OM DENNE EPISODE
Phone Addiction, Solitude Deprivation & the DUMB Method (Distance, Utility, Mindset, Break) | On Second Thought Ep. 1
In the first episode of On Second Thought, Miriam Haart examines phone addiction—why people doomscroll, why quitting feels impossible, and whether it matters—using her personal story and research. She describes becoming hooked on Snapchat at 15 and later changing her relationship with her phone at 23 after disconnecting in Italy’s Dolomites to reflect on questions about values, success, and spirituality. Miriam cites data showing rising device use, widespread anxiety and overuse, a social media addiction lawsuit verdict involving Meta and YouTube, and studies linking reduced mobile internet to improved well-being, attention, sleep, and mental health, while Americans average only 21 minutes a day relaxing and thinking. She introduces the “dumb phone” trend and shares her DUMB method: Distance, Utility, Mindset, and Break.
Listen to more episodes like this by subscribing!
Check out the weekly essays on substack. haart.substack.com
