Punkt. is a reasonably little, dynamic and independent company, and we prefer to maintain close connections with our customers and with people and organisations within the design world. As part of this, we frequently run 'Punkt.Challenges'. These include style difficulties that form part of postgraduate style courses, and digital detox difficulties where self-confessed mobile phone addicts are invited to review their relationship with innovation.
10 years earlier, mobile phones were still very uncommon. Now, a life lived outside the structure of the smart device is unusual. Ten years back, many people had mobile phones, but they would normally only attract our attention if another human being had chosen to call us or send us a text. Now that the majority of people's lives are so much more automated: the new typical is to scamper around within a continuous attack of status updates, push notifications and a whole lot more.
Our Digital Detox Challenges have been running given that 2016. The negative elements of smart devices weren't widely discussed at that point, however there has considering that been a surge of interest in the subject. Participant reports are a key element of the Detox Challenges; by running the Challenges and releasing these reports we intend to keep the conversation of people's relationship with technology popular and on-going - both in regards to tech addiction and the importance of premium design in the genuine (i.e. non-virtual) world.
The huge distinction this time round was that the term 'mobile phone addiction' had actually clearly entered typical parlance - in 2016 it still sounded a bit over the top, but in 2018 people were beginning to sound genuinely worried. You can check out the reports below, however here are some excerpts from a few of the numerous applications we got:
" The constant scrolling."
" I attempted it with an old traditional phone, it resembled returning to an ex - with all the old pros and cons. Who does that?"
" We utilize our phones a lot - why shouldn't they be lovely in addition to practical?"
" I'm doing my own version now, however I had to choose a broke ass burner phone that's 10 years old ...".
" As a UI designer for digital products I've frequently questioned a few of the success criteria used in my market, particularly 'engagement' as a metric for success. Up until that modifications, sadly it's extremely tough to combat versus 100s of designers who are attempting to hook you into their items. [] There is a certain irony about this as I develop for these products however desire to avoid them. But I think it's an opportunity for me as a designer to appreciate how valuable our attention is, and attempt to take that lesson back into my industry, hopefully to influence a modification in approach to technology.".
" I have actually started getting rid of all my social media profiles and have actually instantly observed the positive result it's had on me. I am a lot calmer now, and I want to keep it that way, by also eliminating my smartphone for excellent.".
Life is too brief to keep our heads down.
Technology has actually dramatically altered over the last century, from being a handy tool in our lives to keeping us as connected in as much as it can and for the longest amount of time. This Challenge changes that in its entirety, pressing us into recognizing exactly what is going on. I've always loved using the most recent things, however given that Punkt. has been around, I desired to change that, and with the Digital Detox Challenge, that's exactly what happened. When you go from a constantly buzzing mobile phone to a phone like this, you recognize how much you can compromise all these applications that keep you hooked all day long: you don't require them.
In a method, you do become type of apart socially from your buddies-- let's state if they "Snapchat" you or whatnot-- however you begin to realize that it's for the better, and the Punkt. MP01 accomplishes simply that. It teaches you simplicity and teaches you that you do not require whatever on your phone. Just the basics.
If you feel like you are hooked on your phone, like many people I have satisfied, it could be an excellent time to give this phone a try. Much of my own relative experience this sensation and I seem like passing this obstacle on to others so they can master it. This Challenge has actually ended up being so important in 2018 because-- as I stated-- Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. are here to keep us hooked in for the longest time. Don't believe me? Download QualityTime for your Android and you will recognize that you don't even focus on what's going on around you. If you feel an itch, it might be an excellent time to obtain that had a look at, and a great way to tackle it is with the Punkt. MP01.
The more time we invest taking a look at screens, the less important daylight becomes-- and often, yes, more of a limitation. Whether you're checking your messages while strolling to work, enjoying your smartphone with your pals (who are each delighting in theirs), or seeing a film, daylight is a hassle.
We started heading this way since we desired to. Nowadays-- to a big degree-- we just do it because we do it. And because others desire us to do it.
Is this actually how you want to invest your time on Earth?
* * *.
In 2016, Google worker Tristan Harris left his task to discovered a brand-new non-profit organisation called Time Well Spent, which looked for to expand the dispute on exactly what technology is doing to us and resulted in the development of the Center for Humane Technology. Because then, the topic has actually taken off into the mainstream and it has actually ended up being clear that it is refraining from doing excellent things to our basic sense of well-being.
The home page of the Center's site includes a striking montage image. A generic graphic of a smart device is integrated with a photo of a female. She is not provided as being on the screen. She is in truth looking out from the phone, leaning with her arms folded on the bottom edge of the screen as though it were a windowsill. She appears happy, delighting in the view. And she is bathed in sunshine.
