Brett Eldredge Returns to 2002 for ‘Flip Phone Challenge’

Buh bye, smart phone!

Written by Lauren Laffer
Brett Eldredge Returns to 2002 for ‘Flip Phone Challenge’
Brett Eldredge; Photo credit: Michele Laurita

As part of his battle with anxiety, Brett Eldredge has been looking for ways to decompress and live more in the moment. Between writing in a gratitude journal and meditation, among other outlets, the Illinois native has learned to deal with his anxiety in a healthier way.

On his continuing path to mental clarity, the singer has announced that he’s returning to the days of the flip phone, in order to try and cut down on his overwhelming screen time.

“To start 2019, I am going to go back in time to 2002. That was the year I got my first color flip phone with a lil megapixel camera on it…I felt like a bad ass…I would carry it everywhere I went but never look at it to check the never ending ‘Breaking News’ or constantly compare my life to someone else’s…I wouldn’t sit at the dinner table and be halfway paying attention to my buddies convo’s because I was watching someone’s story about how good, or bad they were at ‘Flossing’ or how quick someone could chug a bottle of vodka and do a triple backflip into a pool…,” he wrote in part.

 

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To start 2019, I am going to go back in time to 2002. That was the year I got my first color flip phone with a lil megapixel camera on it…I felt like a bad ass…I would carry it everywhere I went but never look at it to check the never ending “Breaking News” or constantly compare my life to someone else’s…I wouldn’t sit at the dinner table and be halfway paying attention to my buddies convo’s because I was watching someone’s story about how good, or bad they were at “Flossing” or how quick someone could chug a bottle of vodka and do a triple backflip into a pool…I was there, in the moment, with my friends, with life…Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of amazing things about a smart phone…but I gotta take a moment to experiment and see what it’s like to be here, RIGHT NOW, lost in the music and not in a screen…if ya need me, I’ll be on the T9 text machine…here goes the #FlipPhoneChallnege Happy new year! Love Brett

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Eldredge continued, “I was there, in the moment, with my friends, with life…Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of amazing things about a smart phone…but I gotta take a moment to experiment and see what it’s like to be here, RIGHT NOW, lost in the music and not in a screen…if ya need me, I’ll be on the T9 text machine…here goes the #FlipPhoneChallenge.”

“The Long Way” singer isn’t the first to ditch the newest tech for a bit of a slowdown. Fellow artist Dierks Bentley has been an avid flip phone user for years. During an appearance on the podcast Bobbycast in 2017, Bentley admitted that when he got home from touring, he’d ditch the smart phone for an older device so he’d be more present during the time he spent with his kids.

“The people that know me, have my number and if they need something they can call. He added, I don’t want to be the guy that one of my kids has to say Dad twice to get my attention cause my head is buried in a phone,” he admitted.

Are you ready to join Brett Eldredge and Dierks Bentley for the Flip Phone Challenge?