Law professor Eugene Volokh discusses his experience of going smartphone-free on Shabbat since September 2023, turning off all connectivity but the phone's basic functions to adhere to religious practices. He finds this period refreshing and productive but acknowledges the inconvenience it causes others, such as needing help with tasks like ordering food or using ride-sharing apps. Volokh concludes by deciding to take this a step further for future Shabbats by completely powering down his phone rather than just setting it to airplane mode.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
The New York Times had an opinion piece today titled, "My Dumbphone Made My Life Better.
asserted
Life → have → piece
It Made Everyone Else's Worse."
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Everyone → make → ?
I can relate.
asserted
I → relate → ?
Since September 2023, I have gone somewhat smart-phone free on Shabbat.
asserted
I → go → Shabbat
From Friday evening till Saturday evening, I turn off 5G, WiFi, and Bluetooth on my phone.
asserted
I → turn → phone
I would keep the actual telephone on, so I could receive calls and text messages.
uncertain
I → keep → calls
This half-measure was my way of adhering to my religious beliefs, while also maintaining some connection with friends and family who are not observant.
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who → adhere → friends
For a full day, no one can bother me.
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one → bother → me
I get no emails asking me to do things.
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I → get → things
If someone writes something about me, I won't see it till Saturday night.
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I → write → night
And if the Supreme Court issues some emergency ruling, I don't have to deal with it.
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I → issue → it
Then again, text messages from friends will often disturb my solitude.
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messages → disturb → solitude
They will text me a link to a social media post, that I can't open for a full day.
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I → text → day
They will text me, "Can you believe what Justice X did"?
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X → text → what
I could ask what happened, but that defeats the point of the separation.
uncertain
that → ask → separation
So I spend a full day wondering what happened.
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what → spend → day
People often ask me how I maintain such a productive rate of output.
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I → ask → output
Turning off for a full-day helps me be much clearer for the rest of the week.
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me → turn → week
I still have to function in society.
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I → have → society
Invariably, I burden others.
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I → burden → others
If I need to use an uber, I have to ask someone else to call it from me.
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I → need → me
(A few times, I've actually scheduled an uber to pick me up at a hotel the night before, so I hope it pray a car actually shows up at the appointed time.)
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car → schedule → time
If I need directions, I have to ask someone else to check Google Maps.
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I → need → Maps
(I usually download offline directions, but they do not always work.)
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they → download → directions
Virtually any place that involves a check-in requires scanning a QR code.
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that → involve → code
(When I drop my kids off at the daycare at the gym, I have to borrow the attendant's phone to sign them in.)
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I → drop → them
Ordering food is extremely hard, as most places only take orders over an app.
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places → order → app
Traveling without a smartphone is a trip.
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Traveling → travel → smartphone
I can still download boarding passes, and print them out, but if there are any disruptions, I have to keep myself glued to the airport monitors.
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I → download → monitors
All the while, I have to explain to people why I can't check a smartphone.
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I → have → smartphone
People are incredulous and confused.
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People → confuse → ?
This experience makes me think of the defunct standard TWA v. Hardison.
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me → make → Hardison
Accommodating my sabbath observance imposes a burden on others, one that I would hope is de minimis.
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I → accommodate → others
Well, one might think this experience would push me towards using my phone again.
uncertain
experience → think → phone
Just the opposite I resolved this Rosh Hashanah to do a bit more.
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I → resolve → more
I will not receive any calls or texts.
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I → receive → calls
And I will not use my laptop with the WiFi off.
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I → use → WiFi
As productive as people think I am, I will be eliminating a full day of possible working.
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I → think → working
I still like my odds.
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I → like → odds
I find myself thinking far more deeply about things if I don't look at a screen.
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I → find → screen
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
