A response to “I Hate My Phone So I Decided to Get Rid of It” and a case for intentional technology.

There’s a popular YouTube video making the rounds titled “I Hate My Phone So I Decided to Get Rid of It.” The title hits hard—and it resonates. The modern smartphone is an incredible tool, but for many of us, it’s become a source of anxiety, distraction, and fractured attention.

I get it. I didn’t want to just get rid of my phone—I wanted to fix it.

Not by installing a custom launcher.
Not by deleting a few apps.
Not by setting up a screen time code that I find out soon after I can easily bypass.
But by reimagining the phone itself—its purpose, its available applications, its operating system. I’m a technical founder, so instead of going off-grid or buying a “dumb phone,” (Spoiler: I tried several dumb phones), I built something new: a distraction-free smartphone experience, from the OS up.

It’s called PauseOS, and it runs on real hardware. It preserves what we need—maps, messaging, photos, flashlight, calendar, contacts, weather, voice recorder, camera, offline music player, and useful apps to help us stay organized—but intentionally leaves out the dopamine loops, addictive feeds, and endless alerts.
No social media. No endless app store. No constant distractions. Just space to think, connect, and live.

The problem isn’t that phones exist. It’s that we’ve allowed them to be designed around the wrong incentives—maximizing engagement rather than supporting wellbeing.

People don’t hate phones. They hate what phones have become.

The video’s creator isn’t wrong to feel overwhelmed. But ditching the phone entirely isn’t an option for everyone. We rely on these tools to move through modern life.
The challenge isn’t avoiding technology—it’s having the option to buy technology that isn't designed to steal our attention.

That’s why I built my own.

That’s why I’m sharing it.

That’s why others are starting to ask for it.

The point isn’t nostalgia. It’s not anti-tech. It’s about reclaiming personal technology to serve human values—connection, focus, and freedom from digital noise.

You don’t have to hate your phone.

But it’s okay to want something different.

Something quieter.

Something that works for you.