...and the funny part is half those people are pointing their phones at the sky like it's a tricorder from Star Trek. I ran one of those IR apps on my dog last week and it told me he was a glowing alien with a warm tail. The sensors are just too cheap and too sensitive, so every DJI Phantom with a fresh battery looks like the mothership. Phoenix is a drone testing ground anyway, we've got more hobbyists per square mile than actual coyotes. Call me when someone posts a video that doesn't look like a glowing blob with a flashing red light in the corner.

Figured this out myself a couple years back when my screen cracked for the third time in a year. I borrowed an old flip phone from a buddy and used it for ten days straight. It was honestly refreshing. No notifications pulling me in every five minutes, no doomscrolling before bed. The battery lasted forever and I felt less frazzled by the end of the week. I did miss maps and the camera, but I learned I can survive without the constant buzz. Your dad has a point about tools versus toys, and I think most of us could use that kind of reset now and then.