David Harbour: ‘Having a flip phone is amazing because you actually have to call people’

2 weeks ago 8

David Harbour has laid fairly low since his marriage to Lily Allen ended earlier this year. Stranger Things finished filming in December 2024, and he only began filming Avengers: Doomsday in April. I don’t even recall him doing a lot of press for Marvel’s Thunderbolts. It sounds like David’s been taking time off in between projects and living that country life in his home outside of Atlanta. Interview Magazine just published an interview between Scarlett Johansson and David, with ScarJo as the interviewer. It’s fairly long, but covers a lot of subjects, including how social media and smartphones have changed society. As it turns out, David goes through technology detox periods in which he only uses a flip phone.

Harbour: I feel like the phone is the game changer for everything. It’s like the wheel. It created an entirely new civilization.

Johansson: Do you spend a lot of time on your phone?

Harbour: I go through phases where I get rid of it entirely and go flip phone. Have you ever gone flip phone?

Johansson: No, not since I’ve had an iPhone.

Harbour: Having a flip phone is an amazing experience because you actually have to call people, and you don’t deal with emails until you get home.

Johansson: How long does that last you?

Harbour:I’ve gone four or five months at a time.

Johansson:What if you’re like, “Oh, I need to order this thing or email this person,” do you write those things down so you remember them later?

Harbour: I think it’s a product of the phone that you think you need those things. When you have the flip phone, you just forget about the thing you wanted to buy, and the things that are important rise to the surface.

[From Interview Magazine]

“Having a flip phone is an amazing experience because you actually have to call people.” I mean, he’s not wrong. You do indeed have to rely on calling people when you’re using a flip phone. That is technically correct, and I’m happy for David that he’s unlocked this simple life hack. It’s a nice thought, especially when you have people who will answer work emails or texts for you. David’s story about the flip phone reminds me of how he and Lily used to have apps that monitored each other’s screen time on their iPhones. I wonder if the flip phone gives him freedom from more than just having to answer emails right away.

I’ve had periods where I’ve given up social media or checking my phone in general, but it always comes back to that feeling of having to be available or learn certain information in real time. During the week, I hate feeling like I may miss something, but I have gotten really good about putting the phone down on the weekends. I’m also with Scarlett in terms of using your phone to set a reminder or purchase something (or at least add it to your cart to remind you to research/buy it later) so you don’t forget. I make handwritten lists every morning, but sometimes, you need to do something in the field and that’s where your phone comes in handy.

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