026

By the end of the experiment, Covey had settled on what he called his "perfect device stack": a MacBook Pro for work, a Sunbeam Juniper flip phone, a Casio F91W watch, and a Kindle Scribe for reading and notes. "I have my computer for apps and everything work-related, including social media, but the minute I step away from work, I am free," he said.

The distinction he draws is sharp and worth sitting with: social media and digital tools as work instruments, not life instruments. The phone as a communication device, not a comfort object.

What the Science Has Been Saying

Photo Credit: Magnific

Covey is not the first to notice this. He is just the latest to go through with it and share what he found.

Research published in journals including Behaviour & Information Technology has found that the mere presence of a smartphone on a desk - even switched off - is enough to reduce learning performance and cognitive flow. The phone does not need to be in use. Its proximity is the problem, acting as a constant cue that something more stimulating might be one tap away.

Big Think's reporting on boredom and screens found that anxiety levels rise steadily the moment a phone is taken away - a withdrawal pattern that mirrors low-level addiction responses. What Covey experienced as boredom in the early days of his experiment was, neurologically speaking, his brain recalibrating its baseline stimulation threshold.

After a month, that threshold had reset. Boredom, as he describes it, had become something productive, a place where thoughts could form, where roads could be memorised, where a pen and paper felt worth picking up again.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.