KUT Interview: Lessons Learned From A Year Of Smartphone-Free Living

The end of the school year has many people ready to get away on a summer vacation. But imagine a different kind of vacation - from smartphones. The idea is to completely set aside those devices that feel indispensable to everyday life. Austin-area certified life and relationship coaches Junice and Rock Rockman did not plan to ditch their smartphones completely. They had already been doing technology-free days since 2010 so when both of their smartphones broke in 2016, they opted not to repair or replace them but rather to see how smartphone-free living would impact their lives for a year. They signed up for a landline, ramped up their email usage, and waited to see what would happen. The Rockmans talked with KUT's Jennifer Stayton about why they decided to ditch their smartphones and what they learned from that year.