Your phone is a tool. Use it like one.

Is it possible to simply view our phones as tools, not entertainment devices?

When Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone in 2007, did he really understand what it would become? Of course, he knew it would be an entertainment device, he marketed it as such.

From the original Apple press release “Apple today introduced iPhone, combining three products—a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps—into one small and lightweight handheld device.”

But could he have ever fathomed how addicted the masses would be to his revolutionary device? Would he be proud or horrified to see how much time we spend on our phones? Certainly Silicon Valley has no regrets.

Philosophy before change

Cal Newport talks about the importance of adopting a philosophy of digital minimalism as the first step prior to making any changes to your technology habits and lifestyle. He defines digital minimalism as “a philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.”

The idea of first adopting a philosophy before making real change is that you become the change. It’s similar to what James Clear says in Atomic Habits — “The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It's one thing to say I'm the type of person who wants this. It's something very different to say I'm the type of person who is this. If you want better results, then forget about setting goals.”

I like this approach, but I struggled with a strict digital minimalism system. What works for me, instead, is focusing on the idea that the Internet, and more specifically my phone, is a tool.

My phone exists to serve me — to make my life easier, to help me learn, and to overall better my life. I use my phone in a manner similar to a Swiss Army Knife. It’s convenient when I need it, it contains a multitude of tools, and I am in control.

I am in control. Right?

My phone is powerful, and as in life, the more powerful something is, the more dangerous it can become.

While the 2007 version of the iPhone looks a lot different than today’s smartphones, one thing has remained true — the people who develop these phones and the apps that go on them want you to stay on them. The more time you spend on your phone, on your apps, on social media, the more money that they will make. To keep you there, they have designed the technology to reward our internal motivation systems. The depth of the how and why can’t be contained in this essay, nor is it the focus. Stolen Focus does a great job covering the details, as does The Anxious Generation, if you’re curious.

My point is this — your phone is designed to be addictive, to subconsciously control your actions.

And herein lies the hurdle of adopting the mindset that your phone is a tool. To use this tool, really this toolbox, you must also be prepared to fight your own internal motivation system and rewire the habits you’ve been shaping since you first got a smartphone.

My phone is a toolbox

If my phone is a toolbox, here are my most frequently used tools:

• Phone + Messages

• Email

• Maps

• Camera

• Calendar

• Notes

• Alarm

• Weather

• Banking + Venmo

• Grocery delivery

• Coffee shop rewards

• Home security

• Home thermostat

• Baby monitor

• Uber/Lyft

• Apple Pay

• Spotify

Could I live without these things? Of course. Do I want to? Of course not. They arguably make my life easier. Despite my contention with technology, I am incredibly grateful to have a smartphone, to have these conveniences.

So with the good, I have to accept that there is bad. If I want to continue to order groceries to my doorstep at the click of a button, set my house alarm from my bed, and order a car service on a whim — well, I have to find a way to stay in control, to use my tools responsibly.

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Using your tools responsibly

You don’t give someone a Swiss Army Knife without first teaching them how to use it, without first showing them the dangers.

Phones should be no different. If we want to adopt this tool mindset, then we need to set boundaries around how we use these tools.

Here are the questions I propose you ask before you download or use an app:

• Does this solve a problem I have?

• Is there a better or more healthy way to solve that problem?

• Can I be intentional with my use of this app?

• Will I later regret using this app?

I don’t have anything against people using their phone as an entertainment device. That works for a lot of people. Maybe it fits in your toolbox.

For me, part of this boundary-setting has been to strip away most of the “entertainment” side of my phone. I know what a slippery slope these apps can be.

When I tried to balance both tools and entertainment, it ultimately made those tools less effective. I’d open my banking app, pay my credit card bills, and then find myself scrolling endlessly. I’d order my groceries, and then get sucked into a pointless app. I was never productive for long because I had bright, shiny toys sitting right next to my toolbox.

I’m not a purist. I do still use my phone for audiobooks and podcasts, but those things were never triggers for me, so it works.

There are no hard and fast rules for this mindset. I consider Spotify a tool because it keeps the peace on long car rides with my kids, it sets the mood when I’m cooking dinner at home, it motivates me when I’m working out. Maybe for others, Spotify does more harm than good.

What’s important is maintaining the philosophy, becoming the change. The more I focus on my actions laddering up to the idea that my phone is a tool, the more it becomes my reality.

A mindset shift worth considering

If you wrestle with your relationship with technology, try looking at your phone as a tool. Try truly adopting this philosophy in your life and see if having this simple mindset shift can make the difference you’re looking for.

It’s not always easy to yield powerful tools, but when you harness their potential, you can once again retain the control. And only then, can you really reap the benefits.