Perhaps it makes good sense to use these brighter nights for something other than taking a look at pixels? When bedtime techniques, matching sundown with a digital sundown: everything turned off, leaving just a land-line with a number understood just to family and close buddies, and a dedicated alarm clock.
Signing up with those who have actually dumped their mobile phones entirely, integrating a standard phone with a laptop or tablet (much much better for typing on). Nowadays these concepts might sound nearly radical, however as far as biology is concerned, they're what your brain desires. The medical side-effects of tech over-use.
Due to the fact that of the obvious decrease in traffic accidents, Daylight Saving Time is stated to increase life span of a nation's residents. Ditto prohibiting phone use while driving, naturally (with a much clearer causal link). Phones threaten in other ways, too: scrollers walking into traffic, selfie trophy-hunters taking one risk a lot of, and so on. But over-use of tech shrinks our lives in another method also-- incrementally and inevitably. It provides us a narrower presence where we are less focussed, less rested and thus less awake. Over-use consumes our lives, and it's becoming the norm.
Time for a rethink?
Do you discover that any place you go, you constantly wind up in the very same location: in front of your smartphone? Utilizing it, or letting it utilize you, to stay 'linked'? Linked with exactly what people are up to back home. Connected with the latest news reports. Gotten in touch with work. Gotten in touch with video games, YouTube videos, Wikipedia. Gotten in touch with pictures from the last vacation you took, and the one before that. What kind of 'connection' is that, truly? This circumstance is something that's sneaked up on us, and perhaps it's time to start making some choices ...
A vacation is a chance to switch off, to experience brand-new things. However if we don't also switch off our gadgets, if we continue to outsource our awareness to image sensors and sd card, if we're still connected to exactly what we were doing before we left and exactly what we'll be doing when we get back, it's as if we're paying a kind of vacation tax. Part of the experience is subtracted-- and not to assist the regional economy, but to assist line the pockets of shareholders of social networks companies.
Imagine a timeless travelogue like Jack Kerouac's On the Road, minus this tax. There would not be much left. And even if we're trying to find something a bit less intense for our fortnight away, the concept still applies. Whether it's a case of pings on the beach, or livestreaming from the Louvre, something's gotten but something's lost. And on the subject of getting lost, yes, without a smartphone it could take place. And perhaps you'll end up someplace that turns out to be the emphasize of your trip. Possibly you'll discover some interesting dining establishment that isn't really on tripadvisor.com. You might end up talking with some residents. Absolutely nothing ventured, absolutely nothing gained. This connect the growing sluggish travelmovement, and the recovering of overland travel as a mainstream and realistic alternative to flying, demonstrated by the underground success of The Man in Seat Sixty-One. It's all about being there.
If we do decide to have a holiday that doesn't focus on processing big data, there are a couple of options. We can go to the other visit extreme, and leave home without any type of phone or tablet. (That never used to be a severe, but we live in extreme times.) And we have choices like changing our device's settings to 'minimum', leaving it in the hotel safe during the day, and so on
. Or we can take a various phone. One that only does calls and texts. And after that immerse ourselves in a different culture, have some adventures, or simply enjoy a little bit of solitude.
The physical act of swapping phones goes deep. It's a bit like flying the nest. And it's starting to get in popularity: whether an inexpensive, old-tech design or something more stylish and current, deciding to often utilize an easy phone is something that everyone can associate with nowadays. They may not do it themselves, however they definitely know why some people do.
There are practical advantages, too. Just having to charge your phone periodically is popular with everyone but if you're going someplace without mains electrical power, your greedy mobile phone will be no use at all. With a basic phone you do not require to keep examining that your digital factotum hasn't cunningly discovered some way of running up monster-sized information roaming charges-- it can still take place. However it's the 'actually being there' that truly counts. Sure, taking a trip without a smartphone will imply a couple of mix-ups, a lowered capability to strategy, to know ahead of time what's going to happen. Travelling sans algorithms is where the action is. And the screens on simple phones are often much tougher than the big areas of glass found on their more complicated cousins. Replacing a broken smartphone screen is a hassle at the very best of times; increase that by ten if you're abroad.
It's the 'actually being there' that actually counts. Sure, travelling without a mobile phone will mean a couple of mix-ups, a minimized ability to strategy, to know beforehand what's going to take place. But taking a trip sans algorithms is where the action is.
SMS 03 - Punkt. MP02 from Punkt. on Vimeo.