...and it gets chick's brains working once they notice.

I (35m) dropped out of smartphone culture, figuring that it impaired my self-improvement. And sure enough after getting rid of the "digital lifestyle", things picked up for me. A side effect not carrying a touchscreen anymore was gaining a real edge in day game. My brain just works better now, my awareness improved by a margin and my wit skyrocketed.

However how far from mainstream culture is too far? Digital culture changed quite a bit and the reactions I get post-pandemic are like pulling up with a horse cart as a ride. That for sure got you an edge during the 19th century, but nowadays the expectation is at least something resembling an automobile.

So is carrying a smartphone a requirement to score post-covid? I mean I own one, I just don't carry it (it's usually attached to my car and serves a purpose there). I'm not hiding my carry-phone, I confidently use it for the purposes it has been made for (collecting digits, placing calls, receiving text), but it seems I need a new way to frame it, as the "old-school" frame doesn't work anymore.