Punkt. Digital Detox Challenge Mk. II, Winter-Spring 2017

This Challenge ran from the beginning of February. The format was different from the previous year: no phones were issued in advance and detoxers were offered a range of options, including 48 hours, seven days, and evenings & weekends for a defined period. Some people used a Punkt. MP01, others used basic phones produced by other companies, and a couple of people went totally phone-free. Participants were rewarded for their effort with vouchers for the Punkt. e-shop.

During the Challenge we noticed that even though it was only six months or so since the last event, there had been a definite shift in people's attitudes to technology overload, ranging from what we saw in the reports as they arrived to wider discussion on blogs and in the traditional media.

Zeit magazine and Punkt.

Mirko Borsche is blown away by a mobile phone that can do almost nothing

Mirko Borsche - ZEITmagazins

It occurred to me recently that even on the toilet I need to take a quick look at the ZEIT ONLINE news site. Things can’t go on like this, I thought to myself. And so I got a phone that lets...
Detox and wine with Punkt.

Amy gets Punkt.

PH

I was grieving. My long term partner, my iPhone had left me unexpectedly and I didn’t know what to do. As I went through a week’s worth of mourning and feeling disconnected from the...
Rene Chun's black MP01 by Punkt.

If you need a digital detox, you'll love this smart dumbphone

Rene Chun - Wired

TO CASH IN on the growing anxiety that we are fast becoming a bunch of Wi-Fi-enabled cyborgs, the marketplace has spawned a new consumer category: products to free you from the crushing grip of...
SImon Balsom and his black MP01 by Punkt.

Turning on, tuning in and dropping out by Punkt-ing connectivity

Simon Balsom

The physical presence of the MP01 is a constant reminder of my commitment to a different mind-set during this period. A reminder to look up and out. To engage with my senses and with those around...
Jakub Mikuláštík with Punkt.

I hate poorly-made products

Jakub Mikuláštík

My story is a bit different, since I was already without a smartphone before I got my MP01, but here goes... As with many things in life, ditching my smartphone wasn’t much of a conscious...
Ray Larose with Punkt.

No memes, no links, no rabbit holes

Ray Larose

As someone who has been fully immersed in high-tech for the last 25 years, I have always been connected in one form or another, nearly around the clock. In the early 1990’s, my world was that...
Philip Lalonde with Punkt.

No more endless scrolling through the abyss

Philip Lalonde

My process of restructuring how I use technology involved giving up an LG G4, and what I miss most is the quality of its design. I downgraded to a Polaroid Link cell‑phone. It...
Stuart R. T. eyes and Punkt.

My brain suddenly felt like it belonged to me.

Stuart R. T.

Nicotine. Barbiturates. Cocaine. Alcohol. Heroin. The five most addictive things on the planet. I’ve never had a problem with any of them. Except maybe scrumpy back in ’87. The most...
David Tucker and Punkt.'s technology.

In the real world

David Tucker

Well, completing the Digital Detox was nowhere near as challenging as I thought it would be. I am an active-duty military officer currently deployed in the Middle East, and have used my smartphone...
Joe Corneli technology with Punkt.

A more radical version of the Challenge

Joe Corneli

“How do we interact with technology. Do we use it, or does it use us? What price do we pay for convenience, for seamless living?” This is the first writing prompt from Punkt. in their...
Mark O' Connell with his MP01 by Punkt.

In general, I love technology…

Mark O'Connell

I work in IT and in general I love technology and use it for my job. For many years I was a Blackberry user. The Blackberry was extremely configurable; alerts could be switched on or off, different...
Thomas Schmidt graffitis with Punkt.

I wanted to reconnect

Thomas Schmidt

I had been admiring the Punkt. MP01 phone for its beauty and simplicity for quite a while, and when I heard about the Digital Detox Challenge I was more than willing to give it a shot. I had tried...
Loic Gallouedec Punkt.

Master (your) time

Loic Gallouedec

Notifications, alerts and reminders have become masters of our time. Gourmands for constant news flow, Prisoners of social media’s whirlwind, Hostages of our smartphones and tablets,...
Ian Farrell's MP01 by Punkt.

Do you remember the Crackberry?

Iain Farrell

The notion of a digital detox is growing in popularity. In the less than 10 years since the introduction of the iPhone, we've gone from a planet of smartphone sceptics to fully paid up converts...
Andy Bush MP01 by Punkt. 1

Why you need to try a Digital Detox

Andy Bush

I vividly remember the day I got my first smartphone, I unboxed it on the bus home and marvelled at the touch screen which I genuinely thought was ‘magic’. From the moment it booted up my...
Will Otto MP01 by Punkt.

I just got Punkt.

Will Otto

What if your phone actually did less? Do you think you could accomplish more (of what really matters)? My kids need technology. Not like you or I need air and water, but like how a crackhead needs...
Smartphones

Who serves who?

Will Otto

Digital Addict My name is Will. I am 37 years old. I am a father of four, a husband to one, and I am a digital addict. Dealingwithmajorlove / haterelationshipwithtechnology....