I switched to a dumb phone for 7 days. Did it fix my screen addiction?

Did it work? ANYRON COPEMAN reports

- ANYRON COPEMAN

My life revolves around my phone.

As hard as that is to admit, it's the truth. For basically my entire waking life, I'm tethered to my smartphone, and I hate it.

As Tech Advisor's Mobile Editor, using my phone regularly is a necessity.

There's nothing inherently wrong with that – a smartphone offers tonnes of features that can enhance our lives.

But all too often, it feels nearly impossible to separate these benefits from the well-publicised downsides. Most of the time, I don't reach for my phone to use one of its many handy tools; I use it as a form of distraction.

Whether it's procrastinating or escaping a moment of discomfort, my phone has eliminated boredom from my life. Sadly, it's had the same effect on any genuine relaxation.

I knew something had to change, so I set myself a radical challenge. Could I survive for an entire week without using a smartphone? Switching to a flip phone hadn't quite had the desired effect, so I knew I had to go further.

There was only one device for it: a 'dumb phone'. In other words, a basic feature phone which offers access to key tools such as calls and texts, but little else. I went for the Nokia 110 I already owned - it has 4G connectivity, which is crucial at a time when many 3G networks are being switched off.

However, basically all of the other creature comforts I've come to rely on are missing. No Chrome! No WhatsApp! No Google Maps! A terrible camera! What had I signed up for?

Despite all these apparent downsides, I was weirdly excited to make the switch, which probably showed how much I needed it. Here's how my smartphone-free week went.

FRIDAY