British music star Ed Sheeran revealed in a recent Therapuss podcast episode with Jake Shane that he has been without a phone since 2015.
He cited the constant pressure to reply to messages and the loss of meaningful human interaction as reasons for his decision.
Sheeran jokingly remarked to the host that they couldn’t swap phone numbers because he no longer possesses a cell phone to contact or message him on. Nevertheless, during events, his team provides a phone for social media needs.
This strategy enables him to minimize texting time and prioritize face-to-face interactions, which he values more. Reflecting on his last time owning a mobile device, Ed Sheeran recalled…
“I had the same number from like age 15, I think. I got famous, and I had 10,000 contacts in my phone that would just – people would just text the whole time. And I was just constantly in touch with a lot of people.
I feel like with phones, everyone expects you to reply, and if you don’t reply, it’s rude. Sometimes you’re just not in a headspace to reply, you’re busy or doing whatever, but then you reply, then they reply back… and suddenly you’re in like 40 conversations at once…
“Nothing creative has ever come out of being connected the whole time. Boredom is what makes someone think of an iPhone.”
