Losing My Phone: The Wake-Up Call We All Need

Nation First ponders the bright side of having a phone nicked.

Dear friend,

Sorry.

Yesterday’s Nation First newsletter didn’t go out. Why? Because my phone was stolen. That’s right—gone. One moment, it was in my pocket, and the next, I was cut off from everything. No phone calls. No emails in my pocket. No endless stream of updates.

And let me tell you, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Losing a phone isn’t just losing a gadget—it’s like having your connection to the entire modern world ripped out of your hands. You can’t function, can’t communicate, can’t exist without it—or at least, that’s what they want you to believe.

At first, I panicked. I mean, wouldn’t you? But something incredible happened. As the days stretched on, a strange feeling took over. Freedom. Actual, undeniable freedom. For the first time in years, I wasn’t tethered to a glowing screen, constantly interrupted by buzzing notifications and mindless distractions. It made me realise just how much of my life has been devoured by this little device.

And now, I’ve got a question for you: how much of your life has been taken by it?

Find out if you’re a prisoner of your own device and what to do about it by reading on…