Jose Briones spent 10+ hours a day on his phone. Then he changed everything. Here is how he did it and what he learned along the way.

I recently sat down with Jose Briones - digital minimalism advocate, book author, and YouTuber - for a conversation about intentional technology use, dumb phones, and the analog life. I first discovered Jose through his YouTube channel, and this conversation did not disappoint. We covered a lot of ground, from the history of technology in our homes to the surprising link between financial freedom and digital independence. Here is what came out of it.

Jose started his YouTube channel about five or six years ago, talking about digital minimalism and dumb phones. His motivation was personal. After graduating from university in 2018 and starting his first job in 2019 working with nonprofits, community centers, churches, and schools, he found himself spending somewhere around nine to ten hours a day on his phone alone. When you added in work on the computer, the total was closer to twelve or thirteen hours of screen time every day. Those were, as he put it, his darkest times.

He decided that was not how he wanted to live. He started looking for alternatives, came across the Light Phone, tried it, liked it, and stuck with it. Since then he has been making videos, writing, and building resources to help other people find their own path with technology.

From magic to extraction

Jose has an interesting way of framing the history of technology in our homes. When tech first arrived in households sometime in the 1980s, it felt magical. Think about the VCR - suddenly you did not have to stay up late to watch something. You could record it and watch it when it was convenient. Think about the first personal computers - people could compose documents at home and bring them to work. It gave them freedom. The early video games, the first consoles - everything felt like it was adding something to life.

Because those first technologies made our lives genuinely better, we were trained over time to assume that more technology always means a better life. And for a while that assumption held. But somewhere around 2014 or 2015, things shifted. Technologies stopped being primarily useful to us and started being extractive. Instead of giving us more time and agency, they started demanding more of our attention. The value proposition flipped. It was no longer about making your life easier - it was about keeping you watching longer so that advertisers could make more money from you.

I asked Jose whether this was done on purpose or whether it was just a natural evolution of design. His answer was unambiguous. Yes, it was on purpose. They saw that they could make more money by keeping people hooked to their screens than by providing great service. So they hooked people to the screen because it was easier to convince them.

Software, hardware, and the screen in between

Some people argue that the problem is purely about software - the algorithmic feeds, the attention-grabbing apps - and not about the hardware itself. Jose sees it differently. Software is the larger problem, yes. But hardware amplifies the software. It amplifies the good and it amplifies the bad. Looking at a soccer match on a tiny flip phone screen is not the same experience as watching it on a six-inch device. The bigger the screen, the more immersive the experience - for entertainment and for distraction alike.

Jose makes a sharp observation here. If hardware manufacturers were truly focused on giving us the best utility without distraction, every company would be using e-ink displays. That technology exists. It is excellent at delivering utility without pulling you into a rabbit hole. But companies do not use it because they want the software to do its thing - to keep you engaged, to keep you scrolling.

And this is where the interesting part of Jose's personal journey begins. Like many people, he initially thought the problem was his physical phone. Switch to a flip phone, life gets better. Simple, right? Not exactly.

It is not the device, it is the lifestyle

Jose quickly realized that while switching devices helped, it did not fix everything. The real issue was internal. He enjoyed being connected, getting information, watching podcasts, reading articles, chatting with friends. In university, he never had this problem because his life was so full - cafeterias, classmates, professors, sports leagues, intellectual lectures. He had a rich offline life and never felt that the internet was giving him a better experience.

But once he left that university environment, he lost those built-in structures. He started creating new habits, and instead of going to cafes to talk to people or attending lectures, he started scrolling more. And more. And more. Until his lifestyle became internet-dependent.

This is Jose's core insight, and I think it is an important one. Your environment usually dictates your lifestyle. The better your environment, the better your lifestyle. A dumb phone helps, but it is not going to fix the internal struggle. You need to develop other lifestyle choices that make the offline world more compelling than the online one.

