I’ve been using a Cat S22 Flip this year for all of my calling and texting needs - following this “Dumb Phone” trend. While I’m still addicted to my smart phone, I can feel its grasp on my attention slipping. My biggest take-away has been a clearer understanding of my appreciation for internet content.
Activity 🔗
When my smart phone was rendered useless due to a severe screen crack, I immediately started to think about how I could replace it. A replacement smart phone was my solution the last time this happened, but I opted for a dumb phone and new screen this time. While waiting for the parts, I was able to make calls and send texts on my flip phone. It has a smart phone operating system, so I could also use it for navigation, music, and browsing the web, but it was clunky at best in these functions. For the first time in years, I started to think about replacing smart phone functionality with different tools.
While I was able to find some really great replacements for photography, videography, notes, weather, and navigation, I was still missing the social media form that only a smart phone can provide. Once I replaced my screen and my device was operational again, I quickly caught up on all of my Tik Tok messages. It didn’t take long to get back into my regular scrolling habits.
Short-form Video 🔗
Short-form video in algorithmic feeds might just be the peak of attention-harvesting media. Content can leverage text, sounds, and images to present a captivating experience. First-movers like Vine failed to optimize the feed, creating an opportunity
Creators are getting better at holding attention, while value is hard to find.
Activity -> Value 🔗
Social Media 🔗
The mythological past of Social Media.