The Aporia · Not Using A Smartphone Burdens Others

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 by AI on 2026-09-17, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Josh Blackman, a law professor, discusses his decision to go smartphone-free on Shabbat since September 2023, turning off 5G, WiFi, and Bluetooth while keeping basic phone functionality active. He finds this period blissful as it allows him to disconnect from work emails and social media distractions but notes that text messages often disrupt his peace. For instance, friends might send links or questions about the Supreme Court's activities, which he cannot engage with until Saturday night returns. This practice reflects a balance between adhering to religious observance and maintaining some level of communication, though it creates challenges for those who need to reach him during this period.

Written for “Smartphone Use Impact” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Smartphone Use Impact

Technology · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Josh Blackman

88 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 I thought it might be worthwhile to dig into the numbers a bit more.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Supreme Court Clerks Who Become Law Professors (2012-2026)

🔮 Today the law firm of Weil Gotshal announced that it would wind down.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · Farewell to Weil

🔮 And her unwillingness to participate in any disciplinary proceedings suggests something is amiss.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · The Bigger Problem With Judge Ada Brown's Woke Tirade: She Said The Quiet Part Out Loud About "White Saviors"

🔮 Longtime readers will recall that I took mileage runs to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Sydney to make status at the end of the year.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · 1,000,000 Miles on United

🔮 Let's hope that people across the media industry will take Josh Blackman's criticism to heart.

2026-10-27 · assertive framing · The Wall Street Journal Praises The Old Gray Lady

🔮 New from Reason: a look into what Javier Milei has accomplished and what it will take to make the most of Argentina’s window for real change.

2026-10-26 · assertive framing · Today in Supreme Court History: October 26, 1774

🔮 ] There have been many news reports suggesting that the United States Department of Justice may pursue denaturalization proceedings against Representative Ilhan Omar.

2026-10-22 · mixed framing · What Happens to Representative Ilhan Omar's Congressional Seat if the United States Files Suit to Denaturalize Her?

🔮 Nevertheless, the next two decades would vastly enlarge the president's powers as Congress' authority over the executive branch would be greatly diminished.

2026-10-20 · assertive framing · New in SCOTUSBlog: "The separation and expansion of powers between Congress and the president"

🔮 Justice Sotomayor, Justice Gorsuch, Justice Barrett, and Justice Jackson took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.

2026-10-19 · mixed framing · Four Justices Recuse From Petition By Publishing Companies And New Grant on Disparate Impact

🔮 The regulations for Freedmen schools in Texas provided that classes would begin at 9 A.M. and "[t]he morning Exercises will commence with either the singing of an appropriate hymn, or prayer, or the reading of the Scriptures."

2026-10-13 · assertive framing · New Essay: "The Establishment Clause At The Second Founding"

Also by Josh Blackman

Today in Supreme Court History: November 1, 1961

2026-11-01 · Reason

Today in Supreme Court History: October 31, 1963

2026-10-31 · Reason

Today in Supreme Court History: October 30, 1735

2026-10-30 · Reason

Supreme Court Clerks Who Become Law Professors (2012-2026)

2026-10-30 · Reason

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 88 articles by Josh Blackman →

(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.)

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-17

🔮 I would keep the actual telephone on, so I could receive calls and text messages.

2026-09-17 · Reason

Not Using A Smartphone Burdens Others · assertive framing

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." asserted

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. asserted

who → adhere → friends

For a full day, no one can bother me. asserted

one → bother → me

I get no emails asking me to do things. asserted

I → get → things

If someone writes something about me, I won't see it till Saturday night. asserted

I → write → night

And if the Supreme Court issues some emergency ruling, I don't have to deal with it. asserted

I → issue → it

Then again, text messages from friends will often disturb my solitude. asserted

messages → disturb → solitude

They will text me a link to a social media post, that I can't open for a full day. asserted

I → text → day

They will text me, "Can you believe what Justice X did"? asserted

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. asserted

what → spend → day

People often ask me how I maintain such a productive rate of output. asserted

I → ask → output

Turning off for a full-day helps me be much clearer for the rest of the week. asserted

me → turn → week

I still have to function in society. asserted

I → have → society

Invariably, I burden others. asserted

I → burden → others

If I need to use an uber, I have to ask someone else to call it from me. asserted

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.) asserted

car → schedule → time

If I need directions, I have to ask someone else to check Google Maps. asserted

I → need → Maps

(I usually download offline directions, but they do not always work.) asserted

they → download → directions

Virtually any place that involves a check-in requires scanning a QR code. asserted

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.) asserted

I → drop → them

Ordering food is extremely hard, as most places only take orders over an app. asserted

places → order → app

Traveling without a smartphone is a trip. asserted

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. asserted

I → download → monitors

All the while, I have to explain to people why I can't check a smartphone. asserted

I → have → smartphone

People are incredulous and confused. asserted

People → confuse → ?

This experience makes me think of the defunct standard TWA v. Hardison. asserted

me → make → Hardison

Accommodating my sabbath observance imposes a burden on others, one that I would hope is de minimis. asserted

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. asserted

I → resolve → more

I will not receive any calls or texts. asserted

I → receive → calls

And I will not use my laptop with the WiFi off. asserted

I → use → WiFi

As productive as people think I am, I will be eliminating a full day of possible working. asserted

I → think → working

I still like my odds. asserted

I → like → odds

I find myself thinking far more deeply about things if I don't look at a screen. asserted

I → find → screen

…and 10 more, not listed.

Not Using A Smartphone Burdens Others

Quick Summary

AI analysis

Story

Compared with similar articles

Signals How these are calculated →

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Publisher

Who wrote this

Topics

Subjects

Narrative

Claims (50 extracted, 3 hedged)