Our Mission & Philosophy
What is “appstinence?”
(n.) Refraining from having personal social media accounts, and instead using direct-line communication like phone calls to supplement your relationships
Our Why and What
The mission of the appstinence movement is to restore the fiber of the human experience —— the depth and care of our relationships. We have become a society that defaults to social media to connect with others, ourselves, and the world at large; this movement wants to change that, by removing social media from our personal relationships entirely.
This movement is about more than what you see in the media about "kids-these-days." It is a movement led by Gen Z to revert the social atrophy and moral degradation of an entire generation (but also everyone else) rooted in the normalization of social media.
Consider:
The inability to focus caused by addictive design does not just make it hard to complete daily tasks. It prevents us from investing deeply in anything or anyone.
The aversion to in-person interaction in exchange for social media interactions is not mere preference, but a fatal fallacy that vulnerability is not necessary for a full life.
The normalization of doomscrolling does more than clutter our minds. It is a daily, incessant affirmation that the cynics are right— things will never get better— and we should all rage at each other or better yet, give up now.
Pulling out our phones in every still moment is about more than disliking boredom, it teaches an entire generation to fear our thoughts.
The saying that "the genie is out of the bottle" —often used to accept the social media status quo— is not about being realistic. It is a repeated resignation that the future we will one day inherit cannot be changed.
Our logo is a cursor because we have a choice. YOU have a choice.
So choose technology that helps you matter to others and others to you. Choose peace. Choose appstinence.
Glossary
appiness (n.): the feeling of freedom after achieving appstinence
cellibacy (n.): using an intelliphone (dumbphone) or "transition device"
*a transition device is a non-traditional smartphone like the CAT S22 Flip that runs Android Go but is a flip phone
crapstinence (n.): using the bathroom without your phone
intelliphone (n.): a better word for dumbphone because what's dumb about my phone? 🤨
mapstinence (n.): navigating without turn-by-turn GPS i.e. looking it up before you leave the house or using your ~intuition~
social mediator (n.): synonym for "social media" to emphasize how platforms decrease vulnerability amongst users
Photo credit: Tech Crunch
Your Journey
to Appstinence
Appstinence is a big ask, we understand. That’s why our services don’t just give you guides, how-to videos, and tips and tricks. We work with you one-on-one to figure out why appstinence is the best route for you, and get you living the fullest in-person life you’ve never even imagined. Well, imagine it!
While we specialize in the digital needs of Gen Z and youth, our services are applicable to anyone.
The APP Approach:
Agency, Permission, and Proof
Our clients on their Digital Lifestyle Planning journeys come from different age groups and walks of life. There is a place for you. Welcome.