Smartphones alongside the smart device family it feeds into are problematic in todays society at both a social and environmental level. Phones and social media are shown to be major causes for social isolation, destruction of community, and have strong correlations to depression and high levels of procrastination. Younger groups are particularly vulnerable to these effects. It has eroded communities and open dialogue about topics, causing major polarisation in today’s political scene worldwide and disinformation is highly problematic. Environmentally level these devices are not designed to be repaired and rely on high amounts of glue to put parts together and the process of repairing them is costly and time intensive. Having constant access to apps such as social media platforms also pushes a lot of advertisements on users, leading to increased levels of consumptions of goods, further damaging the planet. I have proposed a new decentralised device that leads to more mindful use.
This project is currently ongoing and won’t be completed until May 2025.
The goal of this project is to design a new device to replace current smartphones for users who want to disconnect from the online world and enjoy what the real world has to offer, as well as removing the addictive design that is currently plaguing modern devices. It does so by decentralising the device, so it doesn’t have access to all apps at all times to make the user more mindful of how they use it, while maintaining the convenience of modern smart devices.
The user has a portable device that can perform essential functions such as calls, maps, reminders, etc., but cannot access other apps which aren’t a necessity such as social media, youtube, etc. unless it is connected to a peripheral that allows the device to do so. This limits when users can use certain apps, without being able to easily override it.
Decentralising the device makes the device work for the user and provides them with more free time to spend doing the things that gives their life meaning.
Jonah Phelan – Problematic Smartphones – Design for Futures.pdf