That’s right, my phone and I have had an important relationship talk. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Lately, I have been playing a game with myself, and I’d like to invite all of you to play with me. It’s called the Phone Challenge.

As readers of this fine blog establishment know, I spend all day reading the entire internet and writing some of it. During what I think of as the High Pandemic Era (2020–2021), I was surprised to discover that despite gazing at my laptop screen all day and rarely leaving the house, I was still somehow spending four hours a day on my phone.

Seemed like a lot, to be honest.

Since then, I’ve been trying to see how low I can go without sacrificing my social relationships. Sure, I have internet friends — or, as I think of them, the people who live inside my phone. But I also stare at a laptop all day! And yes, I…

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