FAQs

What is the community meeting?

The SCROLL SANITY Community Meeting is a positive and collaborative place to share experiences and challenges with digital minimalism and digital health. As any addict will tell you, finding fellowship and community is what has made all the difference on their journey to freedom. That’s what I’m hoping to provide to the Scroll Sanity community. Part educational, part support group - these gatherings will meet you where you are on your digital health journey. Come as you are.

How do I join the community meeting?

12:00 – 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/qzf-awrc-rjc

Add it to your Google Calendar!

What kind of phone do you use?

I use a Light Phone II as my main device. With my Light Phone, I can make and receive calls and texts, as well as listen to podcasts, use the GPS, write notes, etc. One of my favorite features is the voice-to-text option, which works really well and means that I don’t actually have to type on the tiny keyboard.

I also have an iPhone 12 mini that I utilize as supplementary device when I absolutely need to use an app (such as Venmo, which doesn’t have a website option) and for easy picture-sharing. The iPhone is not on any data plan and only goes online with wi-fi. The Light Phone has a hotspot, which is super handy dandy if I need to use the iPhone while traveling.

My partner is addicted to their phone? What can I do?

Using “I” statements, talk to them about how this is impacting you personally, and make a request. For example, “When you are on your phone in bed or at the breakfast table, I feel disconnected from you. Would you be willing to keep our bedroom/dining table device-free so that we can use that time to connect?”

Also, how about inviting your partner to join you on a digital sabbatical or a social media break? It could be for an hour, a day, or a week. Make it fun! This experience might entice them to think more critically about their relationship to devices and the digital world.

How do I put my iPhone on grayscale?

Settings > Accessibility > Color Filters > ON > Grayscale

How can I turn my smartphone into a dumbphone?

As Mehret Biruk of time spent offline wrote: “Instead of getting rid of your smartphone, you can make it a little less smart so you can focus on quality relationships over quantity, connection over content, and creating over consuming.”

Read Mehret’s instructions about how she turned her iPhone into a dumbphone. You can also watch this video with 12 practical and actionable tips to turn your smartphone into a dumb phone.

I need an app to communicate with my kid’s school. Any good solutions?

Find out if the app is absolutely necessary or if it’s an optional resource. If it’s absolutely necessary, find out if there’s a desktop app that you can download to your laptop or a website option.