The Banana Phone Experiment – How a Feature Phone Changed My Life

By the end of 2019, I found myself at a crossroads. I was deep into freelancing, website flipping, and dropshipping, but I wanted to take things to the next level. Entrepreneurship was calling, and I thought an MBA could be the key to unlocking bigger opportunities. So, I set my sights on the GMAT.

Now, here’s the catch—I had zero interest in studying. Reading books? Not my thing. Sitting still and focusing for hours? A nightmare. But I knew that if I wanted to succeed, I had to rewire my brain and force myself into a productive routine.

The Routine Overhaul

I devised a strict plan:

• Wake up at 7 AM (goodbye, late nights!).
• Drink tea, read the newspaper like a responsible adult.
• Have breakfast, then study.
• Lunch, then study again.
• Take an evening break (which typically meant endless scrolling on my phone).
• Dinner, read a book (who even was I?), and sleep by 10 PM.

I managed to bring my screen time down from 6 hours to 3 hours, but it still wasn’t enough. Every time I took a “break,” my phone hijacked my attention. Social media, memes, random deep dives into Wikipedia—it was a trap.

Enter: The Banana Phone

That’s when I decided to go all out. I ditched my smartphone and bought the legendary Nokia 8110 4G—a.k.a. the Banana Phone (yes, the same one from The Matrix but in bright yellow!).

Now, let’s be honest—this phone had no distractions. No mindless Instagram scrolling. No YouTube rabbit holes. Just calls, texts, and Snake. My screen time plummeted to almost nothing.

But here’s where things got interesting.

What Happened Next?

1. My mind started wandering in the best way possible. Instead of filling every spare second with digital noise, I started doodling, writing random stories, and even drawing a dragon (because why not?).
2. I became more present. Without a phone to bury my face in, I started observing the world around me. The little things—people’s expressions, birds on my balcony, the way the evening sky changed colors.
3. I actually talked to people. Waiting in line? I’d strike up a conversation instead of pretending to text. Out with friends? No distractions, just genuine connection.
4. My GMAT score improved. By my second attempt, I had a score decent enough to get into University of Florida and Texas A&M University.

And Then… COVID Hit

Just when I was ready to pack my bags for an MBA, the world shut down. Plans canceled. Dreams postponed. But weirdly enough, the Banana Phone Experiment stuck with me. Even after going back to a smartphone, my screen time never crossed 2 hours again (unless there was a long group video call—those can stretch forever!).

Final Thoughts

Switching to a feature phone wasn’t just about reducing screen time. It was about breaking out of autopilot, rediscovering creativity, and actually living in the moment. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

So, if you ever feel like your phone is running your life instead of the other way around, maybe it’s time for your own Banana Phone Experiment.