Book SummaryUnplug, by Richard Simon

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Unplug

Do you feel like you spend too much time on your smartphone? Does it seem like no matter how hard you try to break away from your phone, you keep coming back to it? You’re not alone. In Unplug (2025), journalist and digital strategist Richard Simon explains that this problem plagues countless people and reveals how to get past it. Based on a series of interviews and his own experiences,...

Unplug Summary Part 1: Why You Need to Detach From Your Smartphone

Practically everyone has a smartphone these days, and Simon says that like most people, you probably spend several hours a day using yours. In this section, we’ll explore how that happened—the reasons you (and everybody else) use your smartphone too much. Then, we’ll discuss the drawbacks of smartphone dependency and the benefits of detaching from your phone.

(Shortform note: How much phone use is too much? There’s no hard and fast rule—experts say how you use your phone matters more than how long you use it. For example, spending an extra hour on your phone each day to learn a new language is healthier than using that hour to scroll through social media. However, research suggests that most adults would like to reduce their daily phone use by about a third, which suggests that not everyone uses their screen time as wisely as they could.)

Why You Use Your Smartphone Too Much

Simon points to three major factors influencing people’s smartphone use: utility, addictiveness, and...

Unplug Summary Part 2: How to Detach From Your Smartphone

Now that you know why you should detach from your smartphone, let’s talk about how to do so effectively: According to Simon, you have to stop using it entirely for at least two months. This may seem radical, but psychiatrist and addiction expert Anna Lembke says it’s necessary. In [restricted term] Nation, Lembke explains that abstinence helps reset your brain’s [restricted term] system (the same system that, according to Simon, compels you to use your phone too much). If you try to modify your behavior without this total reset—for example, by setting limits on how long you use your phone each day—you’ll fail. This is because if you keep feeding your brain the [restricted term] that comes from looking at your phone, it’ll never get over its craving for more [restricted term].

(Shortform note: Lembke writes that it only takes two to four weeks to reset your [restricted term] system, and other experts say [it can take up to three...

Shortform Exercise: Evaluate Your Smartphone Use

Simon explains that while smartphones are useful, they can decrease your quality of life. In this exercise, you’ll evaluate the impact your smartphone use has on you.

How long do you think you use your smartphone each day? How do you feel about that number?