I’m pretty sure I’m not alone when I catch myself mindlessly opening and closing apps, much like browsing through digital shop windows just to feel a sense of activity.
There’s this concept tackled by IAIYWOYP where you pretend to use your phone. The platform gives you occasional prompts and tasks to carry out.
For instance, it may tell you to open your eyes wide and then frown.
The routine involves tapping on circles as they appear, swiping when instructed, and, sometimes, cleaning your screen.
When you put it all together, it feels like a perfectly orchestrated performance, enough to convince the folks at the next table that you’re absorbed in your phone and definitely not eavesdropping on their conversation.
What intrigues me most, yet also unnerves me a little, is just how satisfying this whole act can be. Double-tapping a pink circle or thoughtfully resting my fingers on my lips somehow hits the spot. Maybe it’s the role-play aspect, or perhaps it’s because this simple feedback is essentially what I’m getting from using my phone anyway. Admittedly, I’m somewhat of a phone addict, with almost nothing to show for it but nearly 2,000 wins in Sawayama Solitaire.
If a clever phone game giving me orders can keep me as engaged as an app like Bluesky, then I really have to question what on earth I’m doing here.
