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7 Analog Swaps That Gave Me My Life Back

That Practical Mom

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This video is kindly sponsored by Caraway. Get your Caraway bundle for 20% off and then stack my code (mentioned in the video) for an added 10% discount. https://bit.ly/ThatPracticalMom_Caraway

What if the "convenience" of your smartphone is actually the thing making your life harder?
A year ago, I started a journey to reclaim my brain from my smartphone. It started with deleting apps and ended with a total "analog overhaul." In this video, I’m sharing the 7 analog swaps that changed my life...from how I take photos to how I navigate when I drive. We’re diving into the science of "effort justification," the "paradox of choice," and why the less convenient path often leads to a much higher sense of agency and happiness.
Whether you’re curious about the "dumb phone" lifestyle or just want to reclaim your attention span, I hope these swaps inspire you to take the "cold plunge" back into the real world with me.

In this video:

0:00 - The "shock of cold water" (My smartphone journey)
02:45 - Swap 1: Real Cameras vs. Computational Photos
06:00 - Swap 2: Texting vs. IRL Conversations
09:38 - Swap 3: The Paradox of Choice in Online Recipes
12:36 - Sponsored Segment: Caraway
14:15 - Swap 4: Why Ditch GPS
16:58 - Swap 5: The "Deep Reading" Brain (Books vs. E-Readers)
20:15 - Swap 6: Why Handwriting makes you smarter
24:30 - Swap 7: The death (and rebirth) of Brick & Mortar shopping
29:04 - Effort = Satisfaction

Mentioned Resources:
"Reader, Come Home" by Maryanne Wolf
"The Paradox of Choice" by Barry Schwartz
The Light Phone III (My minimal phone)
Technology and Informal Education: what is taught and what is learned" Patricia Greenfield

#analogliving #digitaldetox #intentionality #thatpracticalmom #productivity #brainhealth

👋 WHO AM I?
Hi! My name is Kallie Branciforte, AKA That Practical Mom™. I’m here to share practical life hacks to help you get organized realistically, find attainable productivity, and simplify some of the chaos of life.

WEBSITE: thatpracticalmom.com
MY SHOP (planner & printables): caffeinateandconquerco.com

For business inquiries: kallie@select.co

____________________________________________

🤝 Disclaimers and such

Fair use: I believe any clips used in my video fall under the remit of fair use. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for fair use for the purposes including criticism, comment, and news reporting. If any of the owners wish to dispute this you can always reach out. I respect all fellow content creators.

FTC DISCLAIMER: Some of the links above could contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission when you make a purchase using them.

Music used under license from Epidemic Sound.

20 Comments

@Vyandria 6 months ago

I feel like everyone in these comments is lost on the fact that you can still use social media on your computer or like an iPad but that the point was to not be tied down to a smart phone every minute of every day. Everyone's acting personally offended when her intention is just to try to explain how phones have taken over our lives.

@leeanajennae 6 months ago

Thank god i was busy scrolling on my phone and saw this

@Spirit_Calls 6 months ago

I work at a hardware store and one day, I sold an alarm clock to a young lady. She was SOO excited. I had never seen anyone in my almost 50 years of life, get as excited over a purchase for an alarm clock.

@debranelson2024 4 months ago

Her children are the ones who are benefiting the most. It was sweet to see her sitting at the table with paper and pen, while her children were eating. They can look into her eyes and make eye contact, once again. I feel so sorry for all these children whose parents only look at them through their smart phone camera.

@rosechoix 6 months ago

I've never heard enchiladas pronounced like that before!

@suesunday4691 6 months ago (edited)

What also helped me use my smartphone less was wearing a simple wristwatch (no smart watch!) every day. I often picked up my phone just to check the time, but then you see a new message, some new information, etc.—and before you know it, you’re stuck on your phone again. I've been wearing a cheap wristwatch for two years now and my screentime dropped drastically.

@casc-ws3gb 6 months ago

Library, use it. They also have magazines, journals and newspapers to read while in the library. Its also good to get kids to go and pick some out or utilise the resourses for them. Its generations growing up with screens in their hands, they need to understand the value of physical literature of any kind.

@Cassieroll 6 months ago

Old person here.. I love the return to "normal" (as we still see it) by the younger generations. Great video!

@contancesholl3833 6 months ago

I'm 72 and fought getting a Smart phone. My daughter talked me into it. I realized how easy it is to become addicted to it. I stopped reading which I love and started scrolling. Brain cells were dying I'm sure. Thank you for this segment, you are very wise. I told my Dr. 10 years ago, they are making us dumber and the next generations will be hunched over. He agreed and he is much younger than me. I love your content. Hand the next generations s map and see if they can read it. Bet not!

@elizabethl7880 6 months ago

One of my favorite perks of a physical cookbook is writing notes in it. Double this ingredient, less spicy, more spicy, add these herbs, try with this meat or veggie next time. It also adds to that relationship with the recipe and makes it more your own.

@MairiDouglas 6 months ago

Last night on “60 Minutes” in Australia they dedicated the whole hour about Digital Dementia. It’s affecting children even more so.

@TheAkjing 6 months ago

Not me on my smartphone agreeing that I need to use my phone less 😂 I managed to kick a 10+ year obsession with a dumb phone game though, haven’t touched it in 2026 🎉

@schamazingj5032 5 months ago

I thought about this the other day.... I used to know many phone numbers by heart. My parents', brother's, etc... now I don't know any phone number but my own....

@TheRealJules 6 months ago

To your last point … I needed to buy a scrub daddy for a YT video I’ll be making. I needed ONE. You can’t buy ONE on Amazon, but rather than going to the grocery store I relented and bought a package of 3 for like $15. It made me sick and mad but it was convenient. This morning I was adding items to my grocery list and realized that my store had them on sale and I could buy ONE and it would cost less than $2. So I returned my Amazon purchase and got it at the grocery store. Lesson learned.

@MusashiOtsu 6 months ago

I can vouch for the books, I used to be able to read books non-stop and understand everything. When I got my phone, I would read, but not be able to visualize the scene. that only came back to me when I started picking up books again.

@melissa.852 6 months ago

I know some people find it weird that we are scrolling and find this video, but it is SUCH an important message. I think it applies to everyone differently. It’s a reminder to be awake and aware of what you’re doing and why instead of mindlessly doing whatever is the norm. I love my paper planner, and I do miss my real camera. Some of my favorite pictures were taken on my Canon. Thank you for this video! ❤❤

@kimberlythomas6767 6 months ago

If I can add … Shop your local farmers markets and artisan crafts stores. You will definitely get one of a kind quality products while engaging in good conversation with local small business owners. Win win!

@Cormak 6 months ago (edited)

I'm so glad I grew up before all this technology. Even though I use them, I realized many were harmful for my own life or not as satisfying as I once thought they were. It's been easier to go back to the old ways. Actual books, DVDs, my DSLR camera. And I've always liked writing by hand over typing.

I do like online recipes. I've printed out my favorites and I made my own recipe book

@nancyfeeser4653 6 months ago

I miss fashion magazine’s actual paper, the fall edition was always the best.

@SuperLogurt 6 months ago

Number 4! Using a GPS reduces the need for your brain to form its own map of your area, which is great spatial reasoning exercise. When I overuse GPS, I find that I don’t even know the names of the roads in my own neighborhood 😂 it’s such a missed opportunity for the brain.