Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On this week’s episode of “Galaxy Brain,” Charlie Warzel talks with his Atlantic colleague Kaitlyn Tiffany about what our phones are doing to us. Tiffany recently wrote about swapping her iPhone for a flip phone as part of a movement called “Month Offline.” Kaitlyn talks through her personal experience: the joys and inconveniences of a dumbphone and the difficulty of unplugging completely. Warzel and Tiffany talk about the growing smartphone backlash, legal cases against “big tech,” and how, even if many people are convinced that their phones are a problem, the science remains far from conclusive regarding direct harm.
This episode of “Galaxy Brain” was produced by Renee Klahr and engineered by Miguel Carrascal. Our theme is by Rob Smierciak. Claudine Ebeid is the executive producer of Atlantic audio, and Andrea Valdez is our managing editor.
Subscribe to the “Galaxy Brain” newsletter: theatlantic.com/newsletters/sign-up/galaxy-brain/?utm_source=podcast-warzel
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Subscribe to the “Galaxy Brain” podcast on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/542WHgdiDTJhEjn1Py4J7n
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Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at accounts.theatlantic.com/products/?utm_medium=cr&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=apple_podcasts
00:00 Intro
04:58 Interview with Kaitlyn Tiffany
08:06 What is “Month Offline?”
11:03 Smartphone Detox
15:12 Growing Phone Backlash
19:28 What Kaitlyn Learned
22:21 Are The Phones Really The Problem?
30:44 Science vs. Culture
37:56 Algorithms and Agency
43:13 Shifting Norms and Phone-Free Spaces
47:00 Closing Thoughts
On this week’s episode of “Galaxy Brain,” Charlie Warzel talks with his Atlantic colleague Kaitlyn Tiffany about what our phones are doing to us. Tiffany recently wrote about swapping her iPhone for a flip phone as part of a movement called “Month Offline.” Kaitlyn talks through her personal experience: the joys and inconveniences of a dumbphone and the difficulty of unplugging completely. Warzel and Tiffany talk about the growing smartphone backlash, legal cases against “big tech,” and how, even if many people are convinced that their phones are a problem, the science remains far from conclusive regarding direct harm.
This episode of “Galaxy Brain” was produced by Renee Klahr and engineered by Miguel Carrascal. Our theme is by Rob Smierciak. Claudine Ebeid is the executive producer of Atlantic audio, and Andrea Valdez is our managing editor.
Subscribe to the “Galaxy Brain” newsletter: theatlantic.com/newsletters/sign-up/galaxy-brain/?utm_source=podcast-warzel
Subscribe to the “Galaxy Brain” podcast on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/galaxy-brain/id1378618386
Subscribe to the “Galaxy Brain” podcast on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/542WHgdiDTJhEjn1Py4J7n
Follow The Atlantic on Instagram: instagram.com/theatlantic/?hl=en
Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at accounts.theatlantic.com/products/?utm_medium=cr&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=apple_podcasts
00:00 Intro
04:58 Interview with Kaitlyn Tiffany
08:06 What is “Month Offline?”
11:03 Smartphone Detox
15:12 Growing Phone Backlash
19:28 What Kaitlyn Learned
22:21 Are The Phones Really The Problem?
30:44 Science vs. Culture
37:56 Algorithms and Agency
43:13 Shifting Norms and Phone-Free Spaces
47:00 Closing Thoughts
