By Agnese Augusta Patriarca Bertoli. Original photoshoot: Styling Agnese Augusta Patriarca Bertoli; Photography Sara Mautone.
A life without social media—what a utopia! No text messages to remind you that you’re late for an appointment, no subtle online interactions, no pictures spamming. Just words, thoughts, and your memory to rely on. This might sound dramatic, and I suppose it is, but this is exactly how my five hours of freedom felt. Instead of panicking, the second I realised my lovely iPhone 12 was nowhere to be found, I surprisingly felt lighter than ever. Not only did I survive, but I thrived through the night. No pictures, no videos and no texting. This is how I survived through out a visual connection of phone and fashion styling.
The Unexpected Freedom of a Phone-Free Life through out phone and fashion
As “digital natives” it feels strange to crave freedom from technology, especially since we have never truly experienced life without it. Or have we? Reducing the constant bombardment of media information is no doubt a form of rebellion and a way to cultivate genuine critical thinking. The algorithms that track us are designed to make us feel understood and welcomed, creating a virtual reality where everything and everyone is on our wavelength, and complexity is cut out of our reality. Everything is either black or white.
Dealing with phone addiction is as challenging as overcoming any other addiction, but it comes with the added difficulty that technology has become essential for our survival and social interaction. As Walter Siti discusses in his book C’era una volta il corpo, which analyses our modern bodily existence, compulsive and endless scrolling has turned into our new form of meditation, like a repetitive act that disconnects us from our surroundings. What was once time for introspection has now devolved into “doom scrolling.
The Emotional Attachment to Technology
What ultimately strikes me about scrolling addiction is how recent generations have developed an emotional attachment to it despite being somewhat aware of its unhealthy nature. A notable example is the term “brain rot”, which was named Oxford’s Word of the Year in 2024. It is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging”.
This term not only reflects the definition provided by the Oxford Dictionary but also represents a way of communicating that heavily relies on referencing internet trends, viral TikTok audios, and memes. What naturally comes with this kind of social interaction is the inability to engage in deep conversations, as we often remain stuck behind a barrier created by these memes, which keeps our discussions superficial. We have become intellectually lazy, accustomed to having continuous content presented to us, and we struggle to sit with ourselves or with others. Boredom has essentially vanished from our daily routines.
The Political Cost of Digital Distraction
In a world filled with political instability, wars, the rise of extremism, and widespread ignorance, it’s crucial to put down that phone and recognise that everything is political. We’ve become overly accustomed to thinking that our rights are untouchable and that we’ll always be able to express our thoughts freely. In doing so, we often forget the true state of affairs. Laws aren’t shared on social media or through 15-second TikTok videos, and politicians aren’t elected based on Instagram polls.
Reality is tangible, while propaganda is not.
The mass “memefication” of political content on social media, which has become the primary source of information for many, has fostered an extremely toxic conversation where seriousness and urgency are nowhere to be found.
This lack of depth, coupled with the constant stream of trivial information and images, leaves little room for thoughtful analysis. Perhaps going out and having fun without your phone is not only doable but also a much-needed cathartic experience.
