College students in 2025 have had their formative years steeped in social media. I’m sure we’ve all felt the tired, drained feeling that follows doomscrolling, which author Catherine Price compares to a slot machine. Furthermore, smartphones have assumed a permanent, domineering role in our lives. We open these devices hoping for myriad outcomes — soothing ourselves, procrastinating, hoping to laugh, cry, or escape an awkward social setting. Â
So, when I picked up How To Break Up With Your Phone by Price last month, I was ready, willing, and prepared to make deliberate changes to take my life back from the digital sphere. I was offline for most of the summer, and I loved it. Part of that was thanks to my job — I’m a camp counselor, and getting distracted by your phone isn’t an option in childcare. I was nervous about coming back to school and falling back into the habits that made doom-scrolling addictive, depressing, and hopelessly mired in my life. Implementing Price’s breakup plan helped me to maintain the balance between the tech I rely on and my life outside of it. My screen time has drastically reduced, and I have Price to thank. Price approaches the digital detox in two parts: first, a breakdown of why you need to break up with your phone, and next, Price’s well-researched and helpful breakup plan for implementing effective changes.
Part 1: Designed to Addict Us
Part one of How To Break Up With Your Phone was educational. Being dependent on your phone comes with a loss of autonomy. For example, if your phone is the first thing you see in the morning, what it shows you sets the tone for the rest of your day. No matter how strong your willpower is or how disciplined your routine is, you are not in control of the digital landscape. As long as these apps are accessible at any time, waiting for you in your pocket, you are no longer in charge. Going out and socializing with people is filtered through taking pictures, capturing the moment instead of being in it.
This section also tackles social media. Price quotes Sean Evans, Mark Zuckerberg’s ex-business partner: “We’ll get you eventually,” he says, referring to the sheer power of Facebook, the platform he helped co-create. There is no such thing as a “free” app. If it doesn’t cost anything to download, that doesn’t mean there’s no economic exchange taking place. The real customers are the companies to which your data is being sold. You, the app’s user, are the product. Everything about you, down to your most exploitable vulnerabilities and insecurities, is harvested — and the more time you spend on these platforms, the more of you they have at their disposal. So, social media apps are designed to keep your attention as long as possible, using highly damaging tactics to do so.Â
Part 2: the Breakup
The breakup itself can seem daunting, but Price handles part two with empathy and care. She argues that your phone is a tool, and as such, you should make it as dull as possible. She compares phones to toasters — otherwise boring objects waiting for you to use them. Having a photo of a loved one on your home screen unconsciously associates picking up your phone with seeing that person. This sends an additional trickle of dopamine through your brain, linking picking up your phone with a nonexistent social reward. If you don’t feel the need to tape a picture of your dog to the side of your toaster, then why should your phone be any different?Â
All in all, I found that How To Break Up With Your Phone was an excellent and informative read. If you’re like me, vaguely discomforted by our constant immersion in the digital world, but not having quite put your finger on what’s wrong, you’ll find the first part of her book both eye-opening and cathartic. The apps that leave you feeling guilty, anxious, or existentially depressed are designed to be that way. Their business models rely on exploiting users, with no regard for the consequences on their health or quality of life. They are designed to suck you in and are incredibly difficult to extricate yourself from. The second half is full of practical, helpful solutions and aims for healthy, long-term outcomes. Price isn’t asking you to throw your phone into a river, although that fantasy sounds pretty satisfying. She isn’t even arguing that you downgrade to a flip phone. Instead, Price offers a reasonable and effective process that allows you to keep the positive functions of your phone while clearing it of anything making your life worse or impeding your ability to live life to the fullest.Â
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!