The detox trap

I asked Jose about a common strategy - simply deleting problematic apps from your smartphone. His answer was nuanced. It can help, he says, but for most people it does not work long-term. The pattern he has seen over and over goes something like this: you delete the apps, you feel great for a few months, you start thinking you have the problem under control, and then you slowly reintroduce the apps. Before you know it, you are right back where you started.

He compares it to a detox. People quit coffee or sugar for a while, feel good about it, and then go back to old behaviors once the detox period is over. The same thing happens with smartphones. Without permanent changes to your environment, willpower alone is usually not enough.

Jose does point to more permanent solutions, even on smartphones. Tools like Apple Configurator 2 can lock down a device so that you can only use the apps you choose from the start - no installing new ones, no workarounds. This is what is called a mobile device management solution, and it removes the willpower battle entirely. But if you just dump down your smartphone without these environmental constraints, the odds are you will go back to installing everything again.

The dumb phone as a gateway

I shared my own experience here. I tried managing my smartphone, I tried the MDM apps, and I still found ways to work around the restrictions - installing a browser, finding loopholes. For me, the dumb phone was actually a gateway drug to a better lifestyle. Once I started using one, I simply could not do those workarounds anymore. The option was gone, and that was liberating.

Jose uses the Light Phone 3 as his personal device. No browser, no social media. He literally cannot do those things on it. And that, he says, is a better solution than artificially limiting a smartphone. When you cannot do something, you do not need a workaround.

But here is where the conversation got interesting. I said that life in 2026 is very difficult without a smartphone. Jose disagreed - respectfully, but firmly. He acknowledged that life without a smartphone is more inconvenient. Some things take longer, some things are harder, your employer might be more frustrated. He understands if someone does not want to switch because of the inconvenience. But what he disagrees with is the idea that you have no agency to change your situation.

You have more power than you think

Jose gave some great examples. Even in China, where super apps like WeChat handle payments, home access, and digital ID, you could argue that you need a smartphone. But does it have to be your primary device? His argument is that it does not. You can carry a smartphone for the things that absolutely require it and use a flip phone as your daily driver. You can buy a small tablet for QR codes and digital ID. You find halfway solutions.

In Scandinavia, people say you need a smartphone for bank ID. But Jose had a friend who went to Norway without one and just used cash. Is it less convenient? Sure. Is it impossible? Not at all.

He brought up France, where workers collectively fought for and won the right to not receive work emails after 5 PM. That did not happen by accident - people advocated for it. And Jose's broader point is that we all have more power than we think. You can tell your employer that you are a good employee, show your performance, and ask not to be bothered after hours. Define what a real emergency is. Give them your phone number for true emergencies. If you are valuable and you deliver, people will accommodate you.

He even applied this to everyday situations. Go to a restaurant that only has QR code menus? Ask the owner for a recommendation. If they refuse, that tells you something about that business. You vote every day with the purchases you make and the services you use. The more you reward companies that demand technology dependence, the worse the situation will get.

Going analog

Once Jose recognized that he did not need the internet for everything, he started venturing into more offline activities. He joined a local cycling club, bought his first road bike, and now rides around town every two weeks with a group of people having real conversations. He joined a local safer streets organization and meets with them every Friday for coffee to talk about community needs and plan events.

He started reading physical newspapers and magazines instead of scrolling through Twitter. He goes to the library and reads the paper there. Sometimes he buys a copy of the weekend newspaper so he can read it slowly over a long period of time. He started cooking more from home, learning new recipes, trying to make bread - things he would never have had time for before. Or rather, things he never prioritized before.

His personal setup is the Light Phone 3 and an e-ink tablet for reading books. He buys physical books from time to time but usually borrows from the library and reads on his e-reader. He has also been tinkering with manual projects over the past five years, building things and learning new skills outside of the technology world. It has been, as he described it, a good journey.

