Why Does Andrew Huberman Lock His Phone in a Box?
Andrew Huberman locks his social media phone in a box because social media is the habit he is worst at following. He moved X and Instagram onto a separate phone so a message cannot pull him in, keeps that phone in a lockbox he calls a super max prison lock, and cannot code his way out. He allows one hour on it, then the phone goes back in.
He can control other behavior, yet time still disappears once the apps are open. The algorithms have gotten so good and so entertaining, and he uses them in an active way. Going online means seeing people talk about him, trying to explain, and sorting out who is acting in good faith, which can suck up a lot of time. Needing a lockbox carries some shame, because people should be able to control their own behavior.
He still locks the phone away because the data support a clear pattern: if the phone is out of the room or completely inaccessible, cognitive resources become available that stay unavailable when the phone is even in a bag, turned off, under a chair. A study found people can focus just as well with the phone nearby, but they need extra cognitive resources to hold that focus. Keeping the phone in another room helps, and the lockbox adds a further level of inaccessibility that serves him.
