We've reached a fever pitch with smartphones, and more and more people aren't sure what to do anymore with these computers in our pockets. Is it time to throw them in a river and "downgrade" to older school flip phones? Some folks are. Autumn Kern is one such person, and in this episode, she chats with Tsh about why she'll never go back. She makes the case that smartphones are turning us into gnostics, they're depleting us of our virtue, and they're depriving us of true community, instead giving us dopamine hits of a faux version of connection. The trade-off? A more beautiful life! * Common House * Autumn Kern’s podcast and YouTube channel * Tsh: Newsletter | Website * Pick up a round of drinks * Recommended reads * Come to Ireland with Tsh! * Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport * The Machine Stops, by E.M. Forster * Amusing Ourselves to Death, by Neil Postman * Marc Barnes on smartphones * The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis * Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy * When the Church Was Young, by Marcellino d’Ambrosio This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecommon.place/subscribe