📵 Between Presence and Connectivity: A Media Professional’s Quest to Stop Looking at His Phone All the Time

How I’m trying to reclaim attention without giving up on tech — and how you might, too

spend most of my time talking about media, technology, communication, and innovation — whether it’s in lectures, podcasts, or consulting sessions. I love what digital tools allow us to do. But despite knowing all the theory and impact behind them, I still catch myself doing something I hate:

📱 Constantly looking down at my phone when I’m out and about.

I don’t mean doomscrolling during work hours. I mean during commutes, walks, or moments when I could be present, grounded, and aware — but instead I’m checking the time, glancing at Instagram, maybe checking messages again… even though I already know no one messaged me.

Sound familiar?

📵 Between Presence and Connectivity: A Media Professional’s Quest to Stop Looking at His Phone All the Time

🤔 The Tension: When You Know Better, But Still Get Pulled In

I appreciate what my phone offers me. I listen to podcasts all the time. I train with music. I value notifications from people who matter (like my girlfriend). And I want to stay updated with what’s happening in the world.

But I’m tired of the compulsion. Of always holding the phone just to “check the time,” which leads to “quickly” opening social apps, which leads to a 10-minute rabbit hole.

So I started asking myself:
Is there a better way to stay connected without being owned by my device?

🔄 The Alternatives: How to Stay Informed Without Staying Addicted

I explored a few options. Each with pros, cons, and a unique relationship with attention.

⌚️ Option 1: Go Analog — A Classic Watch

I started looking at Swatch watches. Stylish, functional, and most importantly — distraction-free.

A traditional watch removes the excuse to pick up the phone just to check the time. That simple switch can dramatically reduce the number of unconscious phone pickups per day.

Pros:

• No screen. No notifications.
• Aesthetically satisfying.
• Long battery life (like, years).

Cons:

• You still need your phone for music, messages, tracking, etc.
• No contextual smart functionality.

Ideal if you want a hard cut from digital temptations. But still somewhat incomplete for my use case.

🧠 Option 2: Behavior Hack + Analog Hybrid

This is what I’ve already been doing:

• Phone on Do Not Disturb, except for VIP contacts.
• Start podcast/music → throw phone in backpack.
• Let AirPods notify me of messages.
• Try not to touch phone until destination.

It works… until it doesn’t.
The moment I want to check the time, I instinctively pull out the phone — and the black hole opens again.

Still, paired with an analog watch, this combo could work.
But I wanted something more seamless.

🖥 Option 3: Minimalist Smartwatch — Apple Watch SE

I hesitated on this for a while. Another screen? Another distraction?
But hear me out:

A smartwatch like the Apple Watch SE (even an older model) gives you the ability to:

• Check time
• Control music/podcasts
• Track steps, health, and sleep
• Get notifications from only who you want
• Never touch your phone

It becomes your gatekeeper, not a new distraction source.

Investment needed:
You can find used models for around 4,500–7,000 THB, is my sanity worth it? I’ll keep you posted

🎵 But What About Staying Informed?

I don’t just scroll out of habit — I scroll to stay updated, find ideas, and explore interesting things.

That’s where I realized I had to level up my system, too. Because the typical “read later” apps like Pocket or Instapaper?
💀 Mine have become graveyards of forgotten links.

So here’s what I’ve started experimenting with:

🔄 SYSTEM 1: Turn Articles into Podcast-style Briefings

If I find an interesting article or newsletter, I no longer save it. I process it. I drop it into ChatGPT or NotebookLM and ask:

“Turn this into a 5-minute solo podcast with key talking points and a closing insight.”

Sometimes I even add:

“Make it sound like a mindful, media-savvy monologue for professionals on a commute.”

Boom. Instant, digestible, personal insight. I can read it or even listen to it later.

🎧 SYSTEM 2: Record My Own Audio Briefs

I open Voice Memos, summarize what I just read, and reflect on it aloud.
Not to publish — just for myself.

This does three things:

1. Deepens my understanding.
2. Creates a mini content archive.
3. Feeds future podcast, class, or writing ideas.

Sometimes I’ll even stack 3–4 insights into a weekly reflection I can re-use later.

🧠 SYSTEM 3: Quiz Yourself with AI

To avoid shallow consumption, I sometimes prompt:

“Give me 3 smart questions to test my understanding of this article.”

This forces me to engage, not just absorb.
And again — it all feels like play, not pressure.

📦 Putting It All Together: The Anti-Distraction Stack

GoalTool / HabitStop checking phone for timeTraditional watch or Apple WatchStay connected to loved onesDND + VIPs onlyEnjoy podcasts & musicAirPods + phone buried in bagStay informedPodcastify articles via ChatGPT / NotebookLMRetain infoRecord voice memos + quiz yourselfSpark content ideasWeekly review of insights

🌟 The Bigger Picture: It’s Not About the Tools

It’s about creating systems that serve your attention, values, and creativity, not the algorithm.

In my case, the goal wasn’t to disconnect from everything — but to disconnect by default, and connect intentionally.

So whether it’s a Swatch, an old Apple Watch SE, or a folder full of voice memos that only I will ever hear — what matters is that I feel a little more in charge again.

And maybe that’s what most of us really want.

If this resonates with you, or if you have your own weird hacks for staying focused and present in a hyper-digital world, I’d love to hear them. Drop a comment, send a message, or just… look up from your screen for a moment and enjoy the walk.

We deserve that much.