In our 100th Kosher Money episode, we chat with Richard Simon, a guy who went completely offline for a year. What he learned might totally change how you see your phone.
We were promised connection and convenience, but most of us just feel more anxious and distracted. In his book Unplug, Richard talks about how our devices quietly steal our focus and shape our lives without us even realizing it.
If you’ve ever felt glued to your phone, this episode might be the nudge you need to finally take a break.
Contact: author@richard-simon.com
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
01:29 The Moment Richard Realized He Was in Control
03:23 People’s Outrageous Screen Time
03:50 Forgetting What Life Was Like Before Phones
04:49 What Happens to Our Brains When We Use Our Phones
06:00 How Richard’s Smartphone Affected His Career
07:09 Attention Residue
11:09 You CAN Be More Focused
12:33 This MLB Player’s Big Decision
16:50 Why Get Rid of Your Phone Completely?
20:30 BitBean – Bringing Your Big Ideas to Life
21:23 Twillory – Look Good and Feel Good
22:48 Letting Go of Technology Frees Your Mind
28:00 How to Break Up With Your Phone
33:35 The Awareness of Phone Addiction
35:27 The Challenge of Giving Up His Smartphone
37:15 What Richard Used Instead of His Apps
39:05 How His Wife Was Influenced
39:53 Should We Give Our Children Smartphones?
47:02 Girls vs. Boys – Conversations and Smartphones
47:46 Money Halacha – Weekly Halacha Clips
49:06 Colel Chabad – Feeding Thousands of Families
50:21 How the Corporate World Is Unplugging
52:10 The Different Smartphone Breakup Styles
53:40 Addiction vs. Self-Control
54:19 Saving Money by Going Phone-Less
55:05 What Richard Did With His New Free Time
57:20 Quietness Leads to the Best Results
59:42 Why People Struggle to Let Go of Their Phones
1:00:01 The First Step to a Healthier Relationship
1:04:55 Pros and Cons of ChatGPT
1:07:40 What Richard Would Tell His Younger Self
1:08:22 How He Helps People Work on Their Phone Addiction
1:10:31 Ways to Make Using Your Phone Less Tempting
1:12:38 Richard’s Must-Have Book
1:13:27 How to Contact Richard
1:13:38 Why Richard Doesn’t Have Social Media
1:15:02 Richard’s Next Book? + Recs
1:16:39 Outro: Contest & New Winner
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