Paper, planning, and the morning ritual

I asked Jose whether switching to a dumb phone and planning on paper could help someone who feels overwhelmed at work. His answer was practical and simple. A good reset in the beginning is important. Have a calendar, have a task list that you can reference at a quick glance.

What he started doing was looking at his screen in the morning, writing down on a small note card what he needed to do for the day - his tasks, his calendar appointments. Then he put the phone in his pocket and went about his day. When he needed to know what was next, he took out the piece of paper and looked at it. At the end of the day, that was it. Next morning, same thing. Log into the computer, look at the task list, write it down, and keep going.

Over time he developed a more refined system. But he emphasizes that in the beginning, creating that organization and that separation is especially important. It helps you learn - or relearn - how to function without constantly reaching for a smartphone.

Writing a book, one thousand words at a time

After about three years of creating content about digital minimalism, Jose had accumulated a lot of information in his head. He decided to write a book - a short, cohesive guide that people could read without having to watch every video or read everything he had written. His approach was beautifully simple. He wrote a thousand words a day.

The first ten days were difficult, he says, because you are getting used to putting things on paper. But after day seven or eight, a thousand words started feeling manageable. Some days he wrote much more - one day he hit seven thousand words in a state of flow. Other days it was a grind, and a thousand words was all he could manage. But once the habit was built, he just got on with it.

The book collected stories from people who made the dumb phone lifestyle work, stories from people who had to go back to technology but did so consciously, and personal experiences - including how he got into credit card debt by buying every new iPhone and Samsung that came out. Looking back, he admits he could have done better. But that kind of honest self-critique is healthy, and now he is thinking about a second book.

Financial freedom as the foundation

This was the most surprising part of our conversation. Jose believes that the first thing you need to do to become more independent from the online world is to fix your finances. I did not expect that. I would have guessed he would say environment or mindset. But his reasoning is compelling.

When you have financial freedom, you can choose the environment you want. When you are dependent on a specific job, you feel trapped. You cannot say no. But if you have a cushion - if you make a hundred thousand dollars but only spend fifty thousand - you have the ability to take risks. You can give yourself two years to try a different career. You can walk away from an employer who demands access to your phone around the clock.

Without financial independence, you are more likely to accept digital intrusions into your life simply because you need the paycheck. You will put up with things you would otherwise refuse. Financial freedom gives you the power to say no - not just to your employer, but to the broader societal push toward digital dependence.

Technology is amazing, but give it time

I asked Jose whether there are parts of life that are genuinely better with digital technology. Absolutely, he said. We were having our conversation across continents because of digital tools. People who advocate for digital minimalism are not saying they want zero technology. What they are saying is that they do not want technology to be extractive. They want technology to give them more of their life back, not take it away.

Jose draws the line at the shift in intent. In the 1980s, the microwave made reheating food faster and easier. The VCR let you watch your show without losing sleep. Technology was making life better. But now, technology is often making life harder because it is not focused on improving quality of life - it is focused on capturing attention.

His advice is simple and wise. When a new technology comes along, give it a year or two before you adopt it. We have been seduced by tech companies into thinking that if you do not adopt something today, you will be left behind. That is simply not true. Technology is amazing. Technology is great. Just give yourself some time before jumping in.

The best dumb phone is the one you stick with

I asked Jose the question every dumb phone curious person asks: what is the best dumb phone? His answer was perfect. The best dumb phone is the one that you stick with. It can be a dumbed-down smartphone, a Light Phone 3, a Sunbeam F1, a Xiaomi F21 - whatever matches your lifestyle.

But if he had to pick one right now, he would choose a simple flip phone. It is economical, basic, has no distractions, and is made for simplicity. If it breaks, it is easy to replace. Just go to the store, pick one up, and start. It does not have to be fancy or expensive. It just needs to do less.

