Not Using A Smartphone Burdens Others

The New York Times had an opinion piece today titled, “My Dumbphone Made My Life Better. It Made Everyone Else’s Worse.” I can relate. Since September 2023, I have gone somewhat smart-phone free on Shabbat. From Friday evening till Saturday evening, I turn off 5G, WiFi, and Bluetooth on my phone. I would keep the actual telephone on, so I could receive calls and text messages. This half-measure was my way of adhering to my religious beliefs, while also maintaining some connection with friends and family who are not observant.

From my perspective, the experience has been blissful. For a full day, no one can bother me. I get no emails asking me to do things. If someone writes something about me, I won’t see it till Saturday night. And if the Supreme Court issues some emergency ruling, I don’t have to deal with it. Then again, text messages from friends will often disturb my solitude. They will text me a link to a social media post, that I can’t open for a full day. They will text me, “Can you believe what Justice X did”? I could ask what happened, but that defeats the point of the separation. So I spend a full day wondering what happened. Still, the benefits have been clear. People often ask me how I maintain such a productive rate of output. Turning off for a full-day helps me be much clearer for the rest of the week. It is rejuvenating.

At the same time, there are costs to going smart-phone free. I still have to function in society. Invariably, I burden others. If I need to use an uber, I have to ask someone else to call it from me. (A few times, I’ve actually scheduled an uber to pick me up at a hotel the night before, so I hope it pray a car actually shows up at the appointed time.) If I need directions, I have to ask someone else to check Google Maps. (I usually download offline directions, but they do not always work.) Virtually any place that involves a check-in requires scanning a QR code. (When I drop my kids off at the daycare at the gym, I have to borrow the attendant’s phone to sign them in.) Ordering food is extremely hard, as most places only take orders over an app.  Traveling without a smartphone is a trip. I can still download boarding passes, and print them out, but if there are any disruptions, I have to keep myself glued to the airport monitors. All the while, I have to explain to people why I can’t check a smartphone. People are incredulous and confused.

This experience makes me think of the defunct standard TWA v. Hardison. Accommodating my sabbath observance imposes a burden on others, one that I would hope is de minimis.

Well, one might think this experience would push me towards using my phone again. Nope. Just the opposite I resolved this Rosh Hashanah to do a bit more. During shabbat, my phone will be off-off. Not just airplane mode. Powered down. I will not receive any calls or texts. And I will not use my laptop with the WiFi off. As productive as people think I am, I will be eliminating a full day of possible working. I still like my odds. I find myself thinking far more deeply about things if I don’t look at a screen. Once shabbat finishes, I have fully-formed thoughts in my head, which I can promptly write down.

The logistics here are even trickier. I will try to not fly on Shabbat. So far, my schedule supports that. That will eliminate a lot of problems. Other situations will have to be planned around. Saturday night, for example, the FedSoc Texas Chapter Conference is host a suite at the Texas Rangers ballpark. Paper tickets are a thing of the past. I had to transfer my ticket to a colleague who can help swipe me in. There are other similar workarounds that will, invariably, burden others.

The obvious solution, of course, is to just become fully-Sabbath observant. That might be in the cards for me at some point, but it is not feasible at present. I will keep everyone apprised of this process.

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