At this point, it’s difficult to imagine life without smart phones. In fact, you’re probably reading this sentence off your greasy iPhone screen as we speak. I’ll give you a second to wipe it off before you keep reading.

With all of the negative effects tied to smart phone usage that have come to light in recent years, including a significant rise in various mental health issues, many are looking for ways to dial their smart phone usage back or just ditch them all together. Joe Hollier developed the Light Phone as his response, taking the form of a pared back cell phone that offers only the most essential tools like phone calls, texting, and GPS. He invites all to get on board and “go Light” to experience a life that may seem a bit challenging at first, but in the end, leads to feeling more fulfilled.

To our surprise, Joe’s project was partially inspired by his time spent skating as a kid, where he would travel into New York City with a group of his homies and spend countless hours exploring and getting lost in their curiosity. It sounds like the classic “not a phone in sight, just people living in the moment” meme, because it is, but when you take the time to measure the positives that living (relatively) smart phone free can offer, you might start to see the validity in making that drastic lifestyle change.

But don’t take our word for it (since we’re still slaves to our devices here at Jenk HQ) — listen to Joe tell you for himself. Check out the video above as we follow Joe through his home studio in Bushwick, talk about the origins and life of the Light Phone thus far, and discuss what reconnecting with life outside of the internet can do for us.

Filmed by: Max Hull
Edited by: Alexis Castro and Wilson Lucas
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