Jose also mentioned traditional watches during our conversation. He has an old Bulova watch passed down from his grandfather - a device that tells the time and carries a story. No notifications, no charging every night. Compare that to a smartwatch that distracts you with every buzz. The best smartwatches, in his view, are the ones that last a long time without charging, like the new Pebble with its 30-day battery life. Simple interface, basic information, and then it gets out of your way.

Digital minimalism is not anti-technology

One thing Jose made very clear is that digital minimalism is not about being against technology. It is about being conscious about which technology you adopt and when. It is a rejection of mindless consumption, a rejection of always having to have the latest and greatest thing just because a tech company told you to buy it.

Is it a full rejection of consumerism? Probably not, since digital minimalists still buy devices and create solutions. But it is a beginning. It is the decision to say: just because something is available does not mean I have to say yes. I am going to wait, I am going to think, and if it actually makes my life better and the world better, then I will adopt it.

And Jose makes a great point about modeling this behavior for children. He remembers always asking his mom for the newest phone in the early 2000s, and his parents did not say no often enough. That mindset - new is always better - eventually got him into financial trouble. A healthier attitude is to use what you have until it does not work anymore. Be content with the things you already own instead of seeking happiness from the next shiny gadget.

Slow down and enjoy the ride

Jose closed our conversation with something that captured his entire philosophy. Instead of flying to see his parents - a four-hour trip - he decided to take the train. In America, that means a two-day journey. And he is doing it on purpose, because he wants to have more experiences in life and enjoy the slowness of things. He wants his life to be a little bit slower than just having the latest and fastest option available.

That is what digital minimalism is really about. It is not about going back to the stone age. It is about choosing, consciously and deliberately, what kind of life you want to live. It is about saying no to what takes from you and yes to what gives back. And it starts with small steps - a flip phone, a paper notebook, a newspaper instead of a feed, a train instead of a plane.

The tools are simple. The decision is yours.

Do Your Own Research

The topics covered in this conversation - screen time effects on mental health, the attention economy, the cognitive benefits of handwriting and analog tools, and the relationship between financial autonomy and wellbeing - are backed by a growing body of peer-reviewed research. Here are some key studies and papers grouped by topic.

Screen time, smartphone use, and mental health

• Ratan, Z.A. et al. (2021). "Smartphone Addiction and Associated Health Outcomes in Adult Populations: A Systematic Review." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 12257. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212257
• Twenge, J.M. & Campbell, W.K. (2018). "Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study." Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003
• Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K.T. & Pignatiello, A. (2020). "Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health." CMAJ, 192(6), E136-E141. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434
• Allcott, H., Gentzkow, M. & Song, L. (2022). "Digital Addiction." American Economic Review, 112(7), 2424-2463. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20210867

The attention economy and addictive design

• Bhargava, V.R. & Velasquez, M. (2021). "Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction." Business Ethics Quarterly, 31(3), 321-359. https://doi.org/10.1017/beq.2020.32
• Lupianez-Villanueva, F. et al. (2020). "The Struggle for Human Attention: Between the Abuse of Social Media and Digital Wellbeing." Healthcare, 8(4), 497. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8040497
• Mujica, A.L. et al. (2022). "Addiction by Design." Medical Research Archives, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v10i2.2677

Benefits of handwriting and analog tools

• Umejima, K. et al. (2021). "Paper Notebooks vs. Mobile Devices: Brain Activation Differences During Memory Retrieval." Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 634158. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634158
• Van der Weel, F.R. & Van der Meer, A.L.H. (2024). "Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity." Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1219945. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945
• Marano, G. et al. (2025). "The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. Typing - Who Wins the Battle?" Brain Sciences, 15(3), 285. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15030285

Financial autonomy and wellbeing

• Fischer, R. & Boer, D. (2011). "What is more important for national well-being: Money or autonomy? A meta-analysis of well-being, burnout, and anxiety across 63 societies." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(1), 164-184. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023663
• Ngamaba, K.H. et al. (2020). "How closely related are financial satisfaction and subjective well-being? Systematic review and meta-analysis." Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 85, 101522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2020.101522