Ep. 390: What Happens When You Ditch Your Smartphone? + Assessing the Internet’s Latest Self-Help Sensation

Ep. 390: What Happens When You Ditch Your Smartphone? + Assessing the Internet’s Latest Self-Help Sensation

Everyone knows that excessive smartphone use can be harmful. But the question we don’t ask enough is what the advantages are of not using these devices. In the ideas segment, Cal examines the testimonials of four subjects who spent significant time without phones, to learn what they actually experience. Then, in the practices segment, he dissects the latest viral online self-help sensation to see if it holds up or is just fluff. Finally, in the Q&A segment, he tackles a surprising (and distressing) way in which technology plays a role in the violent ICE raids happening in Minnesota.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

IDEAS SEGMENT: What (Really) Happens When You Ditch Your Smartphone? [3:07]

PRACTICES SEGMENT: Assessing the Internet’s Latest Self-Help Sensation [31:53]

QUESTIONS:

  • What do the ICE raids in Minnesota teach us about technology and its impacts on our society? [53:17]

WHAT CAL’S READING: Cal gives his weekly reading update [1:08:17]

The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney (Michael Barrier)

Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at [calnewport.com/slow](https://www.calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
youtube.com/watch?v=kzXOyW8Zumg
youtube.com/watch?v=gh5CYvi5E40
youtube.com/watch?v=C-Iewo7zUFo
youtube.com/watch?v=5FI1gP_K5K0
youtube.com/watch?v=FshYuO6Opwk
x.com/thedankoe/status/2010751592346030461
prospect.org/2026/01/27/ice-greg-bovino-minneapolis-one-battle-after-another-sean-penn/
youtube.com/watch?v=elF0YmsCHvQ

Thanks to our Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by Better Help:
betterhelp.com/deepquestion
rag-bone.com (Use code “DEEP”)
calderalab.com/deep
shopify.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(400)

Ep. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television?

Ep. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television?

Last month, Derek Thompson published an intriguing essay that made waves in technology criticism circles. It was titled: “Everything is Television.” In today’s episode, Cal takes a closer look at this...

8 Des 20251h 19min

Ep. Ep 381: Life Advice from Legendary Writers

Ep. Ep 381: Life Advice from Legendary Writers

In today’s episode, Cal reviews some of his favorite advice from legendary writers (plus a bonus piece of advice from his own craft). Within each suggestion, he finds a general idea that can apply to ...

1 Des 20251h 38min

Ep. 380: ChatGPT is Not Alive!

Ep. 380: ChatGPT is Not Alive!

There has been a lot of loose talk online recently about the capabilities of existing AI tools. In this episode, Cal reacts to a specific recent clip from the Joe Rogan podcast in which the guest argu...

24 Nov 20251h 18min

Ep. 379: The Flexibility Myth

Ep. 379: The Flexibility Myth

When companies began instituting return-to-office plans after the pandemic, a disproportionate number of women chose instead to leave the workforce. Why? The obvious answer is that they wanted the fle...

17 Nov 20251h 55min

Ep. 378: The Lost Art of Long Thinking

Ep. 378: The Lost Art of Long Thinking

We often talk on this show about how digital devices undermine our ability to consume more complicated and meaningful ideas. But what about our ability to produce such ideas from scratch? In this epis...

10 Nov 20251h 28min

Ep. 377: The Case Against Superintelligence

Ep. 377: The Case Against Superintelligence

Techno-philosopher Eliezer Yudkowsky recently went on Ezra Klein's podcast to argue that if we continue on our path toward superintelligent AI, these machines will destroy humanity. In this episode, C...

3 Nov 20251h 31min

Ep. 376: The Lincoln Protocol

Ep. 376: The Lincoln Protocol

How do you escape a world where constant digital distractions and darkness threatens to pull you down? Maybe take a page out of Abraham Lincoln’s life. In this episode, Cal argues that Lincoln faced a...

27 Okt 20251h 23min

Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?

Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?

Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?OpenAI has been making waves recently with their release of their Sora 2 video generation model, which they have launched alongside a TikTok-style social med...

20 Okt 20251h 36min

Populært innen Fakta

fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
treningspodden
foreldreradet
dopet
merry-quizmas
jakt-og-fiskepodden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
sinnsyn
sovnlos
podme-bio-3
hverdagspsyken
rss-kull
gravid-uke-for-uke
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
rss-kunsten-a-leve
fryktlos
level-up-med-anniken-binz
rss-var-forste-kaffe